Oasis fan successfully sneaks into Heaton Park gig after hatching truly genius plan
One Oasis fan who couldn't get a ticket for the band's massive Manchester reunion concert claims he successfully faked his way into the event by dressing as a litter picker.
The Britpop legends performed at Heaton Park over the weekend, their first time back on a Manchester stage in 16 years. With 80,000 fans in attendance and tickets sold out well in advance, many were left outside the gates. While some fans camped behind barriers just to hear the music, others attempted to breach the venue by more creative means.
John Spilsbury, a 42-year-old transport planner from Alfreton, Cheshire, says he used a far more subtle approach.
Donning a yellow hi-vis vest and armed with a bin bag and rubbish grabber, he walked confidently through the gates. 'No ticket, no problem,' he wrote in a social media post alongside photos of himself in disguise and later enjoying the gig.
'When you can't get a ticket for Oasis, so take a hi-viz and grabber and pretend to be a litter picker then walk straight into front standing," he added.
According to John, security didn't even try to stop him as he claims he even spent about '30 minutes' picking up litter inside the venue before blending into the crowd near the front of the stage. Once the show began, he removed his gear and joined the party to belt out the iconic lyrics to songs including WonderWall and Don't Look Back In Anger.
Fans online were quick to praise his cheeky tactic as some called him a 'legend' and a 'genius', while others joked about the next concerts being overrun with fake cleaners. 'There'll be 6,000 litter pickers at the next gig,' one person wrote. 'Wembley's going to be spotless,' added another.
While John's stunt was lighthearted, security at the reunion weekend faced more serious challenges.
On Friday, as many as 50 fans reportedly turned up with a ladder in an attempt to climb the perimeter fence. On Saturday, large groups were seen rushing the gates as Liam and Noel Gallagher took the stage shortly after 8 p.m.
Three more Oasis shows are set to take place at Heaton Park this week, on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday, before the band continues the reunion tour with five major shows at Wembley Stadium in London.
Given how high demand has been, and the lengths fans are willing to go, organisers may be facing a fresh security headache ahead of the next dates.
The Mirror has approached Manchester City Council, which operates Heaton Park, for comment on this story.
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