After the disappointment of Oasis fans this weekend, faced with the soaring ticket prices for their concerts, the British Minister of Culture promises to look into the problem and put “the fans back at the heart of music”.
In the UK, the new Labour government’s Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, has promised to look into the issue of “dynamic pricing” after the stormy sale of Oasis tickets.
After disbelief, joy, and then excitement, the reunion of the group Oasis has given way, for many fans, to intense disappointment.
Not only were there technical glitches when tickets for the 17 dates of their reunion tour went on sale on Saturday, but many fans were also unpleasantly surprised to discover when they accessed the ticket purchase page, often after waiting several hours, that the price had almost doubled due to high “demand.”
“That feeling when you queue for four hours only to find out that the ticket price has gone from £148 to… £355??? Because they’re in high ‘demand’. How is that not illegal?” one user on X protested.
“A fairer system”
Speaking over the weekend, according to Skynews, which relayed her words, the Minister of Culture explained that the government would soon review the dynamic pricing system, which allows such inflation:
“After the incredible news of Oasis’ return, it’s depressing to see that outrageously high prices are preventing ordinary fans from having a chance to see their favourite band in concert,” she said.
“That is why we will include issues relating to transparency and the use of dynamic pricing, including the queuing system technology that encourages it, in our upcoming consultation on consumer protections for ticket resale.
“By working with artists, the industry and fans, we can create a fairer system that ends the scourge of touts and fraudulent resales, and guarantees tickets at fair prices,” added the minister, who intends to put “fans back at the heart of music”.
Also in force in the United States, but not in France, this pricing system consisting of adjusting prices upwards when demand is high, has been the subject of strong criticism across the Atlantic. In 2022, several fans of Taylor Swift or Bruce Springsteen found themselves faced with concert tickets sold for nearly $50,000 due to high demand.
Historical announcement
Oasis will perform in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh and Dublin and have added three dates to the 14 originally scheduled, representing nearly 1.4 million tickets, according to the BBC. A boon for hotels and pubs.
For this tour, which promises to be historic, the most affordable tickets had initially been announced at around 75 pounds (89 euros) for a seat in London, Edinburgh and Cardiff and 150 pounds (178 euros) in the pit.
The return of the duo, formed in Manchester in 1991 and which split in 2009 after yet another altercation at the Parisian Rock en Seine festival, was announced on Tuesday.
The reconciliation of the Gallagher brothers, who attacked each other on social media and in interviews for 15 years, does not come after “a big revelation” but “a gradual realization that this is the right time,” they explained.
It comes thirty years after the album Definitely Maybereleased on August 29, 1994, which launched Oasis with Liam as vocalist and Noel as guitarist and composer.
