Sam Fender has postponed the pre-sale for his 2027 Newcastle shows after a 'sophisticated bot attack' disrupted ticket sales on the Gigantic platform. The singer announced the change on social media, moving the pre-sale to 9.30am the following day to ensure real fans get tickets.
The North Shields singer announced his Proper Massive stadium tour earlier this month, scheduled for June and July 2027. The tour kicks off with two homecoming shows at St James' Park in Newcastle on June 3 and 5, followed by dates in Cardiff, London, Dublin and Edinburgh, and concludes with two shows at Manchester's Etihad Stadium on July 15 and 17.
Pre-sale chaos on Gigantic
The pre-sale opened at 9.30am on Wednesday (October 28) for fans who pre-ordered Sam's forthcoming album and received a unique code. It was available across multiple platforms, including Ticketmaster, Gigs and Tours and See Tickets, but the Newcastle shows required the Gigantic platform, where many fans reported issues.
One fan wrote to the outlet: “you’re [sic] website has blown up, looks like Sam Fender at SJP isn’t happening today…” Another said: “Sam Fender tickets still not available after 20 minutes of release. What a gigantic failure.” Other fans reported receiving 'bad gateway' screens during the pre-sale, which prevented them from getting tickets.
Bot attack confirmed
Sam later posted on social media that he had been informed the Gigantic platform had received a 'sophisticated bot attack'. He wrote: “Been told by the promoters that there’s been a sophisticated bot attack to the Gigantic ticket site which is impacting the St James’ Park pre-sale. We’re going to have to move the Newcastle pre-sale to 9.30am tomorrow to ensure real fans get the tickets.”
Fans hoping to attend other shows also faced difficulties, with some unable to progress from their position in online queues. One person wrote: “Why is the queue frozen for Sam fender in Manchester.” Another said: “Whys my sam fender ticket queue just stopped then.”
Pricing changes
At the weekend, Sam also intervened in ticket pricing for the 2027 tour after fans complained about the cost of a 'front standing section', which would have allowed fans to buy guaranteed spots closer to the stage. He told fans on social media that he had removed the option after being unhappy over its inclusion.
Gigantic have been approached by the Manchester Evening News.
