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LONDON — The British government has pledged to look into the practice of dynamic pricing for music concerts after tickets for Oasis‘ highly anticipated reunion tour more than doubled in price on official ticketing platforms, prompting hundreds of complaints from disgruntled fans.
Tickets for the band’s 17-date U.K. and Ireland 2025 tour went on sale Saturday morning with prices starting at £65.00 ($85.00) for seating and £148.50 for standing tickets.
Fans’ excitement quickly turned to anger, however, after enduring long queues on the tour’s primary ticketing vendor, Ticketmaster, and then discovering that the cost of a standing ticket had soared to £355.00 without warning when they finally got to the front of the queue – due to high demand.
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Although tickets to all 17 shows sold out in less than a day, the unexpected price hikes provoked an angry backlash against Oasis and Ticketmaster from fans with hundreds venting their frustration on social media.
In response, the U.K. culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, said it was “depressing to see vastly inflated prices excluding ordinary fans from having a chance of enjoying their favourite band live.”
The cabinet minister said that dynamic pricing is one of the issues the government would be looking at as part of its previously announced consultation on the secondary ticketing market, which is due to begin in the fall.
Transparency and the technology that ticketing companies use to incentivize dynamic pricing would also be examined as part of the forthcoming review, said Nandy, adding that the newly elected Labour government is “committed to putting fans back at the heart of music.”
“Working with artists, industry and fans we can create a fairer system that ends the scourge of touts, rip-off resales and ensures tickets at fair prices,” she said in a statement.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live on Monday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer echoed the culture secretary’s concerns over secondary ticketing and said the government will get a “grip” on the issue of dynamic pricing to “make sure that actually tickets are available at a price that people can actually afford.”
“This is really important, because this isn’t just an Oasis problem,” Starmer told the BBC. “This is a problem for tickets for all sorts of events, where people go online straight away… and within seconds sometimes, sometimes minutes, all the tickets are gone, and the prices start going through the roof, which means many people can’t afford it.”
On Monday (Sept. 2), the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it had received 450 complaints about “misleading claims about availability and pricing” concerning the sale of Oasis’ tickets by Ticketmaster. The regulator said it was “carefully assessing these complaints” and couldn’t comment further. Ticketmaster did not respond to requests to comment when approached by Billboard.
Priced Out
Although dynamic ticket pricing has become an increasingly regular occurrence in the U.S. live music industry in recent years, Oasis’ comeback tour – which is being jointly promoted by Live Nation, SJM Concerts, MCD and DF Concerts – marks its most high-profile and potentially biggest roll out for live music concerts in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
As in other countries, the practice is commonly used by travel companies, taxis and hotels in the U.K., but it is understood to have only been fleetingly used for gigs and tours so far in the British touring market and, when it has, has failed to draw major scrutiny or attention.
The furore around dynamic pricing from U.K. politicians is further unwelcome news for Ticketmaster owner Live Nation, which was hit with an antitrust lawsuit earlier this year, filed by the U.S. Department of Justice and a group of 30 states, who accuse the concert giant of market dominance and demanding that it and Ticketmaster be broken up.
In the U.K., competition regulators looking into the live music business have so far largely focused on resale ticketing platforms such as Viagogo, which has previously been subject to numerous controversies, investigations and inquiries, culminating in the firm being ordered to offload its StubHub business outside of North America in 2021.
Calls for Stronger Protections
Scrutiny of all aspects of the live industry from governments and regulators in all major touring markets is nevertheless steadily growing.
Last year, the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, said that it was “aware of the concerns” about ticketing companies using dynamic pricing and was “monitoring the situation.” Excessive prices imposed “by a dominant company” would be in breach of EU laws, the commission warned at the time.
Prior to July’s U.K. general election, Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer said that, once in power, he would limit the number of tickets individual resellers could sell on resale platforms and give the U.K. competition watchdog greater powers to take “swift” action against services and scalpers who break the rules.
“The lack of transparency in live music overall is increasingly problematic. This is an opportune moment to look at the market overall,” says Adam Webb, campaign manager of consumer organization FanFair Alliance, who backs the government’s promise to examine dynamic pricing.
The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has also welcomed the government’s pledge to strengthen consumer protections around ticket buying and said on Tuesday it is “urgently reviewing recent developments in the ticketing market, including the way dynamic pricing is being used in the primary market.”
“Consumer protection law requires businesses to be fair and transparent in their dealings with consumers, and businesses must give clear and accurate information about the price people have to pay, ” said a CMA spokesperson. “Failure to do so may breach the law.”
The year-old Sphere venue quickly became a must-see attraction in Las Vegas, but some analysts don’t believe the eye-grabbing, multi-purpose venue has a viable business model. Benchmark downgraded Sphere Entertainment Co. to a “sell” rating on Tuesday (Sept. 3) with a $40 price target, sending the stock down 4.4% to $44.55. Benchmark downgraded the stock […]
For the second quarter of 2024, Warner Chappell Music (WCM) continued to hold the top spot on Billboard‘s Country Airplay publisher rankings, marking its third consecutive quarter at No. 1.
With a 33.53% market share — up half a percentage point from Q1 — WCM’s Nashville team won big with hits including “Where It Ends” by Bailey Zimmerman, who along with the song’s producer, Austin Shawn, has been signed to WCM since 2023. Apart from Sony Music Publishing’s five-consecutive-quarter stint at No. 1 from Q3 of 2022 to Q3 of 2023, Warner Chappell has consistently held the quarterly top country music publisher title in Nashville, dating back to the first quarter of 2017.
Sony landed in second place with an 18.94% market share and 49 songs on the Q2 Country Airplay chart, including hits “Outskirts” by Sam Hunt (No. 3), “Take Her Home” by Kenny Chesney (No. 5), and “World on Fire” and “Bulletproof” by Nate Smith (Nos. 11 and 12). Of the 49 songs Sony had on the chart, 15 were co-written by Ashley Gorley, earning him the distinction of being the quarter’s top Country Airplay songwriter.
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Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) moved up one spot in the rankings to third place with a 7.69% market share and 23 songs on the quarter’s Country Airplay chart. “Outskirts” by Sam Hunt, “Tucson Too Late” by Jordan Davis (No. 6), “I Had Some Help” by Post Malone and Morgan Wallen (No. 15), and “Cowgirls” by Wallen (No. 16) were among UMPG’s top songs for the quarter.
Kobalt rose to No. 4 with a 6.88% market share, up from fifth place and 5.78% last quarter. It also controls a slice of the sixth-ranked track, Davis’ “Tucson Too Late, along with 22 other songs on the quarter’s chart.
BMG fell from third place in Q1 to fifth with a 4.95% market share. The Berlin-based music company’s biggest song this quarter was “Halfway to Hell” by Nashville superstar Jelly Roll, which ranked fourth on Country Airplay in Q2. BMG had eleven songs on the chart.
Big Machine Music finished sixth with a 4.19% market share thanks to its slice of Tyler Hubbard’s “Back Then Right Now” and eleven other songs. At No. 7, Hipgnosis made its debut on the country publisher rankings with a 3.48% market share and four songs, including a share of “Where It Ends” by Zimmerman.
At No. 8, St. Music also debuts on the Country Airplay publisher rankings with two songs, including “We Ride” by Bryan Martin. Concord came in ninth with 2.31% of the market thanks in part to “One Bad Habit” by Tim McGraw.
Anthem rounds out the top 10 with hits including “Cab in a Solo” by Scotty McCreery. The publisher held the same ranking in Q1 but improved its market share significantly, up from 1.87% to 2.18% quarter to quarter.
This is The Legal Beat, a weekly newsletter about music law from Billboard Pro, offering you a one-stop cheat sheet of big new cases, important rulings and all the fun stuff in between. This week: Allegations of corporate “sabotage” of Revlon’s Britney Spears partnership; the estate of Isaac Hayes wins an injunction against Donald Trump over music at rallies; a judge rules on Missy Elliot’s copyright battle; and much more.
THE BIG STORY: The Great Britney Fragrance Heist
Corporate espionage AND Britney Spears? We’re in. Two decades after the singer launched a lucrative perfume partnership with Revlon’s Elizabeth Arden, the company is now accusing several former employees and an upstart rival (Give Back Beauty) of effectively stealing the superstar. In a lawsuit filed last week, Revlon’s attorneys called it a “carefully planned and executed grab.” “Revlon and Elizabeth Arden were completely unaware that Revlon’s own team was actively sabotaging one of their most valuable licensing relationships,” the company’s lawyers claim. In technical terms, the lawsuit accuses the defendants of theft of trade secrets and so-called tortious interference with their business and contracts. It also accuses the individual employees of breach of their contracts and breach of their duty of loyalty to Revlon. Britney isn’t accused of any wrongdoing. Give Back Beauty strongly denied the allegations, telling Billboard that the allegations were “entirely without merit” and that it would “aggressively defend any attempt to impugn the integrity of our company. Revlon, for its part, mostly stressed that it wasn’t suing Spears herself: “We value our 20-year partnership and wish Britney all the best.” Revlon doesn’t feel the same way about the departing employees — labeling one as a “double-agent” who assisted a rival company in “taking the Britney Brands business away” while she was outwardly working to renew the account for Elizabeth Arden. For the rest of the lawsuit’s allegations, go read our full story here.
Other top stories this week…
TRUMP INJUNCTION – The estate of Isaac Hayes won a preliminary injunction prohibiting former President Donald Trump and his campaign from playing the singer’s “Hold On, I’m Coming” at rallies. Hayes is one of many artists to complain about the former president using their music in the 2024 campaign, but thus far he’s the only one to actually sue over it. MISSY FACES TRIAL – A federal judge ruled that Missy Elliott must face trial in a copyright lawsuit filed by a man named Terry Williams, who claims to have co-written several decades-old songs she released with the group Sistas. The judge did, however, dismiss one of the lawsuit’s key claims: That Terry and Elliott had co-written “Heartbroken,” a 1996 track released by the late Aaliyah. AUCTION DELAYED – A court-ordered auction of Damon Dash’s one-third stake in Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella Records was postponed for three weeks — and the minimum price for the sale was more than doubled to help cover Dash’s massive unpaid tax and child support debts. DEAL IN THE SKY – A lawsuit filed by Journey member Jonathan Cain against bandmate Neal Schon was largely resolved after Schon conceded to the appointment of a neutral third party to resolve the “deadlock” that Cain has claimed is crippling the band’s operations. The case, filed last month, was the latest in a string of legal battles among members of the “Don’t Stop Believin’” band. ROYALTIES ROW – Spotify fired back at a lawsuit filed by the Mechanical Licensing Collective that claims the streamer used the addition of audiobooks to “unlawfully” cut its music royalty payments nearly in half. In a motion to dismiss the case, Spotify called it “nonsensical” and claims that it “profoundly devalues the contributions of the tens of thousands of book authors.” MANILOW v. HIPGNOSIS – Barry Manilow sued Hipgnosis Songs Fund (HSF) in federal court, seeking $1.5 million in unpaid bonuses related to the music rights company’s acquisition of his catalog four years ago. The new case came a month after Hipgnosis sued Manilow in the UK alleging breach of contract relating to the bonus payments.MANSON APPEAL – Marilyn Manson launched an appeal seeking to revive his defamation lawsuit against ex-fiance Evan Rachel Wood, arguing a lower judge who dismissed much of the case ignored key evidence. The case, which claims that Wood “secretly recruited, coordinated, and pressured” women to make false abuse allegations against Manson, was largely dismissed last year under California’s anti-SLAPP statute. DMCA DISMISSED – A federal judge ruled that Universal Music Group and Playboi Carti didn’t abuse the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) when they issued a takedown notice — erroneously, it later turned out — against another rapper’s song that used the same beat. The judge ruled that the law’s safeguards against false takedowns only prohibit intentionally false use of the system.
Mona Scott-Young says she spent the summer “bouncing back-and-forth” between two popular, concurrent tours that she produced with Live Nation: the 30-city Queens of R&B, co-starring SWV and Xscape, and the highly anticipated, 24-city Out of This World: The Missy Elliott Experience — the rap icon’s first-ever headlining gig featuring Ciara, Busta Rhymes and Timbaland.
Both tours wrapped in August, and the founder and CEO of Monami Entertainment and Monami Productions says she’s currently focusing on another co-production: the Sept. 27 theatrical release of The Lost Holliday, starring Vivica A. Fox and the film’s director, Jussie Smollett.
“We have one life, right?” Scott-Young says. “So we’ve got to get it while the getting’s good. With these tours now under our belt, we have other film and TV projects under development. Once we get those up and running, I definitely have other ideas I’m going to develop.” And that’s not counting the multimedia mogul’s earlier business endeavors such as producing the VH1 reality flagship Love & Hip Hop, which led to Atlanta and Miami spinoffs that are in their 12th and fifth seasons, respectively. (Scott-Young is not actively involved with these shows.) She also co-owns MYX Fusions wine beverages.
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Scott-Young began her entrepreneurial evolution in 1996 when she and late music executive Chris Lighty co-founded the company Violator. Comprising various divisions including management, a record label and a marketing group, Violator boasted such marquee R&B/hip-hop talent as Busta Rhymes, LL COOL J, 50 Cent, Mariah Carey, Fantasia and Elliott. (Scott-Young still manages Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Elliott under Monami Entertainment.)
“I never felt like the little woman in the equation,” she says of her co-venture with Lighty. “It was a true partnership. He supported me, but I also made sure that I showed up, showed out and delivered at every turn.”
This bedazzled bottle “is a reminder to celebrate my achievements — better yet, to always be the bling!”
Michael Buckner
The New York native, wife and mother of two first staked her claim in TV with the 2005 UPN reality competition series The Road to Stardom With Missy Elliott, produced by her then-newly minted Monami Productions. Six years later, she launched the original Love & Hip Hop series. Since then, Scott-Young has executive-produced a host of subsequent TV programs, among them the History Channel’s Cocaine: History Between the Lines, WE tv’s Tamar Braxton: Get Ya Life! and Bravo’s The New Atlanta and SWV and Xscape: Queens of R&B, which spawned the tour.
Scott-Young isn’t one to look back. “I’m lucky and blessed every time I get the chance to tap another skill set, another part of what I’m capable of. I haven’t pulled my hair out yet,” she says with a laugh, “so we’ll see what’s next. I have no idea, but I’m here — and I’m ready.”
What took so long for Missy Elliott to embark on her first-ever headlining tour?
It wasn’t for the lack of opportunity or fan requests. Over the years, she’s gotten offers. But it’s all about her feeling the timing is right for anything. She’s popped her head up every now and then when given an opportunity like Lovers & Friends [in 2023]. She did that concert and a few others because they afforded her the scale and budgetary perspective to put together the kind of show that she wants to deliver for her fans. Then she woke up one morning and was like, “We should go out on tour.” We sat down at the top of the year, and it came together very quickly as we jammed through every detail from set design to wardrobe, choreography and everything in between. There is no simple “I’m just going to jump onstage” for Missy Elliott. This was a full-on, spectacular production.
Elliott has talked about having Graves disease. How has she dealt with that on tour?
We’ve been keeping her safe. The good thing is she has adopted a very healthy lifestyle. She walks constantly to maintain her weight and stamina level. So other than the normal wear and tear of performing every night, we’ve tried to keep her in good shape healthwise, which is why we didn’t do many meet-and-greets, although Missy went into the audience every night.
Scott-Young wore this headpiece when New Orleans’ historic 6th Ward Treme Sidewalk Steppers “crowned me She-King — my preference to being crowned Queen.”
Michael Buckner
What does the Queens of R&B tour say about the impact of those veteran groups and the popularity of R&B?
There are probably more R&B core artists out there now than ever before, and not just in the U.S.: It’s resonating internationally. Couple that with what’s happening with females in music. Look at hip-hop: We have more female artists out now than in a very long time. When you put those elements together, you have all of the emotional attachments that fans have for these two ’90s groups. Watching Xscape and SWV on Verzuz, seeing them on their TV show trying to put their differences aside and pull [the tour] together. It’s the music, the sisterhood, the female empowerment of it all. And it’s a testament to the staying power of these ladies and their careers.
Why are nostalgia tours like these so popular and profitable right now?
Missy talked about this while on the road, her seeing the grandmas — and the grandkids — out there in the audience. A lot of these kids — even her dancers — weren’t even born when her music was first released. And there definitely has been a resurgence, especially for ’90s music across both hip-hop and R&B. We’re seeing a lot of new artists who are tapping into that era of music and the emotions it evokes. It holds a special place for both artists and fans. It also goes back to everything I believe: that you’re definitely as old as you allow yourself to be. And art is art. You mentioned Mick Jagger at 81. As long as you’re still able to get out there, do what you love and execute your passion with a level of delivery that’s going to make fans walk away feeling satisfied and entertained, then God bless. Rock out.
Aren’t women artists subjected to a harsher standard when it comes to age?
As women in business, we’ve dealt with ageism for as long as I can remember. I don’t subscribe to that. When you look at what Missy managed to put on that stage, and SWV and Xscape and their years of experience, musicality and performanceship, you can’t put an age on that. And audiences are turning out.
The New Orleans City Council presented Scott-Young with this proclamation for hosting a parade there. “It’s my favorite city in the world,” she says. “And the airport code, MSY, is my initials.”
Michael Buckner
Will Missy or the Queens extend their tours?
They’re both doing extremely well, so there have been conversations. We have an international opportunity that we’re looking at [for Elliott]. But you know, that tour is such a megillah that I’m just focused on successfully getting through this first round. Missy’s excited about touring. She’s loving the experience, so we’re definitely having discussions about how we keep this thing going.
You have managed Elliott for 20-plus years — a rarity in this business. What’s your secret?
I understand her. At our first official meeting, I saw this incredible, larger-than-life talent. But beyond that, I saw a human being who has been through things in life that contributed to her brilliance — but also created this introverted person who felt the need to protect herself from being hurt. So part of me understood that she needed someone to block for her — clear the path — so that she could reach her maximum potential.
Sounds like you two are close.
I think the relationship has worked to where we’re simultaneously friends, colleagues and sisters. We’ve cried together, laughed together, won together, seen dark days together.
What other artists do you manage?
I have more recently been getting pulled back into management, specifically on the music side. I work very closely with a company called Artist Collective Entertainment. Nick Roses, Brian Sher, Eric Tomosunas and myself are the founding partners. We’ve brought our respective experience and talent to the table to see how we can better serve artists across the board. There’ll be an announcement soon about the company, but we’ve got a growing roster of talent from music artists to actors.
This clapboard reminds Scott-Young that she’s “very proud to have built one of the few Black female-owned physical production companies in film and television.”
Michael Buckner
What’s your advice for women navigating an industry that remains male-dominated?
I don’t want to say it hasn’t been difficult. I’m the kind of person that believes we control our destinies. We cannot allow ourselves to be held back, pigeonholed or marginalized by other people, society or the restrictions that we know exist. Our job every single day is to realize our potential and fight to push ourselves to our limits. I understand what my gifts and talents are. So I just push through every day — push myself further to go to places where we are told we should not be and doing things we are told we can’t do. It’s all about proving them wrong.
You often say that you are determined to create pop culture moments. How do you define those moments?
It’s about doing things that are going to stay with people, providing them with an experience that resonates — one they can hang on to, look back on and talk about as a pivotal moment, whether it’s a piece of music, a memory, an experience. So whether it’s a TV show like Love & Hip Hop, which became part of the zeitgeist and redefined the way we saw a particular genre of television; producing Missy Elliott’s first headlining tour and being a part of that moment in music; or taking a brand like Queens of R&B, doing it as a TV show and then leveraging it as a tour. That is a pop culture moment.
Siding with the estate of Isaac Hayes, a federal judge has issued a temporary order prohibiting former President Donald Trump and his campaign from playing the singer’s “Hold On, I’m Coming” at rallies.
Weeks after Hayes’ heirs accused Trump of using the song without a license, Judge Thomas Thrash Jr. granted the estate a preliminary injunction on Tuesday (Sep. 3): “I do order Trump and his campaign to not use the song without proper license,” the judge said at a hearing, as reported by CNN.
The judge’s order bars the campaign from continuing to publicly perform the song at future rallies while the case plays out, according to CNN, but the judge denied a request for a more expansive order that would have forced the campaign to pull down videos of rallies in which the song can be heard.
An attorney for the Hayes estate did not immediately return a request for comment. An attorney for Trump confirmed that the order was issued, though he stressed that the campaign had already agreed to stop using the song at rallies.
Hayes’ estate sued Trump last month, accusing the campaign of using “Hold On” at rallies and in video recordings of those events. Hayes co-wrote the 1966 song, which was performed and released by the duo Sam & Dave.
Every four years, artists complain about the use of their music by politicians — often with mixed results. But the 2024 campaign season has seen a particular outburst of gripes about music used by Trump. Beyoncé, Celine Dion, the Foo Fighters, Jack White, ABBA and Sinead O’Connor‘s estate have all spoken out against the former president’s use of their songs — some merely with social media posts and others with cease-and-desist letters from their lawyers.
The Hayes estate went a step further, filing a federal lawsuit on Aug. 16 against Trump, his campaign, the Republican National Committee and others. The case accused the campaign of infringing copyrights, but also of violating federal trademark law — essentially claiming that the campaign’s use of the song made it appear that Hayes or his heirs had endorsed Trump’s bid to return to the White House.
The campaign has claimed that its use of Hayes’ song was covered by a so-called blanket license it purchased from BMI, which grants political campaigns the legal right to perform millions of different copyrighted songs at rallies. But the Hayes estate says it withdrew the song from that catalog in June — and that the Trump campaign was notified of the change in writing. It’s also unclear if such a license would cover the use of the song in video recordings of the rallies.
The flurry of complaints against Trump is nothing new. In past election cycles, the Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Adele, Rihanna, Aerosmith, Guns N’ Roses, Linkin Park, and the estates of Prince and Tom Petty have all asked the Republican candidate to stop using their music.
The Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas, or CAPIF, has released its 2024 music report, which analyzes last year’s music consumption in the country.
In 2023, the market grew by 8.2% compared to 2022 with a sustained revenue growth trend in the digital space. According to the 70-page report, the data reflects the predominance and prevalence of digital consumption in today’s music industry with audio and video streaming dominating the market with 75%.
Furthermore, the public communication rights, collected by AADI-CAPIF, make up 16% of the market, while physical sales, represented by CDs and vinyl account for 8%. Synchronization, which covers the use of music in advertising, films and television, accounts for the remaining 1%.
“The music industry in Argentina has experienced a remarkable transformation in recent years,” wrote Diego Zapico, president of CAPIF, in the report. “From the explosion of urban sounds to the resurgence of traditional genres, the production of our music is leaving an indelible mark both nationally and internationally. The current state of Argentine music is vibrant and is full of challenges and opportunities, typical of this moment we are living in the country and globally … there’s a possibility of reaching the public through multiple platforms and formats.”
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While Argentine hitmakers like Maria Becerra, Bizarrap and Nicki Nicole have offered a global spotlight to the country’s burgeoning urban music scene, their music also fared well at home. According to the report, 53% of the music played in Argentina in 2023 was local repertoire.
The data also includes the top 10 songs from last year, which include Maria Becerra’s “Adiós,” “En La Intimidad” by Emilia, Callejero Fino and Big One, plus Ke Personajes’ “Pobre Corazón” ft. Onda Sabanera.
Read the full report in Spanish here.
Blake Shelton and his longtime label home of two decades, Warner Music Nashville, have parted ways. Beginning with his 2001 debut, five-week No. 1 Country Airplay single “Austin,” Oklahoma native Shelton has gone on to notch 28 No. 1 Country Airplay hits, including “All About Tonight,” “Honey Bee” and “Some Beach.” He’s won 10 CMA […]
Some Oasis fans celebrated like a champagne supernova, while others looked back in anger on Saturday (Aug. 31) as online ticket sites strained under demand for the band’s first shows for 15 years.
The Britpop-era behemoth led by brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher is scheduled to play 17 gigs in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh and Dublin starting July 4.
More than one million tickets went on sale Saturday morning, with prices starting at about 74 pounds (just under $100) and rising to a 506-pound ($666) package that includes a pre-show party and merchandise.
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The band’s representatives said later in the day that all the tickets were sold, but hinted more shows may be announced, saying “anticipation for details of the tour’s international dates is now rapidly mounting.”
Many fans were frustrated in their attempts to secure tickets. 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 were in a lengthy queue.
Josh Jeffery, a videographer who lives near Edinburgh, spent hours moving up the online ticket queue, before “the whole site collapsed” at the last step.
“I’ve given up, my friends have given up,” said Jeffery, who first saw Oasis in Manchester as a teenager in 1996. “We just decided it’s too much hassle.”
“As I was in the queue, I heard ‘Wonderwall’ blasting out from my neighbor’s house,” he added ruefully. “He’d obviously got tickets.”
Some fans managed to buy tickets through a presale lottery on Friday. Barista Isabelle Doyle said she was “over the moon” after snagging two seats for one of the band’s London shows.
“I’ve been a fan of Oasis for about 10 years now, literally since I was 11 years old,” the 21-year-old said. “Finally to be able to see them after they got me through as a teenager, it’s absolutely amazing and I’m so excited.”
Within hours, tickets began to be offered on resale websites for as much as 6,000 pounds ($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 cancelled by the promoters,” the band said in a statement.
Megan Gordon, a 25-year-old fan from Manchester, said she was “fuming” after failing to get tickets.
“I don’t really want to pay resale, but I will,” she said.
Formed in Manchester in 1991, Oasis was one of the dominant British acts of the 1990s, producing hits including “Wonderwall,” “Champagne Supernova” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger.” Its sound was fueled by sing-along rock choruses and the combustible chemistry between guitarist-songwriter Noel Gallagher and singer sibling Liam.
Oasis split in 2009, with Noel Gallagher quitting the band after a backstage dustup with his brother at a festival near Paris. While the Gallagher brothers, now 57 and 51, haven’t performed together since, both regularly perform Oasis songs at their solo gigs. They’ve also each fired off criticisms of the other in the press.
Announcing the reunion, the band said fans would experience “the spark and intensity” that occurs only when they appear on stage together.
Alice Enders, head of research at media consultancy Enders Analysis, said touring was now the major source of revenue for many musicians, and Oasis could expect a big payday — though the tour, limited for now to the U.K. and Ireland, pales in comparison to global juggernauts like Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
She said Oasis is playing catchup in a live music market that has seen “a relentless climb in expenditure, consumer expenditure, demand for festivals.”
“It’s been 15 years of a mega-trend that they missed out on, basically,” Enders said. “So it’s a good thing they’re jumping on now. … If they wait too long, then they are just a bunch of old geezers.”
The tour is due to begin July 4 and 5 at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. Oasis will also perform at Heaton Park in Manchester, on July 11, 12, 16, 19 and 20; London’s Wembley Stadium on July 25, 26 and 30 and Aug. 2 and 3; Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on Aug. 8, 9 and 12, and Croke Park in Dublin on Aug. 16 and 17.
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.
Sacha Lord, Manchester’s official nighttime economy adviser, said “there’s a big buzz” in the city about the reunion.
“This is a homecoming gig,” he said. “When they set foot on that stage for the first time, it’s going to be a really special moment.”
Fans acknowledged that, given the brothers’ frequent feuds, there is a risk not all the dates will go to plan. But most were undeterred.
Louise Hudson got tickets for London’s Wembley Arena, and plans a “family night out” with her brother, sister-in-law and niece.
As for the Gallaghers, “if they fall out, they fall out,” she said. “Families, eh?”
HYBE shares benefitted from the company’s dismissal of Min Hee-Jin as CEO of the imprint ADOR, gaining 4.4% in a rare positive week for a stock that has fallen 21.0% in 2024.
Min will continue to produce music for ADOR artist NewJeans, but the label will restructure in order to separate management from production. Turbulence between HYBE and Min dates back to April when HYBE reported Min to the police for breach of trust and other allegations. The company stated that Min “deliberately led the plan to take over management control of the subsidiary” and ordered ADOR’s management to pressure HYBE into selling its shares in the subsidiary. The following month, a court blocked HYBE’s plan to dismiss Min.
The controversy has coincided with a steep decline in HYBE’s share price. HYBE was 230,500 won ($172.33) on April 19, the trading day before HYBE announced it would investigate Min, and had fallen 20.0% to 184,400 won ($137.86) by Friday (Aug. 30). But the HYBE-Min dispute isn’t the only explanation for HYBE’s sluggish stock performance. HYBE’s three main South Korean competitors—SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment—have lost an average of 38.1% this year.
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The 20-company Billboard Global Music index rose 0.2% to 1,832.97, bringing its year-to-date gain to 19.5%. Eleven of the 20 stocks gained this week, while seven lost ground and two were unchanged. Cloud Music, the week’s top music stock, gained 5.2% to 97.70 HKD ($12.53), bringing its year-to-date increase to 8.9%. SiriusXM improved 2.8% to $3.29. Tencent Music Entertainment gained 2.0% to $10.44.
Spotify was effectively unchanged at $342.88 despite Evercore ISI raising its price target on Spotify to $460 from $420. Universal Music Group gained 1.5% to 23.63 euros ($26.14) after Exane BNP Paribas upgraded the stock to “outperform” and a raised its price target to 27.50 euros ($30.42).
While HYBE was among the week’s winners, other K-pop stocks had another off week. JYP Entertainment, purveyor of Stray Kids and TWICE, fell 1.5% to 51,100 won ($38.20). BLACKPINK’s agency YG Entertainment lost 3.8% to 34,150 won ($25.53). And SM Entertainment, home to RIIZE and Vespa, slipped 5.4% to 62,800 won ($46.95).
Stocks were mixed this week as investors await news from the U.S. Federal Reserve that it will cut interest rates in September. In the United States, the Nasdaq fell 0.9% to 17,713.62 and the S&P 500 rose 0.2% to 5,648.40. In the United Kingdom, the FTSE 100 gained 0.6% to 8,376.63. South Korea’s KOSPI composite index dropped 1.0% to 2,674.31. China’s Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.4% to 2,842.21.