Frustration and disappointment reigned for many Oasis fans on Saturday as they struggled for hours to secure tickets for the band’s 17-date reunion tour. Tickets went on sale at 9am and were expected to sell out quickly, but instead fans faced lengthy online queues, website crashes, and error messages.
The ticketing platforms Ticketmaster, Gigs and Tours, and See Tickets all struggled under demand. Some fans who reached the front of the queue received an Error 503 message, while others saw prices surge due to dynamic pricing—with standard tickets at £148.50 being relabelled as “in demand” and jumping to £355.20.
The chaos sparked calls for reform. MP Zarah Sultana posted screenshots of her failed attempts and wrote, “Nationalise Ticketmaster.” Dan Walker, the Channel 5 newsreader, said there must be a “fairer, simpler, more efficient way” of selling tickets that is not so open to touts and bots.
Cybersecurity experts warned that bots may have been used by resellers to manipulate the sale. Despite Oasis warning that tickets sold in breach of terms would be cancelled, some appeared on secondary sites like StubHub for thousands of pounds. UK Music’s chief executive urged fans not to resort to touts.
For those who succeeded, it was a rollercoaster. Joseph Martin, 29, said his fiancée Molly Abbott queued for two hours before being kicked out when the site crashed. “She called me in tears,” he said. The couple eventually secured tickets and are looking forward to the “special” gigs.
