Viagogo Defends Legality of Reselling Oasis Tickets for Thousands

Viagogo has defended its practice of reselling Oasis tickets at exorbitant prices on its website, despite the Britpop band warning fans that any passes not sold on an official site would be “cancelled.”

As the Manchester rockers’ tickets went on general sale at 9am on Saturday, they informed fans that only Ticketmaster and Twickets were approved for resales and that tickets should be bought strictly at “face value.”

On X, Oasis also issued a statement: “Tickets appearing on other secondary ticketing sites are either counterfeit or will be cancelled by the promoters.”

A similar advisory had been shared by the band on Friday before the release of pre-sale tickets. Meanwhile, Viagogo had listed Wembley Stadium tickets for as much as £5,909. By Saturday morning, following the general sale, two tickets for a London show were listed at an astonishing £11,313 each.

Tickets for the Manchester, Edinburgh, and Cardiff shows were also steeply priced, with some Heaton Park tickets going for as much as £26,005 each. However, no tickets seemed to be listed on Viagogo for the two Croke Park shows in Dublin.

The Irish government introduced legislation in 2021 banning ticket touting. This law prevents the resale of tickets above face value, with violators risking a fine of 100,000 euros (£84,245) or up to two years in prison.

Cris Miller, Viagogo’s global managing director, remarked that Oasis is a “dream event anticipated by millions worldwide.” He claimed his company helps fans as official sellers were “struggling to manage demand even before the on-sale.”

He added: “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.

“Resale 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.”

He also advised fans to “continue to check prices outside of the first few weeks of sale,” as this would be the peak demand period. He cited examples, such as Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in the UK, where tickets sold on their platform for as low as £80 during the summer.

When asked about Oasis’s claim that it is a violation to sell tickets through non-official secondary markets, a Viagogo spokeswoman noted that the company “doesn’t sell tickets or set prices,” and positions itself as a “regulated” marketplace for fans.

She explained: “Resale restrictions vary from event to event and are disclosed by the primary ticket seller in accordance with regulations set out by the (Competition and Markets Authority) CMA.

“The listing of tickets on our platform is permitted once tickets become available to the public – including following a pre-sale event. We oppose anti-competitive actions taken by event organisers to restrict purchasing and resale options to certain platforms in an attempt to control the market as they ultimately harm fans by limiting their choice.

“Prohibiting free market resale – as seen in Ireland – only leads to a surge in scams. We continue to support industry collaboration to create a wider competitive market, making it easier for concert-goers to purchase tickets through their preferred channels. Our safe, regulated marketplace helps millions of fans worldwide get into gigs every day on their terms, with the confidence of being protected by our guarantee.”

Despite reports of issues at official websites Ticketmaster, See Tickets, and Gigs and Tours, fans were able to buy tickets on Saturday morning.

A 2022 report by the Irish Government found that the Sale of Tickets (Cultural, Entertainment, Recreational and Sporting Events) Act 2021 was effective in curbing above-face-value secondary ticket sales online.

The report expressed confidence that Ireland’s police force, the Garda Siochana, would handle any issues of “increased street touting.”

The Irish Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment has been contacted for a response.