After the chaotic sale of Oasis concert tickets, “dynamic pricing” is being criticized

This practice, which consists of adjusting the sale price in real time according to demand, is driving the price of concert tickets to new heights.

The British government will look into themethods of selling concert tickets, and in particular on the practice of “dynamic pricing”. This practice led to a surge in ticket prices for the return tour of the group Oasis this weekend, to the great displeasure of fans.

The iconic Britpop band announced last week that they would be reforming for a series of concerts in the UK and Ireland in summer 2025, sparking huge excitement 15 years after Oasis’ noisy split backstage at Paris’ Rock en Seine festival.

But on Saturday, after often waiting for hours on ticket sales platforms, including the giant Ticketmaster UK, many fans were unpleasantly surprised to be offered tickets much more expensive than the prices announced before they went on sale. Some tickets initially listed at around £150 (€178) were offered at more than £350 (€415).

Faced with the outcry, British Culture Minister Lisa Nandy promised on Sunday evening that the government would examine this practice known as dynamic pricing, which is widely used for the purchase of airline tickets, for example, and is developing in the music industry.

This practice consists of adjusting the sales price in real time to consumer demand: the stronger the demand for a given product, the more the price increases.

The minister judged “deeply depressing to see grossly inflated prices, which deprive ordinary fans of any chance of enjoying their favourite band live“She said she wanted to work towards setting up a system”fairer“.

The government will include the “topics of transparency and use of dynamic pricing” during a planned consultation on consumer protection, she promised.

Accused of being responsible, Ticketmaster UK defended itself on Saturday by claiming that “the organizer” of the tour, namely the promoters and the artists, had chosen to fix the prices of the tickets “depending on their market value“, thus validating the application of dynamic pricing.

Before Oasis, there was already controversy surrounding the sale of tickets by Ticketmaster for the 2023 tour of American singer Bruce Springsteen in the United States. Due to dynamic pricing, some tickets were sold for several thousand dollars.