Oasis tour: is Ticketmaster’s ‘dynamic pricing’ model fair?

Oasis fans have been left shocked and angered at Ticketmaster after ticket prices for the group’s reunion tour soared whilst fans were left waiting in the website’s long virtual queues. The skyrocketing prices have been blamed on Ticketmaster’s ‘dynamic pricing’ model, which has been widely criticised by fans after some tickets nearly doubled in price just hours after they went on sale.

Standing tickets for the tour had initially been advertised for around £150. However, the cost of some tickets rose to more than £350 as demand for them surged.

The ‘dynamic pricing’ model, which has been blamed for the increase in ticket prices, is widely used by businesses to adjust prices based on real-time fluctuations in demand. According to Ticketmaster, the system allows fans to access the best tickets for events “fairly” and “safely”, without falling foul to so-called ‘ticket touts’. At the same time, it allows artists and promoters to sell tickets for their events “closer to their true market value”.

The ‘dynamic pricing’ strategy adopted by Ticketmaster means that higher-priced tickets were made available on the website once all face-value tickets had sold out. Promoters are not required to use dynamic pricing for their events and must instead opt into the model, with the upper value for tickets agreed in advance of the sale.

The model is not a new concept in the world of business – it has been the norm in other industries for several years, including hospitality and travel. Ticketmaster first adopted the system for concerts in 2022, with Harry Styles and Coldplay fans the first to be faced with fluctuating ticket prices. The system also looks set to be introduced by some football clubs over the next year, with Valencia warning fans to “plan ahead” so they can get tickets “in the best area and at the best price”.

Proponents of dynamic pricing have claimed that its use reduces the risk of fans falling foul to ‘ticket touts’ in the resale market

Many economists claim that the model benefits consumers. By using dynamic pricing, they argue, firms can set prices so that markets will clear, meaning supply will be sufficient to meet consumer demand, and that goods and services will go to those that want them most.

Moreover, proponents of dynamic pricing have claimed that its use reduces the risk of fans falling foul to ‘ticket touts’ in the resale market, whereby tickets for events – sometimes bought en masse by ‘bots’ – are sold again for considerably higher prices. By raising ticket prices in line with demand, supporters argue that official websites like Ticketmaster can compete with the higher prices of resale websites, such as StubHub and Viagogo.

Measures are slowly being introduced to combat the activities of ‘ticket touts’, with Oasis warning fans that tickets sold at higher prices on unofficial websites would be “cancelled”. This came after a ticket for one of Oasis’ London gigs was listed for £6,000 on a resale website, shortly after the tour’s pre-sale went live.

However, with dynamic pricing supposedly helping to combat ticket touting, questions have been raised over why the model forced prices upwards, leaving some fans with no other option but to abandon their hopes of seeing the group in concert next year.

The website’s failure to warn fans about the dynamic pricing strategy may have breached consumer law

Oasis’ representatives failed to respond to The Times when questioned over why dynamic pricing had been used, while Ticketmaster claimed that the website itself “does not set any ticket prices”. Despite this, the website has still been inundated with criticism after fans claimed they were faced by a slew of error messages and website crashes, with many “kicked out” of the website and forced to the back of the queue. Consequently, when fans reached the front of the queue, the only option that they were left with was the more expensive tickets.

Ticketmaster has also come under fire from legal experts, who comment that the website’s failure to warn fans about the dynamic pricing strategy may have breached consumer law. While dynamic pricing is not specifically prohibited by law, websites cannot mislead fans over ticket pricing. One consumer rights expert argued that many Oasis fans would have not joined the queue had they known about the price hikes, which made the tickets unaffordable for many. The Competition and Markets Authority have been contacted to clarify whether Ticketmaster’s strategy was legal.

Following the pricing row, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told BBC Radio 5 Live that the Government are “consulting” on the issue, which he argued was a problem not just for Oasis fans but “for tickets of all sorts of events”.

Regulations are already in place in some countries to protect fans against the ‘unfairness’ of dynamic pricing, including in the EU

He said: “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.”

Regulations are already in place in some countries to protect fans against the ‘unfairness’ of dynamic pricing, including in the EU where companies may be in breach of the law if they raise ticket prices during the booking process. No such protections are currently in place in the UK, although the Government has announced a probe into the use of dynamic pricing by websites such as Ticketmaster. Labour also announced plans in March to regulate ticket resale websites and cap the prices of resale tickets.

Oasis fans will have to try and let their anger ‘Slide Away’, however, with changes to dynamic pricing seemingly ‘Half the World Away’. Those hoping to see the group in concert next year will have to ‘Roll with It’, with a row between Ticketmaster, fans, and the Government set to ensue.