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Oasis fans have been warned that the band’s homecoming gigs at Heaton Park in Manchester will be protected by a double fence with security patrolling in between after TikTok users offered advice on how to break into the concerts.
Suggestions in videos on the social networking site included climbing trees to scale the fence, and swimming across a boating lake at the park.
“We’ve got to climb over this fence here, you know by the boating lake, and then you’re just in there for Oasis,” a man says in one video. “It’s fucking piss easy, so go there in the morning.”
A man says in another video: “You get in the water, you’ve got to swim north-east and then you’ll get into the concert. It’s the only place that’s not surrounded by fences.”
The five Oasis dates at Heaton Park are the only UK shows not in a stadium, with the others held at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, Wembley in London and Murrayfield in Edinburgh.
Thousands of people are expected to head to the park to listen to the concerts from outside the gates, despite warnings from the council and the promoter for ticketless fans to stay away.
The 600-acre park in north Manchester was the venue for Oasis’s last performance in the city, on 7 June 2009, and hosts the yearly Parklife festival.
Oasis are due to play five sold-out shows there between 11-20 July, with about 80,000 people attending each gig.
Last year, Greater Manchester police (GMP) imposed a dispersal order across the festival site during Parklife to try to crack down on ticketless fans gaining entry. The force did not respond to a request for comment on whether similar measures would be imposed during the Oasis gigs.
One Manchester hospitality boss said he feared Friday’s concert could be called off if thousands of ticketless fans managed to get into the venue. “I think Friday will be feral. With the weather and all the kids jumping over the fences – there might even be a chance they could call it off.
“All the young lads that I’ve spoken to, none of them have got tickets [but] they’re all having a go. You could get 20,000, 50,000 turn up and that’s a real security risk,” he said.
He added: “There’s videos all over TikTok of the best places to get in and I could see them compromising the security of the venue. Cardiff was quite middle class. It was quite tame. It was like a fucking tea party compared to what ours will be like.”
The concert’s promoter said 2,000 stewards, as well as a “significant number” of police officers, would be patrolling the boundary to prevent ticketless fans from gaining entry.
“We have been working for more than a year alongside the various councils and emergency services to ensure these Oasis shows in Heaton Park are safe for all ticket holders. Anyone without a ticket should not travel to Heaton Park,” said Rob Ballantine, the director of SJM Concerts.
“We are aware of the TikTok videos but what they don’t show is the 2,000 stewards, plus a significant number of police who will be patrolling the area, and the double fence line around the entire site with mobile security in between the fences.”
GMP said officers all over the site would be “working with event security staff to prevent crime and disorder”. The force said officers would also be patrolling off-site, in the surrounding areas and the city centre.
“Our priority is to ensure everyone’s safety. We have worked closely with event organisers and partners to make sure the event is safe and enjoyable for those attending, while minimising any crime or antisocial behaviour impacts on local residents,” said Matt Boyle, an assistant chief constable.
“We will have a large and highly visible policing operation in place in Heaton Park, the city centre and on routes into and out of the venue to help people enjoy the event.”
He added: “Our advice to fans attending is to enjoy yourselves but to remain vigilant. Keep your belongings safe and report anything suspicious to police or security staff so we can act on it.”
The videos posted by TikTokers have been condemned by Manchester city council, which runs the park, with the advice condemned as “irresponsible”.
“It’s concerning and irresponsible of individuals to be encouraging this kind of reckless behaviour in others, and also encouraging people to put their safety at risk in this way,” said John Hacking, a councillor and executive member for skills, employment and leisure.
“Ticketless fans shouldn’t travel to Heaton Park. They should get themselves to the city centre instead where they’re going to find a brilliant atmosphere and loads of things happening on gig days to get involved in and enjoy.”
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