The highly anticipated Oasis reunion tour, set to bring the Gallagher brothers back to Dublin’s Croke Park on August 16 and 17, 2025, has fans buzzing with excitement—and frustration. While the Britpop legends’ return after a 16-year hiatus is a dream come true for many, the soaring ticket prices have left a bitter taste, with some calling the costs a betrayal of the band’s working-class roots.
When tickets went on sale on August 31, 2024, fans faced a chaotic scramble, with over 500,000 people flooding Ticketmaster’s virtual queues. Initially advertised as starting at €86.50, prices for standing tickets quickly surged to €415.50 or more due to Ticketmaster’s controversial “dynamic pricing” model, which adjusts costs based on demand. Some fans reported being quoted nearly €500 per ticket, with added fees pushing the total cost for a pair close to €900. Social media erupted with complaints, one fan lamenting, “Advertising a ticket for €150 and charging €400 because it’s popular is a joke”, reports Extra, Breaking and BBC.
Irish politicians have also weighed in. Tánaiste Micheál Martin called the price hikes “shocking,” describing them as “runaway inflation.” Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald slammed the pricing system as “crazy,” arguing that working-class fans, who she says “got [Oasis] where they are,” are being “thrown under the bus.” Taoiseach Simon Harris echoed calls for a probe into the ticketing industry, pointing to Ticketmaster’s near-monopoly and lack of transparency.
The backlash doesn’t stop at tickets. With 80,000 fans expected each night, Dublin’s hotel prices have also surged, with some city-center rooms exceeding €400 per night—double the usual rate. Fans are now faced with a tough choice: pay exorbitant prices or miss out on a historic moment. As one disappointed fan put it, “A rare night out is fast approaching €600. Madness.”
While Oasis’s promoters, not the band, set the prices, the controversy has sparked renewed debate about dynamic pricing in Ireland. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission is reviewing the issue, but with tickets sold out and resale prices even higher, many fans are left looking back in anger, wondering if the reunion is worth the cost.
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