Liam Gallagher performs at the Reading Music Festival, England on Aug. 29, 2021, left, and Noel Gallagher performs at the Glastonbury Festival in Worthy Farm, Somerset, England, on June 25, 2022. Image: AP
LONDON — The sale of tickets for Oasis’ reunion tour got off to a creaky start on Saturday as online platforms strained under demand from hundreds of thousands of fans.
The Britpop-era behemoth led by brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher is scheduled to play 17 gigs — its first shows for 15 years — in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh, and Dublin starting July 4.
More than 1 million tickets are up for sale, at prices starting at about 74 pounds (just under $100).
Some people attempting to get onto the handful of authorized sales sites, including Ticketmaster and Gigs and Tours, received error messages, while many others were informed they were in a lengthy queue.
Some managed to buy tickets through a presale lottery on Friday. Within hours, tickets began to be offered on resale websites for as much as 6,000 pounds ($7,800).
Oasis issued a warning, saying tickets could only be resold at face value through authorized sites.
“Tickets appearing on other secondary ticketing sites are either counterfeit or will be canceled by the promoters,” it said in a statement.
Formed in Manchester in 1991, Oasis was one of the dominant British acts of the 1990s, producing hits including “Wonderwall” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger.” Its sound was fueled by singalong rock choruses and the combustible chemistry between guitarist-songwriter Noel Gallagher and singer-sibling Liam.
Oasis split in 2009, with Noel Gallagher quitting the band after a backstage dustup with his brother at a festival near Paris. While the Gallagher brothers, now aged 57 and 51, haven’t performed together since both regularly perform Oasis songs at their solo gigs. They’ve also each fired off criticisms of the other in the press.
Announcing the reunion, the band said fans would experience “the spark and intensity” that occurs only when they appear on stage together.
The tour will begin July 4 and 5 at the Principality Stadium. Oasis will also perform at Heaton Park in Manchester, on July 11, 12, 16, 19, and 20; London’s Wembley Stadium on July 25, 26, and 30 and Aug. 2 and 3; Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on Aug. 8, 9, and 12; and Croke Park in Dublin on Aug. 16 and 17.
Image: Facebook/OasisOfficial
Prices for the London, Cardiff, and Edinburgh concerts range from about 74 pounds ($97) to just over 200 pounds ($260) for seats, and about 150 pounds (about $200) to stand. In Manchester, the cheapest tickets are 148 pounds ($195) to stand, with no seated option.
The costliest option is a 506-pound ($666) package for the London gigs that includes a pre-show party, admission to an Oasis exhibition, souvenirs, and a “premium collectible item.”
Tickets for the Dublin shows start at 86.50 euros ($96) plus the booking fee.
Alice Enders, head of research at media consultancy Enders Analysis, said the band could expect a big payday, though the tour, limited for now to the U.K. and Ireland, pales in comparison to global juggernauts like Taylor Swift’s Eras tour.
“The streaming business doesn’t really pay,” she said. “Most artists nowadays, the only way they can earn money is being live.”
She said Oasis is playing catch-up in a live music market that has seen “a relentless climb in expenditure, consumer expenditure, demand for festivals.”
“It’s been 15 years of a mega-trend that they missed out on, basically,” Enders said. “So it’s a good thing they’re jumping on now. … If they wait too long, then they are just a bunch of old geezers.”
The host cities anticipate an economic boost to hotels, bars, restaurants, and shops — especially Manchester, the band’s hometown and a city renowned for its musical heritage.
Sacha Lord, Manchester’s official nighttime economy adviser, said “there’s a big buzz” in the city about the reunion.
“This is a homecoming gig,” he said. “When they set foot on that stage for the first time, it’s going to be a really special moment.”