In what should have been a triumphant lead-up to this summer’s highly anticipated Oasis reunion tour, thousands of fans have found themselves without tickets, thanks to a recent crackdown by Ticketmaster aimed at combating bot purchases. However, many fans are claiming they’ve been wrongfully targeted, leaving them frustrated and ticketless.
When tickets first went on sale in August, it was reported that around 4% of them—roughly 50,000—quickly appeared on resale sites, despite stringent measures to prevent ticket touting. Live Nation and SJM, the band’s promoters, were clear from the outset: any tickets sold via unauthorized secondary platforms (excluding Twickets) would be canceled, and those tickets would be re-released at face value through Ticketmaster.
Ticketmaster recently began contacting some ticket holders, informing them that their purchases had been refunded due to violations of the tour’s terms and conditions. According to Ticketmaster, their “expert abuse and fraud teams” identified purchases made by bots, which are prohibited.
But not everyone agrees with these findings. Many fans have taken to social media to voice their frustration, claiming that their tickets were bought legitimately during general sales. One fan vented on X (formerly Twitter), “If 2025 could actually get any worse – now I don’t even have this to look forward to anymore. Denying legit fans their tickets??”
Another frustrated fan shared, “So what’s this complete s***show? Sat on my laptop for hours on general sale day to secure just TWO tickets for ONE gig and you’re telling me I’m a bot and a tout!” Screenshots from the sale day accompanied the post, highlighting the fan’s effort to secure the tickets fairly.
For those affected, Ticketmaster has advised checking their ‘Oasis Refunds FAQ’ page and reviewing the emails sent by their ticketing agent. However, the explanations provided so far have done little to quell the frustration among fans who feel wrongly accused.
The issue of ticket touting is nothing new, but the scale and impact of this crackdown have left many genuine fans disheartened. With some tickets reportedly being resold for as much as £10,000 shortly after the initial sale, the band’s promoters had no choice but to enforce strict anti-touting measures. Still, the backlash suggests that the system may have some flaws in distinguishing bots from real fans.
