The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into the “dynamic pricing” Ticketmaster used to sell tickets for the Oasis reunion gigs.
Fans of the Manchester band have been asked to share their experiences of trying to buy tickets for the Oasis Live ’25 tour in the UK and Ireland.
As part of the probe, the CMA will look into a range of issues that arose when fans experienced a surge in ticket prices due to the high demand for the tour.
Those issues include whether Ticketmaster engaged in “unfair commercial practices”, if people were given “clear and timely” information as to whether the prices would increase based on popularity, and whether they were then put under pressure to buy the tickets.
As well as collecting testimonies from fans through a questionnaire, the CMA will also contact Ticketmaster and gather evidence from sources that may include Oasis’ management as well as the event organisers.
The Government body clarified that Ticketmaster “should not be assumed” to have committed any wrongdoing or broken consumer protection law.
Consumer law states that ticket sales “must be transparent in their dealings with customers and give clear and accurate information about the price people have to pay”.
Last Saturday (31 August), fans logged onto the ticket sales website hoping to bag a ticket for the first gigs Liam and Noel Gallagher have performed together in what will be 16 years come 2025.
The ticket prices varied depending on whether the gig was in Cardiff, Edinburgh, Manchester, Dublin or London, with the most expensive standard tickets costing £148.50. However, tickets shot up to £355.20 due to “dynamic pricing” once fans were able to purchase, with many waiting in online queues for hours to do so.
Little by little, social media was flooded with frustrated supporters who were disappointed by the jump in price.
The controversial pricing method has been implemented across other gigs, hotels and even recently by Spanish football team Valencia, with the idea to block touts from hoarding tickets to resell them for extortionate sums.
However, it has been slammed by many gig-goers, who believe it prices out many who want to see beloved artists perform live.
‘No awareness dynamic pricing would be used’
The Gallaghers have since looked to address the issue but insisted the decisions on ticketing were “left entirely to their promoters and management, and at no time [did they] have any awareness that dynamic pricing was going to be used”.
Their statement noted: “While prior meetings between promoters, Ticketmaster and the band’s management resulted in a positive ticket sale strategy, which would be a fair experience for fans, including dynamic ticketing to help keep general ticket prices down as well as reduce touting, the execution of the plan failed to meet expectations.”
Ahead of the investigation, Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, said: “It’s clear that many people felt they had a bad experience and were surprised by the price of their tickets at checkout.
“We want to hear from fans who went through the process and may have encountered issues so that we can investigate whether existing consumer protection law has been breached.”
Cardell added: “The CMA also welcomes the Government’s recent announcement that it will consult on measures to provide stronger protections to consumers in the ticketing sector, wherever they buy their tickets.
“This has been a priority focus for the CMA for several years, having previously taken enforcement action and recommended changes to improve the secondary tickets market. We are committed to working closely with Government to tackle the long-standing challenges in the ticket market.”
