The highly anticipated reunion tour of the iconic band Oasis is officially underway, with bassist Andy Bell confirming his involvement. Bell, who previously played with Oasis from 1999 to 2009 and later with Liam Gallagher’s post-Oasis project Beady Eye, told Austrian newspaper Oe24, “I’m in and I’m really looking forward to it. We’ll see each other on tour. Or rather, you’ll see me. I’ll hardly be able to see you in the audience.” His extensive history with both Liam and Noel Gallagher is expected to be an asset in managing their dynamics on tour. He is anticipated to be joined by longtime collaborators Gem Archer, Paul ‘Bonebone’ Arthurs on guitar, and drummer Joey Waronker.

The reunion tour, dubbed Oasis Live ’25, features 41 dates booked for 2025, kicking off in July with stadium shows across the UK and Ireland before expanding to multiple continents. Support acts for the tour include Cast, Richard Ashcroft, Cage The Elephant, and Ball Park Music. The band, led by brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, will notably play three sold-out shows at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on August 8, 9, and 12. Tickets for these dates, and the wider tour, were in exceptionally high demand, with 10 million people from over 100 countries attempting to purchase them, leading to a record-time sell-out.

Despite the excitement, Oasis’s manager, Alec McKinlay, has firmly ruled out the release of any new material from the band, as well as the announcement of additional tour dates. McKinlay, also a director at Ignition and Big Brother Recordings, stated that this reunion is “very much the last time around, as Noel’s made clear in the press,” and that there is “no plan for any new music.” This clarification comes after Liam Gallagher had previously teased fans on social media about a new album, claiming he was “blown away” by Noel’s compositions. McKinlay further elaborated on the secrecy surrounding the comeback, noting that a “very limited” and trusted group knew about the plans, and the reaction to the announcement was “phenomenal,” described as “Finally, some good news after all the nonsense that’s been going on in the world.”

However, the highly sought-after tickets for the reunion tour have been at the center of a significant controversy, drawing the attention of the UK competition watchdog. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has written to Ticketmaster, threatening legal action over its “misleading” ticket selling methods for the Oasis Live ’25 tour. In March, the CMA had already warned that Ticketmaster had “breached the law” and “misled fans” during the initial ticket sales last summer. An investigation was launched following widespread complaints that thousands of fans paid significantly over the odds for tickets, with some paying upwards of £350 for tickets with an original face value of £150.

The CMA’s concerns primarily revolve around two alleged breaches of consumer protection law. Firstly, Ticketmaster is accused of labeling certain seated tickets as ‘platinum,’ selling them for up to 2.5 times the price of equivalent standard tickets, without adequately explaining that these offered no additional benefits and were often located in the same stadium areas. This practice, the CMA argues, misled customers into believing platinum tickets provided a superior experience. Secondly, the watchdog claims Ticketmaster may have broken the law by failing to inform consumers that there were two distinct categories of standing tickets at different price points. It was reported that all the cheaper standing tickets were sold first before the more expensive ones were released, leaving customers waiting without understanding they would have to pay more.

Oasis, in turn, placed the blame for the dynamic pricing fiasco squarely on its management, promoters, and Ticketmaster. A statement from the band clarified that they were “not aware” that a dynamic pricing system would be utilized. They explained that while prior meetings between all parties aimed for a “positive ticket sale strategy” that would ensure a “fair experience for fans, including dynamic ticketing to help keep general ticket prices down as well as reduce touting,” the execution of this plan “failed to meet expectations.” Despite all parties reportedly doing their utmost, the “unprecedented demand” made it impossible to achieve the desired fan experience, leading to considerable frustration among fans, particularly those attending the Scottish shows, who complained about paying far more than planned due to the sales tactics.