For many music lovers, the unthinkable happened on July 4, 2025. Brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher reunited under the Oasis banner after an often contentious 16-year hiatus. Taking the stage at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, Liam Gallagher joked, “Was it worth the 40,000 pounds you paid for the ticket?” The lead singer, 53, was referencing the Ticketmaster debacle, which saw fans spend hours in the queue only to leave empty-handed. For the U.K. government, this was no laughing matter, and now the entertainment industry’s premier ticketing service provider must change its advertising practices.
Videos by American Songwriter
Ticketmaster isn't fit for purpose. Eight hours queuing, numerous times in the checkout, been suspected as bot, session suspended, website crashed as placing order, put to back of queue many times, price jumps of over 300% how does this shitty website have a monopoly?! #Oasis pic.twitter.com/s0LxvWQFfP
— Vit (@vitt2tsnoc) August 31, 2024
Ticketmaster Has Agreed to Do Away With Certain Practices
Fans flocked to Ticketmaster en masse last summer when the Gallagher brothers officially confirmed an Oasis reunion. Many had come to terms with paying the advertised ticketing price of nearly 150 pounds. However, those numbers had soared by nearly 200 pounds in some cases when fans reached the front of the online queue.
Following a year-long investigation, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority announced Thursday (Sept. 25) that the ticketing giant must provide more pricing information upfront.
Ticketmaster must “make sure fans have the information they need when they spend their hard-earned cash to see the artists they love. Ticketmaster will make it clear to fans what they will get for their money and give more information about different prices.”
The Oasis reunion fiasco sparked outrage and allegations that Ticketmaster was relying on “dynamic pricing,” a contentious model that adjusts the cost of a product in respond to demand. The CMA said that it had “not found evidence” to support this theory. However, it did find that Ticketmaster had used “tiered” pricing, where the same or similar tickets sell for significantly different prices.
So What’s Changing?
Now, the company must tell fans 24 hours in advance if it is planning to use tiered pricing, as well as which tickets it applies to and how it works. Once people are in the queue, Ticketmaster must provide the price range for tickets and update the range as tickets sell out. It must also not use any “misleading” labels that give the impression that one ticket is better than another, according to the Guardian.
“Fans who spend their hard-earned money to see artists they love deserve to see clear, accurate information, upfront,” CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell said. She added that the agency “won’t hesitate to take further action” if Ticketmaster does not uphold its end of the bargain.
Featured image by Rich Polk/Variety via Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.