Ticketmaster and Gallaghers become bonfire effigy

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

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

The Kent-based society said the Ticketmaster sculpture was accompanied by puppets of Liam and Noel Gallagher as it was the Oasis tour which brought dynamic pricing to light.

The group has been “poking fun at 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 have done so many politicians, so this year we really wanted to do something different.

“Although our effigy includes Liam and Noel Gallagher, they are not our target – it is the corporate giant of Ticketmaster we have gone with this year. We are all big Oasis fans and wish them a very successful tour.”

Dynamic pricing sees prices increase with demand. Fans were asked to pay as much as £350 when trying to get a ticket for the Oasis reunion tour earlier this year.

Oasis told the PA Media news agency they had not been made aware that dynamic pricing would be used ahead of the sale.

About 10,000 people are expected to attend this year’s bonfire event, according to organisers.

The not-for-profit organisation has been running for more than 95 years and uses the bonfire celebrations to raise money for local charities.

A procession through the town kicks off the event at 18:30 GMT followed by a fireworks display at 20:30.