Oasis tickets cost dad £700 but email hours before gig left him vomiting

Daily Record

2 days ago

Phil Hessey bought tickets for himself, his son Kaiden, 15, and a family friend for the show in Manchester on Saturday - but things didn't go to plan.
A dad who was eagerly anticipating taking his son to an Oasis concert at Heaton Park has been left "so overwhelmed" after a last-minute email threw their plans into disarray, despite having shelled out hundreds for tickets.
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Phil Hessey, 39, from Walton, shared with the Liverpool Echo his disappointment over the unexpected turn of events. He had secured tickets for himself, his 15 year old son Kaiden, and a family friend to attend the Manchester show on Saturday, which followed Oasis' return to Heaton Park on Friday night with Liam and Noel Gallagher.
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Phil recounted how he snagged one ticket during the initial sale last summer and later purchased two more on the resale market this month. The total cost for attending the gig reportedly exceeded £1,000, reports the Mirror.
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The first ticket, intended for his son, ended up costing more than anticipated due to dynamic pricing. Phil had hoped to find his own ticket later and eventually acquired additional tickets for himself and the friend via Viagogo.
Phil explained: "My lad is a mad Oasis fan, he was brought up watching them on YouTube and all the videos - I was really into them when I was younger. The [initial] ticket advertised was £148, that turned into £394. I was like 'what' but I'd made a promise to my son that I'd get tickets, so I bought that from Ticketmaster. I hadn't bought mine, but I'd made a promise to my son that we would go, I had an idea that I could get mine later."
Phil recounted his experience of desperately trying to secure tickets for an upcoming tour, telling the media outlet that he "kept looking" in anticipation of more tickets becoming available closer to the event. He shared: "I bought two tickets from Viagogo on July 1, my friend had expressed interest, so I got one for me and him to go with Kaiden.
"They were advertised in pounds sterling and I paid £714, which went out of my bank. They were general admission and I was over the moon - I now had three tickets. I was disgusted with how much they cost but I'd got them."
Phil received a reassuring email from Viagogo last Friday stating "the tickets will be with you". The following Saturday morning, he got another email promising delivery by midday.
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The second Oasis gig at Heaton Park was scheduled for 6pm on Saturday, featuring support act Cast and Richard Ashcroft before Oasis took the stage later that evening. However, Phil's plans were dashed that same morning when he received another email, which the ECHO has seen, informing him that he could no longer attend the concert.
Phil described his devastation: "Later on Saturday, at 10.38am, I got an email saying the tickets had been cancelled. The life was sucked out of me. It said the seller was no longer able to fulfil the order. When the ticket got cancelled, I was so overwhelmed. I ran to the bathroom and was sick in the sink."
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He recounted that he still took his son to Heaton Park, but they encountered issues at the venue. He mentioned that Kaiden's ticket was for general admission with a complimentary upgrade to the front standing area, which he assumed was optional.
Phil claimed to have reached out to several acquaintances who were also attending the concert to ensure his son would be under adult supervision. Speaking to the ECHO, Phil described how Kaiden was turned away at certain entry points upon their arrival.
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He explained: "Under 16s needed an adult to go in with. I drove him, parked a mile away, walked him all the way down. I was still a bag of nerves, I wouldn't be there with him. I spoke to the stewards. I said I wanted to downgrade him, I wanted him to go in with an adult. They said that wouldn't be a problem."
Amidst escalating concerns about getting Kaiden into the concert, Phil admitted to being "in a state of panic" until a generous family offered to take care of his son. Phil expressed his gratitude, saying: "A random family, who I owe a massive debt of gratitude to, saw he was on his own, and said 'stay with us and we'll look after him'. He ended up enjoying the gig."
Phil, who was left stressed after his ticket was abruptly cancelled, has been refunded but expressed dissatisfaction with the amount returned. He commented: "I raised it with Viagogo and they said they couldn't get more tickets. I had to take a refund. £714.81 went out of my bank in the original transaction but I've got £679.11 back. That's a £35.70 shortfall. They've said that it's due to a conversion fee to Australian Dollars, but the tickets were advertised in pounds sterling."
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A spokesperson for Viagogo responded to the ECHO, explaining that the price difference was because the ticket was sold in Australian Dollars and suggested that any discrepancy in fees should be discussed with Phil's bank. Viagogo has apologised for the cancellation of his tickets and informed the ECHO that they are seeking to secure Phil tickets for another date.
Phil shared his story with the media outlet to warn others about potential issues during the remaining Oasis Live '25 tour dates, which are set to end in Brazil come November.
The Viagogo spokesperson said: "On viagogo, fans are protected by our guarantee. We ensure fans receive their tickets in time for the event and in the rare event of an issue, we offer them replacement tickets or their money back.
"In this instance, the buyer had purchased the ticket in AUS dollars and therefore, was refunded the same amount in AUS dollars. The discrepancy in fees is with the bank and we advise Phil to raise the matter with his bank. Our number one priority is to get people into live events and we are deeply sorry that on this occasion, Phil was unable to attend the concert."