Furious Oasis fans who have missed out on invitations to a private ballot for the ban’s ‘final’ tour dates have labelled the ticketing system a ‘shambles’.
Hundreds of fans, many of whom queued for hours on Ticketmaster in the hope of getting tickets for the Manchester group’s reunion tour last week, were left disappointed again this morning to find they will not get a second chance to seal their spot.
The first emails to fans were sent shortly after midnight, with those who received an invitation expressing their delight – a sharp contrast to those who vented their anger at missing out once more.
However, even for those who were asked to join the private ballot may have their hopes dashed, with the band warning that entry into the box office will be ‘strictly limited’.
Those invited now face a nervous wait, with those who have gained entry to the private ballot set to be told by Friday, September 13, that they have been successful in moving to the next stage.
There may be hope on the horizon for superfans though, with reports last night that Oasis have ‘verbally agreed’ to play stadiums in America as part of the reunion tour, potentially offering people another chance to watch them in the flesh.
Liam (left) and Noel Gallagher (right) have been criticised by fans over the ticketing chaos
The band revealed on X, formerly Twitter, that fans who had queued for a gig on Ticketmaster but hadn’t been able to secure a ticket may be invited to join the ballot
It came hours after the band revealed how the tickets for their additional two shows at Wembley Stadium on September 27 and 28 next year, which were added due to the overwhelming demand, would be released.
Posting on their official account on X, formerly Twitter, Oasis said in a statement that registered Ticketmaster account holders who had been waiting to snap up spots at a specific show could receive a follow-up email inviting them to join the ballot.
Fans were told to make sure they register for the ballot with the email address attached to their Ticketmaster account – preventing anyone who didn’t queue up first time around from trying to sneak in.
The statement read: ‘Invitations to enter the private ballot will be sent overnight tonight (Saturday) to eligible fans we have been able to identify.
‘If you signed into your Ticketmaster UK account on Saturday, 31st August, and were able to join a queue for a specific show, but didn’t get a ticket – then you may be eligible to take part and will receive an email on how to register for the ballot.
‘Keep an eye on the inbox associated with your Ticketmaster account, and don’t forget to check your junkmail.
‘Once successfully registered, you will be entered into the ballot for a code for access to the final Wembley on sale.
‘Due to the demand for the shows and to avoid last week’s long queues, codes will be strictly limited. Entry to the ballot does not guarantee you will receive a code.
‘The ballot is only open to invited fans. You must register with the email to which your invitation was sent and which is registered with your Ticketmaster account.
‘All other entries will be discounted. If you do not receive an email then unfortunately you will not be eligible for the ballot. You will be automatically discounted from the ballot, even if you go through the registration process.’
Oasis later amended the post to include the phrase ‘UK’ and a Union flag emoji, suggesting it will only apply to fans in the UK.
The band has been trying to re-establish goodwill with fans who were left bitterly disappointed when they failed to secure tickets for the limited run of reunion concerts announced on August 27.
However, for those who missed out it was another bitter blow in the sometimes tortuous quest to book their spot at next year’s gigs.
Furious Oasis fans have branded the ticketing system a ‘shambles’ after they were denied invites to a private ballot for their latest gigs
Many took to social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, to vent their frustrations, with one person writing: ‘Spent 6 hours in the queue on Ticketmaster, no email received. The shambles rolls on.’
Another fan added: ‘I was registered with oasis net for years ….. not a day ! Queued for 6 hours …. Signed in ….. nothing left Woke up today …. Jumped on my phone …., nothing ….. fuming.’
A third wrote: ‘I waited for hours and was kicked out the q when near the beginning. Where’s my email ??? This is some sort of sick joke.’
A fourth said: ‘No email, I have screen shots proving I was in the queue, via the Ticketmaster app. I queued 6.5 hours, got to select seats but when I clicked through to payment I was booted out for ‘inactivity’ absolute joke. Thought this would be enough to get an email!’
And a fifth added: ‘Logged in to Ticketmaster at 7.00am in the queue at 145,765 for a several hours, got no tickets as none left and still no email overnight!!! What a joke!!’
By comparison those who received their invites to the ballot overnight were left overjoyed as they were given another chance to see the band.
One person wrote: ‘Just received an email from Oasis asking if I want to join the ballot for 2 tickets for new shows at Wembley!’
Another said: ‘Emails are going out for the Oasis ballot, I have received one and I’m confirmed for possibly getting in the ballot, there’s still hope, after the hours I spent trying I deserve a bloody ticket.’
A third said: ‘Ballot entry confirmed!! All fingers and toes crossed now.’
One eager fan wrote: ‘I got an invite to register for the private ballot for Oasis tickets for the additional dates!’
Another who got an invite added: ‘Only had me an Oasis Ballot email! I won’t hold my breath, but at least I’ve still got a small chance!’
Liam and Noel Gallagher, pictured here at the V Festival in Chelmsford in Essex in August 2005, have not played together after Oasis broke up in 2009
Meanwhile, it was claimed last night that the band could be gearing up to take their reunion tour international, with plans to play in stadiums in America.
The Gallaghers are now set to sign a multi-million pound deal to play their biggest-ever US concerts, as the band have ‘financial incentive’ to expand the tour.
A source told The Mirror: ‘Their promoters at Live Nation are incredibly keen for this to happen, and Liam and Noel have verbally agreed plans. The question of if they will manage to go the duration of the tour without falling out has been raised, but there is now a massive financial incentive for them to keep the show on the road.’
The report claims the band will play the 70,000 seat SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles as well as other huge venues across the United States.
Billboards in New York’s Times Square appeared to tease US dates.
Electronic messages featured the Amazon Music logo and a picture of the Gallagher brothers with the message: ‘If we need to put up a billboard to get these guys to come to the States, here it is.’
When the tickets went on sale the queues for some UK shows numbered more than 600,000 – and shortly after sales began scalpers began listing tickets on resale websites such as Viagogo for as much as £10,000.
One 79-year-old grandmother trying to surprise her daughter with tickets was stunned to buy what she thought were £90 tickets from reselling site Gigsberg – only to find she had actually spent £2,700.
Elizabeth Buxton, from Houghton Regis in Bedfordshire, told the BBC: ‘I’ve been on Ticketmaster for years, we’ve been to see the likes of Adele – I’m not stupid.
‘I clicked on the Gigsberg page and I ordered two tickets and gave my bank details.
‘The next day, I looked at my phone and saw £2,700 was pending from my bank account. I don’t know how it even happened. It’s actually devastating.’
Gigsberg initially told the BBC all sales were final. However, it later contacted Mrs Buxton to confirm she would be getting a full refund.
Ticketmaster and Twickets are the only permitted resale sites for tickets to the Oasis reunion shows.
Oasis have detailed how fans will be able to join the limited ballot for spots at their extra Wembley dates
Feuding Gallagher brothers Liam (left) and Noel (right) are set to return to Wembley Stadium next summer – pictured here in October 2008
Nasty touts who scalped Oasis tickets as they went on sale tried to sell them for upwards of £10,000. Oasis has vowed to cancel any tickets bought through resellers
Beyond monstrous touts, Oasis invoked the fury of their fans when it emerged that ‘dynamic pricing’ – like that used to set the price of Uber fares, hotel rooms and airline seats – was being used for the final few tickets amid huge demand.
Standing tickets notionally available for £150 were being flogged by the band’s management for more than twice that – as much as £350.
It even earned the ire of the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, who said during PMQs this week he found the hiked prices ‘depressing’.
However, frontman Liam Gallagher told fans he felt ‘smug’ about the band’s reunion tour on social media in an unexpectedly blazing pushback to those disappointed they couldn’t get tickets.
He posted on X on Saturday morning: ‘OASIS are back your welcome and I hear there ATTITUDE STINKS good to know something’s never change.’
When fans responded by criticising the ticketing approach, he replied: ‘SHUTUP [sic]’.
But the band had initially sought to distance itself from the dynamic pricing row – claiming it had been up to management and promoters to decide how the tickets would be sold.
‘As for the well reported complaints many buyers had over the operation of 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,’ the band said.
Colossal acts such as Taylor Swift have refused to engage in the practice, which is enabled via Ticketmaster, while others, such as Bruce Springsteen, have supported it – arguing that it means money goes to artists rather than touts.
‘The bottom line is, most of our tickets are totally affordable,’ The Boss told Rolling Stone magazine, noting that touts routinely sold tickets for inflated prices.
‘Why shouldn’t that money go to the guys up there sweating three hours a night for it?’
Ticketmaster has insisted that it will not profit from dynamic pricing. Nevertheless, the Competition and Markets Authority, the UK’s consumer watchdog, has launched an investigation into whether the practice is unlawful.
Regardless of the row, the band has not shed all of the goodwill built up amongst fans who waited a decade and a half for the reunion of their dreams.
Debut album Definitely Maybe – with its iconic cover art of the band in guitarist Bonehead’s living room, including Liam on the floor – shot to the top of the album charts this week, pushing Sabrina Carpenter into second place.
The feat, their first number one in 14 years, came with a 408 per cent week-on-week uplift in the last seven days, the Official Charts Company has said.
Over in the UK singles chart, their hit Live Forever has hit a new peak, sitting at number eight, while Don’t Look Back in Anger returned to the top 40 for the first time in nearly three decades.
The band’s reunion tour is set to boost Britain’s economy by some £487million, according to research, as fans splurge on travel, accommodation, merchandise and drinks to see their idols back together.
