Oasis fans urged to keep reunion tickets as vintage prices surge
Oasis fans lucky enough to snag a paper ticket for this summer’s reunion tour might be sitting on a future goldmine, with collectors paying hundreds for vintage stubs.
Fans are being urged to hold onto their physical tickets, as demand for Oasis memorabilia jumps and vintage concert stubs reach eye-watering sums on eBay.
A stub from a 1994 Oxford Brookes University gig recently sold for £396, while a ticket from a 1993 Liverpool show is currently listed for nearly £700, with dozens of watchers monitoring its progress.
With the band’s Britpop heyday now part of music history, collectors are scrambling to secure authentic paper memorabilia, and experts believe today’s tickets could become tomorrow’s collector’s goldmine.
“In an era where QR codes dominate and tickets are stored in smartphone wallets, it’s the humble paper stub that’s emerging as a prised possession,” said Gilas Zilberman, chief executive of ticket platform SeatPick.
“If you managed to score a physical ticket for an Oasis gig this summer, keep it – it could pay dividends in the future.”
SeatPick says more fans are now opting to pay extra for a mailed-out ticket rather than settle for a digital version.
“There’s a nostalgic and emotional value to these stubs, and as time passes, their rarity increases – especially for a band as culturally iconic as Oasis,” Zilberman added.
Oasis demand highlights flaws in UK ticketing system
The appetite for memorabilia comes amid growing scrutiny of the UK’s live ticketing industry, where frustration around dynamic pricing, hidden fees and scams continues to mount.
Last month, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) released a report defending dynamic pricing practices,where prices fluctuate based on demand, even as Oasis ticket prices soared to £350, more than double their face value.
The CMA insisted variable pricing could lead to “better outcomes” for consumers if properly explained, but the public reaction has been frosty. Many fans feel priced out by the very systems designed to give them access.
Fraud has also surged, with Lloyds Bank recently revealing that more than £2m has been lost to Oasis ticket scams on Meta platforms alone.
Ticketmaster, the dominant platform for high-profile events, is under investigation by the CMA after allegations that its so-called ‘platinum’ tickets, which, while sold at inflated prices, offered no meaningful perks or upgrades.
“We now expect Ticketmaster to work with us to address these concerns,” said Hayley Fletcher, the CMA’s interim senior director of consumer protection. “Fans need to be able to make well-informed decisions, free from misleading information.”
Meanwhile, the government’s proposed crackdown on resale prices has triggered a backlash from industry voices who warn it may push fans further into the arms of shady resellers.
“This is a broken system,” Matt Drew, UK director at Viagogo told City PM. “Asking fans to queue online for hours only to see prices triple at checkout just isn’t sustainable.”