Fans are not the only ones eagerly awaiting next year’s Oasis reunion tour: British hoteliers and pub owners are looking forward to a boom in business, with hopes of a Taylor Swift-style economy boost, reported AFP.
The price of hotel rooms shot up in host cities including Oasis’s hometown Manchester in northwestern England as soon as the tour dates were announced.
“It’s clear the pull of live music is as strong as ever. Hotels will get booked up quickly as fans secure tickets, and pubs, bars and restaurants will all be packed next summer with concert-going fans,” said Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, which represents the industry.
“We expect to see huge demand from fans, both from the UK and from abroad, and that will no doubt deliver a multi-million-pound boost to the hospitality sector next year.”
Warring brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher have put their 15-year feud behind them to reunite for the tour.
The Britpop duo behind hit songs including Wonderwall and Champagne Supernova announced on Tuesday they would play an initial 14 gigs next year in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh and the Irish capital, Dublin, starting in July 2025.
Furious fans accused one hotel in Manchester of cancelling their reservations for the dates to relist the rooms for three times the price.
The hotel blamed a “technical error”, but consumer body Which? said it was concerned about such practices and called on customers to be vigilant.
“Some accommodation providers will charge whatever they can get away with when a major event comes to town”, said Lisa Webb, a consumer law expert at Which?, adding that some hotels had made “eye-watering price” rises ahead of the tour.
“This is probably going to be perhaps a once in a lifetime event, so people will find the money to buy the tickets” said Matt Grimes, a music industry researcher at Birmingham City University.
