Christopher BarrettThe UK government is to add dynamic pricing to the agenda of a ticketing consultation after Ticketmaster’s use of the pricing model for the Oasis Live ’25 stadium tour sparked widespread complaints from consumers.
The Oasis onsale on Saturday, saw fans left waiting for hours in an online queue before unexpectedly facing the prospect of inflated prices of £355 for standing tickets after initially being informed they would cost £135.
The Advertising Standards Authority said it had received more than 450 complaints about “misleading claims about availability and pricing”.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said that after the news of Oasis’ return it was depressing to see vastly inflated prices excluding ordinary fans from having a chance of enjoying their favourite band live.
“This government is committed to putting fans back at the heart of music,” said Nandy. “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.
“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.”
The Government’s ticketing consultation is expected to take place in Autumn with a particular focus on secondary ticketing, it follows Labour’s pledge to tackle ticket touting in its election manifesto.
Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino, whose company owns Ticketmaster, has said that dynamic pricing is a “great growth opportunity” and it plans to roll out the pricing model worldwide.
Oasis reunion tour ticket re-sale partner Twickets has also come under fire from consumers who complained of facing booking fees of more than £100.
Twickets has since revised its ticket fee model for the tour, capping charges at £25 per ticket. Its founder Richard Davies said, “Due to the exceptional demand for the Oasis tour in 2025, Twickets have taken the decision to lower our booking fee to 10 per cent plus a 1 percent transactional fee (to cover bank charges) for all buyers of their tickets on our platform.”