The identities of “greedy” touts who hoovered up tickets for the Oasis reunion tour can be revealed, amid widespread condemnation of fans being exploited by ticket resale platforms.
Analysis by the Guardian reveals that “secondary” ticketing platforms are advertising more than 4,500 tickets for all of the Gallagher brothers’ long-awaited UK shows – in breach of rules for the gigs.
While the band’s use of “dynamic pricing” on Ticketmaster, which hiked tickets by hundreds of pounds, has caused outrage and prompted an investigation by the competition watchdog, touts are also listing tickets for thousands of pounds.
Industry experts believe touts may be holding on to even more tickets as they wait for the Ticketmaster furore to die down before releasing more for sale.
Gig ticket resale is not illegal in itself but touts have previously been jailed for using unlawful methods. Oasis have said any tickets bought through such platforms will be cancelled.
Listings on the three largest resale sites – Viagogo, StubHub and Gigsberg – can be traced back to touts in locations ranging from Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire to São Paulo, Brazil.
They include traders in their early 20s, as well as seasoned touts who trade with one another in dedicated WhatsApp groups, according to evidence seen by the Guardian.
One touts group even boasts on social media of making £200,000 profit for themselves and “members” who sign up for tips on how to snap up tickets at genuine fans’ expense.
The findings reveal how touts are able to latch on to – and profit from – the hype around the reunion of Liam and Noel Gallagher after 15 years, for a tour expected to generate revenues of £400m, according to some estimates.
They raise concerns that touts and resale platforms may be profiting from potentially illegal practices and shine a light on the murky world of secondary ticketing, where savvy “traders” can make thousands of pounds from each show.
The details emerged as the government considers whether to outlaw the resale of tickets for profit, a measure that would echo steps taken in Ireland.
On Viagogo, the largest player in the resale industry, sellers offering more than 2,500 tickets are located all over the world.
One, who gave his name only as Ricardo Junior, claims to operate from a residential district of São Paulo, Brazil, although inquiries made locally indicate that he may have moved to the UK. He claims to have at least 33 tickets at Cardiff, Wembley and Murrayfield, listed for a combined price of £26,333. The Guardian has approached someone believed to be Ricardo Junior for comment.
Touts’ identities can be obtained thanks to regulations imposed by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which forces resale platforms to publish information about any “traders” who sell 100 or more tickets a year.
While many touts appear to have supplied incomplete information, they can still be traced by cross-referencing limited details with other publicly available information.
Some listings raise concerns that touts may be using Viagogo for “speculative selling”, an unlawful practice where sellers advertise tickets they do not own, hoping to fulfil orders later.
One seller, Rojan Rana, said he did not actually have more than 50 tickets he was advertising for shows at Manchester’s Heaton Park.
When approached by the Guardian Rana, 24, said he was not aware that “prospective” listings were illegal and would take them down.
The ticketing and security expert Reg Walker said many younger traders were known in the touting world as “sneaker kids” because they started out by cornering the market for in-demand trainers, before moving into the lucrative ticket business.
One of the touts listing on Viagogo, Favour Nwefo, is a former director of a company called Sneakrverse, while trainers also seem to be a focus for a social media account, Crep Chief Notify, whose name references “creps”, slang for shoes.
The account posts videos in which young men boast of using multiple identities and even “bots” to bypass ticket purchase limits. The Guardian approached Crep Chief Notify Ltd and its directors for comment.
Touts have previously been convicted and jailed over the use of multiple IDs and bots.
Walker said he had seen evidence of bot attacks on ticketing systems and the use of multiple and false identities, as well as speculative listings. “All of these practices are illegal,” he added.
Other sellers offering tickets for thousands of pounds include Favour Nwefo, from Nottingham, who did not return a request for comment. Adam White, from Standish near Wigan, responded to suggestions he was ripping off real fans, saying: “It’s fine. I’m not too fussed.”
Walker said that some more experienced touts were “holding back the tickets they have acquired” for now, to avoid them being cancelled by promoters and venues.
Many sellers claim to be based overseas. One, TG Cyprus Event Services, advertised 1,596 tickets through StubHub alone. The company did not return requests for comment.
Other overseas sellers include Bona Fide Tickets, whose address appears to be a PO box in the US town of Boise, Idaho. Others hail from Spain, the Czech Republic, Turkey, the Netherlands, Canada and Dubai, including one company whose name is given as a jumble of letters and claims to have 20 tickets for a total £25,000.
Some traders are untraceable due to incomplete or what appears to be false information, despite a court order from the CMA in 2018 demanding that resale platforms publish accurate traders’ details.
They include three apparently British companies, Planet Tickets in London, Premier Tickets in Leamington Spa and Golden Events in Manchester, listing tickets for a combined £26,000. Their details do not appear to match records at Companies House, the UK’s corporate register.
The Guardian has identified dozens of other companies and individuals, many of which are effectively anonymous due to the limited information they provide.
Resale platforms charge a commission on every sale the touts make and some have previously provided toolkits to help the biggest touts sell more tickets.
Viagogo and StubHub said they complied with applicable consumer law and removed any speculative listings.
Viagogo said it investigated incomplete trader details.
Both companies said they provided fans with a money-back guarantee if tickets were cancelled but not for costs such as travel and accommodation.
Gigsberg did not return a request for comment.
Emma Foody, a Labour and Co-operative MP, said: “Going to see live music should never be something that only a privileged few can afford. But increasingly genuine fans are priced out while greedy touts rack up huge profits.”
“This system isn’t good for musicians who value their loyal fanbase, and it isn’t good for fans forced to choose between paying extortionate resell rates or missing out.”
The consumer-focused Co-op party is pushing for a licensing system that could see sites who break the rules fined or even taken down.
A spokesperson for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: “For too long fans have been forced to endure the misery of ticket touts. That’s why we will introduce protections to prevent people from being ripped off and to put fans back at the heart of music.
“A consultation will be launched in the autumn to find the best ways to tackle the problem.”
• This article was amended on 7 September 2024. An earlier version incorrectly said Rojan Rana was a director of Sneakrverse; this has been removed.
