The British government has announced plans to investigate surge pricing after Oasis fans encountered significant ticket price increases for the Britpop band's reunion. Fans expressed frustration on Saturday when sales websites experienced crashes. However, many fans who managed to reach the front of the online queue hours after sales commenced were also disappointed to discover that standard tickets had more than doubled in price.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy described the inflated prices as "depressing" on Sunday, stating that the practice would be reviewed as part of the government's consultation on consumer protections in ticket sales and resales. "We will include issues around the transparency and use of dynamic pricing, including the technology around queuing systems which incentivise it," Nandy said.
On Ticketmaster, one of the official Oasis sales websites, standing tickets originally priced at around £150 ($197) were being sold for over £350 as "in demand standing tickets". The company explained that artists decide whether or not to implement this practice, where ticket prices fluctuate based on demand. Dynamic pricing is commonly used by airlines and is increasingly prevalent in concert ticket sales.
However, with a limited supply of tickets and high demand for the Oasis reunion tour, fans criticized the practice as "greedy", "disgusting", and a "rip off". One justification for dynamic pricing is to prevent touts from purchasing and reselling tickets at higher prices. Oasis had previously cautioned that "tickets sold in breach of the terms and conditions will be cancelled" after some pre-sale tickets bought on Friday appeared on resale sites at exorbitant prices, some reaching as high as £6,000.
In Ireland, where reselling tickets above face value is illegal, Deputy Prime Minister Michael Martin condemned the "price gouging" as some tickets were sold for over 400 euros due to surge pricing. Oasis, known for hits like 'Wonderwall', 'Don't Look Back In Anger', and 'Champagne Supernova', are set to perform 17 dates in the UK and Ireland, 15 years after the last performance of warring brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher.
