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 Brit-pop-era behemoth led by brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher is scheduled to play 17 gigs—its first shows in 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 just under $100, per the AP. 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'd have to wait in a lengthy queue.
Some managed to buy tickets for the "Wonderwall" band, which split in 2009, through a presale lottery on Friday. Within hours, tickets began to be offered on resale websites for as much as $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. Announcing the reunion, the band said fans would experience "the spark and intensity" that occurs only when they appear onstage together.
Prices for the London, Cardiff, and Edinburgh concerts range from about $97 to just over $260 for seats, and about $200 to stand. In Manchester, the cheapest tickets are $195 to stand, with no seated option. The costliest option is a $666 package for the London gigs that includes a preshow party, admission to an Oasis exhibition, souvenirs, and a "premium collectible item." Tickets for the Dublin shows start at $96, plus a booking fee. 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. "This is a homecoming gig," says Sacha Lord, Manchester's official nighttime economy adviser. "When they set foot on that stage for the first time, it's going to be a really special moment."
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