Ticketmaster’s “dynamic pricing” model, which hikes ticket prices based on demand, is under fire in Europe after fans complained about Oasis reunion tickets.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the practice “depressing” and noted that a regulatory body is launching an urgent review. Much like Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour chaos, British fans faced site crashes and long waits, only to be mistaken for bots and kicked out.
Fans think it’s unfair.
Although dynamic pricing is legal now, Lara Wolters from the European Parliament told The Guardian she wants new laws to protect consumers. “The only winners in this situation are big ticketing platforms, at the expense of fans who find themselves priced out of gigs,” she said. “This is not a system that seeks to maximise joy by filling the stadium with an artist’s biggest fans but to maximise profit from music like any other product. As a music fan, I find this soulless and I want to put a stop to it.”
Ticketmaster says their pricing model works like hotel rooms or airfare sales and claims artists set the prices. A CMA spokesperson mentioned that businesses must be fair and transparent about prices or they might break the law. Many Oasis fans were upset when they found out how much the tickets cost only at checkout.
Due to high demand, Oasis added two more Wembley Stadium shows. The band stated that tickets would be sold through a ballot process first offered to UK fans who missed out initially.
In late 2022, around Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour announcement time, the EU brought in the Digital Services Act requiring resellers to provide proof of identity and contact info publicly. Meanwhile, in the U.S., Ticketmaster owner Live Nation Entertainment faces monopoly allegations from the Justice Department.
