Sunday, December 22, 2024

Oasis announce two extra Wembley shows with ticket ballot ‘to make amends’

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Oasis have announced two further Wembley Stadium shows on September 27 and 28 following overwhelming demand for their 2025 reunion tour.

Fans who made it through the hours-long queue for tickets this weekend were shocked that the cost for general standing tickets had risen as a result of Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing policy, which saw the cost of tickets double in some cases.

In a press release, it was announced on Wednesday (September 4) that a new “invitation-only ballot ticket sale strategy” has been devised for the two new Wembley shows “as a small step towards making amends for the situation”.

“Applications to join the ballot will be opened first to the many fans who were unsuccessful in the initial on sale with Ticketmaster,” the statement adds.

It also promises to be “far smoother for fans by reducing the stress and time it takes to obtain” tickets.

The release also addresses complaints about Ticketmaster’s pricing system, saying: “As for the well reported complaints many buyers had over the operation of Ticketmaster’s dynamic ticketing: it needs to be made clear that Oasis leave decisions on ticketing and pricing entirely to their promoters and management, and at no time had any awareness that dynamic pricing was going to be used.

Liam (left) and Noel Gallagher of Oasis
Liam (left) and Noel Gallagher of Oasis (Oasis)

“While prior meetings between promoters, Ticketmaster and the band’s management resulted in a positive ticket sale strategy, which would be a fair experience for fans, including dynamic ticketing to help keep general ticket prices down as well as reduce touting, the execution of the plan failed to meet expectations. All parties involved did their utmost to deliver the best possible fan experience, but due to the unprecedented demand this became impossible to achieve.”

Fans who set their alarms on Saturday found themselves waiting in lengthy queues, as they shared screenshots informing them they were 352,856th or 430,720th in line.

Some complained they were being forced to wait in a queue simply to get on the websites for Ticketmaster, SeeTickets and Gigs and Tours.

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As tickets went on sale, fans reported the websites crashing altogether as demand surged and the band issued a further warning that any being resold at inflated prices could be “cancelled”.

This didn’t appear to prevent resale sites such as Viagogo and StubHub listing tickets for as much as £7,025 for a single seated ticket at Wembley Stadium, while the cheapest standing tickets available on StubHub were listed from £842 each.

Addressing the resale tickets, Oasis wrote on X/Twitter: “Tickets appearing on other secondary ticketing sites are either counterfeit or will be cancelled by the promoters.”

A representative for Ticketmaster told The Independent: “All ticket prices, including Platinum, In Demand, and VIP, are set by the tour.”

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