Ticket retailer Viagogo has defended having Oasis tickets on sale for inflated prices on its platform as a “legitimate” practice after the Britpop band warned concert-goers that passes bought outside official websites Ticketmaster and Twickets will be cancelled.
Fans have been looking to buy tickets for the band’s first shows since they split in 2009. The Oasis Live 25 tour will take place next summer. Advance tickets were available on Friday night before the rest were released on Saturday morning. But tickets appeared online for thousands of pounds within minutes on Friday.
Oasis told fans on Saturday to only buy tickets from the official websites.
Cris Miller, Viagogo’s global managing director, said in a statement to the PA news agency: “This is a dream event anticipated by millions around the world. Our top tip for fans using secondary marketplaces is to keep checking prices outside of the first few weeks of sales.
“Demand will be at its peak when tickets go on sale but that is not a normal reflection of what tickets can and will go for. Just this summer, tickets for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in the UK were sold on our platform for as little as £80 .In the case of Oasis – a highly anticipated event – we saw the primary sites struggle to cope with demand even before sales and site crashes.
“We know fans are frustrated with the process and we know there is a better way. We continue to support industry collaboration to ensure the entire ticketing market works for fans and the live entertainment industry. Reselling is legal in the UK and fans are always protected by our guarantee that they will receive their tickets in time for the event or their money back.”
