Oasis fans are to blame for the exorbitant ticket prices, according to a former executive vice president of Ticketmaster Europe. 

There have been calls for the Consumer and Competition Protection Commission to investigate Ticketmaster’s pricing system following sharp increases in the cost of tickets for Oasis’ reunion. 

Hundreds of fans queued online yesterday for tickets to Oasis ‘25, with many fans missing out due to the site crashing or kicking users out. 

Those who managed to get tickets were shocked to see tickets that were advertised at €86.50 now cost over €400 in some cases. 

Former executive vice-president of Ticketmaster Europe Tommy Higgins, however, argued the ticket price is not Ticketmaster’s fault. 

“Who’s forcing anybody to pay €400 for a ticket?” he told The Anton Savage Show. 

“The people who caused this maelstrom are Oasis fans.” 

He said roughly 700,000 were on Ticketmaster at 8am yesterday for Oasis tickets – with only 160,000 tickets available. 

“I can’t understand why people lose their minds at this,” he said. “It’s supply and demand there was far too much demand for the tickets on sale. 

“Nobody has to pay that money – if people don’t pay that, the ticket price will go back down.” 

Oasis in 1996. Image: Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo

Mr Higgins also argued there are always tickets being sold for high prices due to demand. 

“There's always been a secondary market out there, but the money never went to the stakeholder,” he said. 

“The money previously went to ticket touts – at present, the money is going to the rightful stakeholders, the promoters and the artist.” 

He said he understands people are disappointed they were unable to get tickets or unable to afford them – but argued this is not Ticketmaster’s fault. 

“I’ve been out of the business for a while – but I would understand the right way to go about this is the stakeholders are paid what people pay for tickets,” he said. 

“Nobody has to pay €400 for a ticket – I think they’re stupid to pay €400 for a ticket.” 

Oasis ticket prices

Irish Daily Mail columnist Fiona Looney was among the many unlucky people who did not get a ticket for Oasis – and she said you can’t blame Oasis fans for the high prices. 

“This was caused by Ticketmaster, plain and simple,” she said. 

She also noted after spending seven hours in the queue, she was then kicked off the website – because Ticketmaster suspected she was a bot. 

“It was unfair to raise the price once you were in the system, it was unfair to throw people out,” she said. 

Mr Higgins reiterated that the demand for Oasis tickets would overwhelm any ticket website, including Ticketmaster. 

Ticketmaster previously told Newstalk the promoters and artists set the price of events advertised on its platform.

Oasis will perform in Croke Park on August 16th and 17th, 2025. 

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