Robbie Williams has defended one-time rivals Oasis amidst controversy around the pricing of tickets for their upcoming reunion tour. After their 2025 shows were announced, many fans were upset to find huge price hikes on tickets due to Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing policy – some had more than doubled in price from £148 to £355.
The “surge pricing” scheme, established in 2022, increases ticket prices based on demand. Ticketmaster have stated on their website previously that tickets are “market-priced” and “may increase or decrease at any time, based on demand. This is similar to how airline tickets and hotel rooms are sold.”
Robbie told The Face magazine that he’s “never sat in a ‘How much are we pricing the tickets?’ meeting. And I don’t believe that Oasis did either.” He said he doesn’t “believe that Oasis knew”, admitting that he only knows about dynamic pricing now because of the bands recent ticket drama. He also commented that boosted prices for his tour in 2006 led to a “scalper guy that bought a 1.5 million mansion” off reselling his tickets.
Williams has also expressed his excitement for the Britpop legends reunion, saying on an uncredited podcast that “Oasis getting back together is going to be a healing moment for our country”, and that “Liam Gallagher reading his phone on the toilet would be more charismatic and intriguing than 99.9 per cent of the world’s population at their most enigmatic.”
The “Angels” singer and Mancunian rockers have had a spotty relationship, though it seems to have calmed in the past few years. After a brief friendship in the 90’s, they began feuding as Noel branded Williams as “the fat dancer from Take That” at the 2000 Brit Awards. Williams then offered out his brother in a brawl, asking the crowd “Anybody like to see me fight Liam?” suggesting they each put a hundred grand down to settle it in the ring.
They continued trading barbs in the media, and Robbie sought revenge in 2003 by selling out Knebworth park three nights in a row – a one-up of Oasis and their two-night sellout in 1996. After all the bad blood between them, Williams confided to Zane Lowe in a 2022 interview that “They were gigantic bullies, to the whole industry, everybody in it” while conceding that he’s still a tremendous admirer of Oasis.
Politicians have been debating the pricing issue in parliament, with a Sale of Tickets (Sporting and Cultural Events) Bill being put forward but since delayed in the House of Commons. While not looking to outlaw dynamic pricing, it’s hoped that this could improve transparency on ticket costs.
Labour MP Rupa Huq said “As a lifelong music fan, I, like many of the nation, was scandalised to see the recent situation where people were queuing up for the best part of a day to get Oasis tickets.
‘And the pressure is immense when you’re refreshing for six hours to find yourself then finally at the top of the queue, you feel you have to go for it, but by then the ticket is five times the price of what you thought it was when advertised.”
The hype is alive for the Oasis revival, with all their UK and Ireland dates selling out in just ten hours. Interest in their comeback was so great that the question “how to get Oasis tickets” was the second most asked “how to” question in Britain this year, behind “how to vote in the UK”. Robbie, as eccentric as ever, is gearing up for the release of his biopic Better Man, covering his career and life story with a CGI monkey version of himself. The film is out in UK cinemas on December 26th.
