Dynamic pricing to be examined by European Commission amid Oasis ticket furore

By Naomi Clarke, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

Surge pricing based on demand is set to be examined by the European Commission amid a backlash to Oasis concert prices soaring due to the practice.

Some fans of the rock band were left shocked by standard tickets more than doubling from £148 (€175) to £355 (€421) on Ticketmaster for their reunion tour last weekend, prompting the Government and the UK’s competition watchdog to pledge they will look into the use of dynamic pricing.

Ticketmaster has said it does not set concert prices and its website states this is down to the “event organiser” who “has priced these tickets according to their market value”.

The practice of increasing or decreasing prices based on demand has been compared to how airline tickets and hotel rooms are sold.

An acting spokesperson for the European Commission confirmed it is working on a “fitness check” of EU consumer law on digital fairness, which it plans to adopt this autumn.

The use of dynamic pricing will be part of this review, the PA news agency understands.

The digital fairness “fitness check” was launched in spring 2022 to “establish whether additional legislation or other action is needed in the medium term to ensure equal fairness online and offline”.

The long-awaited Oasis reunion tour drew huge attention from fans as it will see the Manchester-formed Britpop band on stage together for the first time since their major split in 2009.

On August 31st, they revealed the general sale tickets for their upcoming 17 UK and Ireland gigs had sold out in less than a day, but many fans missed out as they battled website issues and being mislabelled as bots.

Oasis Live ‘25 UK and Ireland tickets have now SOLD OUT.
Please be aware of counterfeit and void tickets appearing on the secondary market.
Tickets can ONLY be resold, at face value, via @TicketmasterUK and @Twickets. pic.twitter.com/gWW5xDDzL8

— Oasis (@oasis) August 31, 2024

Other international dates are still to be announced, but no more UK shows will be added to their tour, PA understands.

Following the ticket furore, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received 450 complaints about Ticketmaster adverts for the Oasis gigs.

A spokesperson for the UK’s regulator of advertising said the complainants argue that the adverts made “misleading claims about availability and pricing”.

It is believed the ticket prices for the Oasis gigs were set by promoters, which included SJM Concerts, MCD and DF Concerts & Events.

On Monday, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the Government will get a “grip” on the issue of surge pricing and that it is seeking consultation on the issue.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I do think there are a number of things that we can do, and we should do, because otherwise you get to the situation where families simply can’t go, or are absolutely spending a fortune on tickets, whatever it may be.

“So we’ll grip this and make sure that actually tickets are available at a price that people can actually afford.”

It came after Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy released a statement on Sunday calling the “inflated prices” of Oasis tickets “incredibly depressing”.

She added: “This Government is committed to putting fans back at the heart of music.

“So we will include issues around the transparency and use of dynamic pricing, including the technology around queuing systems which incentivise it, in our forthcoming consultation on consumer protections for ticket resales.”

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has said it is “urgently reviewing” the ticketing market and that it is looking forward to working with the Government on the issue.

A spokesperson for the CMA said: “The CMA is urgently reviewing recent developments in the ticketing market, including the way dynamic pricing is being used in the primary market.

“Consumer protection law requires businesses to be fair and transparent in their dealings with consumers, and businesses must give clear and accurate information about the price people have to pay.

“Failure to do so may breach the law.

“The CMA wants fans to get a fair deal when they buy tickets.

“We have already acted against major resale websites on the secondary market to ensure consumer law is being followed.

“But we think more protections are needed for consumers here and made recommendations to the previous government in 2021 about the changes that are needed.

“It is positive that the Government now wants to address this.

“We look forward to working with them to get the best outcomes for fans and fair-playing businesses.”