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Ticket resale site Twickets makes U-turn after Oasis backlash

Well done to them *clap clap*

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 3rd September 2024

Twickets, one of the only official resale sites for Oasis tickets, has taken a sudden U-turn to support fans after receiving backlash over fees.

The platform had faced criticism over the price of fees to list tickets on its website, with one viral tweet showing a fee of £138.74 to sell on a pair of tickets.

As approved by Oasis themselves, Twickets and Ticketmaster are the only places you can sell on your unwanted tickets (and at no more than face value), in a bid to stamp out ticket touts.

So the thought of paying such high fees was causing a bit of upset among fans, who had already braved the great on-sale drama over the weekend.

The thing is, Twickets has ALWAYS charged a percentage of the ticket’s face value to use its service, which is how it operates as a company – that percentage barely changes from 10-15%.

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The reason the number looks so staggeringly high for Oasis is because of the dynamic pricing introduced, which drove the original ticket price all the way up to £355.20.

And that meant a Twickets fee of £138 – until now.

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The resale platform, which only allows sellers to charge what they paid and prevents people reselling for a profit, has now vowed to lower its booking fee to 10% of face value, but with a fee cap of £25 for the Oasis shows.

It means that no one should be paying more than £100 simply to sell on their unwanted tickets.

Richard Davies, Twickets founder, said: “Due to the exceptional demand for the Oasis tour in 2025, Twickets have taken the decision to lower our booking fee to 10 per cent and a one per cent transactional fee (to cover bank charges) for all buyers of their tickets on our platform.

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“In addition we have introduced a fee cap of £25 per ticket for these shows. Sellers of tickets already sell free of any Twickets charge.

“This ensures that Twickets remains hugely competitive against the secondary market, including sites such as Viagogo, Gigsberg and StubHub.

“Not only do these platforms inflate ticket prices way beyond their original face value but they also charge excessive booking fees, usually in the region of 30-40 per cent. Twickets by comparison charges an average fee of around 12.5 per cent.”

The news has been praised by fans already, with one person writing: “As a frequent user of @Twickets I’m glad this revised position has been taken. Been to many gigs that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible, at face value, they should be applauded. I’m confident by Summer many will benefit from their product – and yes they can charge for it.”

Another wrote: “Bravo @Twickets now it’s your turn to do the right thing @Ticketmaster @TicketmasterUK. Scrap dynamic pricing on all tickets. Allow working class fans to be able to afford to buy tickets. After all @oasis are supposed to understand and support the working class!”

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And someone else shared: “Great decision, well done @Twickets as always, keeping the resale market at or close to face value!”

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Featured image: Publicity picture

News

Nine arrested in multiple coordinated raids after ‘celebrating Hitler’s birthday’ in Oldham pub

Danny Jones Danny Jones Hitler birthday party neo Nazis Oldham pub

Nine arrests were made earlier this week after a group of suspected neo-Nazis were discovered celebrating Adolf Hitler’s birthday at a pub in Oldham last month.

Alarming stuff, to say the least.

The individuals in question were arrested following a series of coordinated morning raids across multiple areas of Greater Manchester, including Rochdale, Bolton, Trafford and Stockport.

Another man was taken into custody from an address in Southport, with those involved belonging to the North West arm of a far-right group known simply as ‘British Movement’.

Craft Union Pubs, who operate the establishment, said they were “absolutely appalled”. (Credit: Google Maps)

The pub in question was the Duke of Edinburgh in Royton, a town of around 21,000 people located in north Oldham; the owners, who were said to have been ‘tricked’ into allowing the celebrations, were shocked to learn the group were observing Hitler’s birthday.

Upon realising the true nature of the festivities after images were shared on social media, staff immediately reported the party to the local authorities and Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers based in and around the borough were then made aware of the situation.

As seen online – including on British Movement Northern’s (BMN) own website – the pub were seen holding Nazi flags, SS bolts and the Iron Cross, even posting pictures eating a cake with swastika icing alongside captions which included the line, “the 136th birthday of Uncle A.”

Taking place on Wednesday morning, 7 May, several morning raids saw those present detained on suspicion of Section 18 Public Order Act offences, which relate to displaying written material which is threatening, abusive or insulting, intended to stir up racial hatred.

During the extensive operation, everything from imitation firearms to real weapons like swords and a crossbow, along with numerous other pieces of Nazi memorabilia were found. Police are still investigating the incident and searching the relevant premises in Oldham and beyond.

neo nazi party for hitlers bday in royton oldham
oldham neo nazi party swastika cake
Beyond shocking. (Credit: BMN)

GMP have been quick to contact Counter Terrorism Policing North West (CTPNW) to advise on the materials and assess further risk; for instance, following the recovery of a suspected grenade at a property in Bolton, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) was deployed and the item declared safe.

Assistant Chief Constable Steph Parker said in an official statement: “Due to the nature of the materials we recovered at the warrants today, we have liaised with colleagues at CTPNW. This is a matter of course, and it very much remains a GMP-led investigation.

“It’s important that all avenues are explored to establish the extent of the criminal offences which have been committed, and whilst our investigation is still in its early stages, we do not believe there to be a risk to the wider public.

“This group clearly has a deep fascination with ideas that we know are unsettling for communities across Greater Manchester. We must take action when concerns are raised, and where weapons are suspected, to ensure people are free to live without fear of intimidation or harm.”

Naturally, GMP are encouraging people to stay vigilant and come forward with any further information or concerns they may have.

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Featured Images — British Movement Northern/GMP/Google Maps

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No trams to run on major Metrolink line as ‘essential’ work to repair Victorian-era tunnel starts this weekend

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant A Metrolink tram in Manchester city centre

Travel disruption is expected across the next couple of weeks as ‘essential engineering’ work begins on a major Metrolink line.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed that a reduced service will run on the Bury line this weekend, as work to replace ‘defective’ beams supporting the roof at Whitefield Tunnel means that no trams will run between Crumpsall and Bury on Saturday (10 May), or between Whitefield and Bury on Sunday (11 May).

Some weekend and overnight working is said to be ‘necessary’ to secure and protect the overhead line equipment, so that the beam replacement work can be completed as ‘safely and quickly as possible’, according to TfGM.

A crane is planned to be in use for the beam replacement work at times.

Closures on the line from this weekend come after the successful completion of preparatory work at the site, following the discovery of a defective beam.

No trams will run on a major Metrolink line as ‘essential’ work to repair Victorian-era tunnel starts this weekend / Credit: TfGM

As well as the suspension on services this weekend, as mentioned above, several other chances throughout this month and into the next on the Bury line are also to be expected.

No tram services will operate between Crumpsall and Bury on Sunday 25 May, and no again from Friday 30 May to Sunday 1 June, while no trams will run between Whitefield and Bury from Monday 26 to Thursday 29 May.

For the duration of all closures, replacement bus services will run between the affected stops on all the above dates.

Any so-called ‘noisier’ work is set to take place during daytime and evening working hours where possible, and several noise reduction measures – such as acoustic blankets and enclosures – also to be put in place during this.

As always, the Greater Manchester public is being advised to ‘plan ahead’ if they are travelling.

“Whitefield Tunnel dates back to the 19th century,” explained Ian Davies, who is TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, “and this essential work will ensure tram services can continue to safely pass through it for decades to come.

“This is a complex job, but we will do everything we can to minimise disruption to passengers, residents and businesses.”

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He added: “I would encourage people who use the Bury line to plan ahead and check the Bee Network website, app, and social media channels for the most up-to-date travel information.”

Find out the latest on the TfGM website here.

Featured Image – Janus Boye

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