Councillors increase Murrayfield capacity for Oasis concerts

The Herald Scotland

9 hours ago

The city's licensing board has approved a bid to increase the stadium's official capacity to 69,990.
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The application has been backed despite previous concerns from council officials about the potential impact of the concerts clashing with other major events in the city, including the Fringe.
Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher became embroiled in a spat with the council earlier this month after leaked minutes of public safety briefings suggested that visiting fans of the band would be middle-aged, drunk, rowdy and would be likely to 'take up more room' at the stadium.
Edinburgh councillors have approved an increase in Murrayfield's capacity for the forthcoming Oasis concerts. (Image: PA)
Gallagher had suggested that the council's attitude "stinks" towards his band, whose shows were sold out as soon as tickets for their three shows went on sale last summer.
Posting on social media after reports of the safety briefings emerged, Gallagher said: "I'd leave town that day if I was any of you lot."
The city council later insisted that the local authority was "proud to host the biggest and best events in Edinburgh", and that it was "looking forward" to the Oasis concerts being staged at Murrayfied.
Scottish Rugby had asked the licensing board for permission for a temporary increase in Murrayfield's capacity from 67,130 to 69,990 for the three shows on August 8, 9 and 12.
The application was approved shortly before Oasis announced put their army of fans on alert for the release of more tickets for their forthcoming live dates in the UK, which also includes shows at Heaton Park in Manchester, the Principality Stadium in Cardiff and Wembley Stadium in London.
A statement posted on official Oasis social media channels earlier this week said: "As the shows are getting closer, Oasis promoters may be able to release a very limited of additional tickets for sale once final sight lines are checked and the production is fine tuned.
"These final production releases will happen over the coming days."
Councillors have previously approved bids to increase the capacity of Murrayfield for sold out shows by Harry Styles and Taylor Swift.
Towever the timing of the Oasis concerts has proved more controversial as Murrayfield gigs have never previously clashed with Edinburgh's main summer festivals season.
Venue operators at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe have blamed the timing of the shows for a slump in advance ticket sales this year.
Bookings are said to be down as much as 35% for some venues, with leading figures citing the soaring cost of accommodation in the city in August.
And there are fears that the Fringe, which relies heavily on last-minute ticket sales, will be badly affected in August when the festival will clash for the first time with concerts at Murrayfield.
The Fringe Society is planning a 'tactical marketing campaign' to encourage ticket-holders for the Murrayfield concerts to see Fringe shows while they are in Edinburgh.
Louise Young, convenor of the Edinburgh licensing board, said: 'An application to increase the capacity at Murrayfield for the upcoming Oasis concerts was approved on 23 June. This decision followed consultation with the police and public safety officers.'
Speaking earlier this month, Margaret Graham, the city council's culture convener, said: "We're very proud to host the biggest and best events in Edinburgh throughout the year, which bring in hundreds of millions of pounds to the local economy and provide unparalleled entertainment for our residents and visitors.
'As with any major event which takes place in the city, we prepare extensively alongside our partners to ensure the safety and best possible experience of everyone involved – and Oasis are no different. No two events are the same in terms of requirements or planning and our multi-agency approach reflects this appropriately.
'We're also working closely with residents in the local area to make sure these concerts pass off as smoothly as possible. Over the past few years, we've hosted many similar events and managed to strike the right balance between communicating well with residents and fulfilling the needs of major events and I have no doubt we can do so once again. We always look to learn lessons from previous years to update and improve on our plans.
'We're all looking forward to seeing Oasis take to the stage this August and I'm sure that they'll 'live forever' as some of the most memorable concerts ever performed at Murrayfield.'