Ticketmaster and Gallaghers become campfire effigies

A bonfire company has announced that the effigy for this year’s event will be based on Ticketmaster and the Gallagher brothers.

The Edenbridge Bonfire Society said the 11m (36ft) effigy lit at Saturday’s bonfire celebrations was chosen in response to “greedy” dynamic pricing of tickets for next year’s Oasis reunion tour.

The Kent-based company said the Ticketmaster sculpture was accompanied by puppets of Liam and Noel Gallagher Oasis tour that brought dynamic prices to light.

The group has been “making fun of infamous celebrities” for more than 25 years, with previous targets including Donald Trump, Boris Johnson and, most recently in 2023, Sadiq Khan.

Reece Hook, one of the effigy’s creators, said: “In the eight years I’ve been doing this we’ve done so many politicians, so we really wanted to do something different this year.”

“Although Liam and Noel Gallagher are in our image, they are not our target – we have chosen corporate giant Ticketmaster this year. We are all big Oasis fans and wish them a very successful tour.”

With dynamic pricing, prices increase with demand. Fans were asked to pay up to £350 when trying to get a ticket to the Oasis reunion tour earlier this year.

Oasis told news agency PA Media it had not been informed that dynamic pricing would be used before the sale.

Organizers say about 10,000 people are expected to attend this year’s bonfire event.

The nonprofit organization has been in existence for more than 95 years and uses the bonfire celebrations to raise money for local charities.

A procession through the city opens the event at 6:30pm GMT, followed by fireworks at 8:30pm.