Oasis announce invite-only Wembley Stadium tour dates after ticket sale furore
A statement said Oasis ‘at no time had any awareness that dynamic pricing was going to be used’.
Oasis have announced new Wembley Stadium dates using a new ticketing plan following chaos over the weekend.
Liam and Noel Gallagher have extended their Live ’25 tour to include two more London shows on September 27 and 28, using a new “staggered invitation-only ballot process” with applications to join the ballot opened first to those who were unsuccessful in the initial sale.
The ballot will run using the same system as the pre-order ballot on Friday which featured transparent ticketing prices on Ticketmaster, the PA news agency understands.
It comes days after many fans were shocked by standard tickets for the reunion tour more than doubling from £148 to £355 on Ticketmaster, prompting the Government and the UK’s competition watchdog to pledge they will look into the use of dynamic pricing.
Meanwhile, others were left angry and disappointed after being left empty-handed, having waited in an online queue for hours to buy tickets.
It is hoped the new ticket sale strategy will make “the process far smoother for fans by reducing the stress and time it takes” to obtain tickets.
A statement said: “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.
“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.”
“Tickets will be sold by a staggered, invitation-only ballot process,” it said.
“Applications to join the ballot will be opened first to the many UK fans who were unsuccessful in the initial on sale with Ticketmaster.”
The band will now play seven concerts at the London stadium, as well as dates in Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Dublin.
Following a backlash for Oasis over soaring concert pricing, surge pricing based on demand is set to be examined by the European Commission.
The practice of increasing or decreasing prices based on demand has been compared with the way in which airline tickets and hotel rooms are sold.
Ticketmaster has 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”.
An acting spokesman for the European Commission confirmed it is working on a “fitness check” of EU consumer law on digital fairness, which it plans to adopt this autumn.
The use of dynamic pricing will be part of this review, the PA news agency understands.
The long-awaited Oasis reunion tour has attracted huge attention from fans because it will see the Manchester-formed Britpop band on stage together for the first time since their major split in 2009.
Following the ticket furore, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received 450 complaints about Ticketmaster adverts for the Oasis gigs.
A spokesman for the UK’s regulator of advertising said the complainants argue that the adverts made “misleading claims about availability and pricing”.
It is believed the ticket prices for the Oasis gigs were set by promoters including SJM Concerts, MCD and DF Concerts & Events.
Meanwhile, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has said it is “urgently reviewing” the ticketing market and that it is looking forward to working with the Government on the issue.
Representatives for Ticketmaster have been contacted for comment.
