Ministers have promised an investigation after fans complained of inflated ticket prices for Oasis’ 2025 reunion tour. But industry experts insist that “dynamic pricing” is not illegal and based on supply and demand.
The British government is set to launch an investigation into the use of so-called “dynamic pricing” by event organizers after music fans saw the price of Oasis tickets surge over the weekend.
Tickets for the Manchester band’s 17-date reunion tour in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland next year went on sale on Saturday morning, with the majority priced at £150 (€178, $197).
But the huge demand saw fans not only forced to wait in online queues for hours, but also confronted with inflated ticket prices when they finally reached the online shop.
UK Culture Minister Lisa Nandy said it was “depressing to see vastly inflated prices” and said the government would be looking into transparency around dynamic pricing – which automatically adjusts prices in real-time according to demand – in its investigation into consumer protection.
“Working with artists, industry and fans we can create a fairer system that ends the scourge of touts, rip-off resales and ensures tickets at fair prices,” Nandy said in a statement late on Sunday.
Nandy’s government colleague Lucy Powell, the Leader of the House of Commons, experienced the issue at first hand on Saturday, telling the BBC that she ended up buying two tickets for one of Oasis’ Manchester dates for the adjusted price of £350 ($460) each.
“[I] eventually got through and bought a couple of tickets for more than I was expecting to pay,” she said, adding that while she does not “particularly like” the model, “it is the market and how it operates.
“You’ve absolutely got to be transparent about that so that when people arrive after hours of waiting, they understand that the ticket is going to cost more.”
