Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Oasis rule out ‘dynamic pricing’ for North America reunion tour dates after UK backlash

‘We have made this decision for the North America tour to hopefully avoid a repeat of the issues fans in the UK and Ireland experienced recently,’ spokesperson said

Tom Murray
New York
Monday 30 September 2024 16:47 BST
Comments
Amazon Music make plea to Oasis with huge Times Square billboard

Your support helps us to tell the story

Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.

Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.

Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.

Louise Thomas

Louise Thomas

Editor

Oasis has ruled out the use of Ticketmaster’s controversial dynamic pricing system for the US leg of their tour after facing widespread backlash in the UK and Ireland.

In August, Liam and Noel Gallagher announced they were putting aside their bitter feud to embark on a reunion tour in 2025.

However, British fans were devastated after spending hours in online queues only to discover they were being charged up to four times as high as the original stated prices due to Ticketmaster’s so-called dynamic pricing scheme, which pushes fees up in line with demand.

Earlier this month, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it would examine how Ticketmaster’s “dynamic pricing” had been used and scrutinize whether the sale might have breached consumer protection law.

The Britpop group announced their US, Canada and Mexico Oasis Live ‘25 tour shows on Monday (September 30).

Their first performance on the continent will be at Rogers Stadium in Toronto, Ontario on August 24 next year.

Liam Gallagher (left) and Noel Gallagher who have announced dates for their world tour
Liam Gallagher (left) and Noel Gallagher who have announced dates for their world tour (Simon Emmett/PA)

They will then head to the US for Chicago’s Soldier Field on August 28, East Rutherford’s MetLife Stadium on August 31, and Los Angeles’s Rose Ball Stadium on September 6, with the final date released for Estadio GNP Seguros in Mexico City on September 12.

A string of 19 UK and Ireland dates have all sold out, including two extra Wembley shows, which sparked a furor over ticket sales and inflated prices.

A statement from Oasis‘ management said: “Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing model will not be applied to the forthcoming sale of tickets to Oasis concerts in North America.

Amazon Music logo

Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music

Sign up now for a 30-day free trial

Sign up
Amazon Music logo

Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music

Sign up now for a 30-day free trial

Sign up

“It is widely accepted that dynamic pricing remains a useful tool to combat ticket touting and keep prices for a significant proportion of fans lower than the market rate and thus more affordable.

“But, when unprecedented ticket demand (where the entire tour could be sold many times over at the moment tickets go on sale) is combined with technology that cannot cope with that demand, it becomes less effective and can lead to an unacceptable experience for fans.

“We have made this decision for the North America tour to hopefully avoid a repeat of the issues fans in the UK and Ireland experienced recently.”

Similar to the UK and Ireland tour, there will be a pre-ballot for fans hoping to get access to the sale first, with fans being asked to confirm entry by October 1.

To enter, you are asked where you are based, and a question about when they last played in North America. Their 2008-2009 Dig Out Your Soul tour was when they last made it there.

In 2009, the band broke up amid a backstage brawl at France’s Rock en Seine festival.

Ticketmaster has previously said it does not set concert prices and its website states this is down to the “event organiser” who “has priced these tickets according to their market value.”

Their first UK show will take place at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on July 4.

Tickets for North America will be on sale from October 4.

Additional reporting by the Press Association

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in