The Oasis Reunion was quick to cause buzz across the UK, but with tickets advertised as £150, then upped to £350 during the sales period, as a result of the deeply unpopular ‘dynamic pricing’ system, it’s no surprise outrage was sparked amongst loyal fans. The iconic influence of Oasis on ‘Britpop’ culture and fashion is undoubtable, but have they damaged their credibility with inaccessible and unfair ticket pricing?
Being at university in Manchester, a city with a rich music scene and history, a reunion as unexpected and iconic as Oasis has brought about a great deal of excitement and nostalgia. Yet, controversy and scepticism around dynamic pricing have overshadowed Oasis’s return to stage. This disturbance has not only given rise to disappointment but raises greater questions about the changing culture of concerts and gigs in an increasingly technological world.
Due to the fact I was born in 2004, I cannot claim any legitimate ‘90s nostalgia’ – however, being told by my parents or older music fans that they’ve seen celebrated bands for less than £5 at their Student Union makes me extremely envious. At the risk of sounding archaic – what has happened to ticket prices and platforms? And will anything be done to change this?
The dynamic pricing used by Oasis involves ticket prices inflating in response to supply and demand. Whilst dynamic pricing is legal in the UK consumer protection law means that traders are not allowed to mislead customers on prices or omit important pricing information. This becomes important when we consider who is to blame, if anyone, in the controversy surrounding the Oasis reunion.
Although Oasis’s name is on the tickets, highlighting a clear partial responsibility – there could be a broader problem with Ticketmaster itself. Oasis claimed they had no awareness of how ticket pricing would be carried out, arguing this was left up to management. Yet, for a such a famous bands’ reunion that elicited nation-wide reactions, there should’ve been better preparation for the competitiveness of ticket buying.
Regardless of dynamic pricing, more thought should’ve been put into the process and better communication with Ticketmaster sustained, to ensure smooth ticket purchases and clear price advertising. Ticketmaster has equally deflected blame, maintaining they do not set concert prices but the ‘event organiser’ does.
The main issue with this ‘blame game’ on both sides is a lack of accountability and compensation for customers; who were either stuck in a frozen queue or reached checkout and had to decide between giving up or buying tickets for more than twice the advertised price. Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing fuels inaccessibility, and this is particularly troubling when we consider that the aim of music is to bring people together.
Importantly, an investigation has been launched into Ticketmaster on the issue of dynamic pricing and will assess law breaches. However, there remains a great deal of discontent and a general feeling that not enough has been done from Oasis. Oasis have since released two more dates at Wembley, for which a special invitation only ballot will be used for tickets – not dynamic pricing.
Clearly, there has been some amendments to outraged fans – but arguably not enough. Beyond this, Oasis have decided to get rid of dynamic pricing for the North American leg of their tour, hoping to avoid any more backlash. Still, this has been interrogated, with some suggesting dynamic prices have simply been dropped because of federal laws.
This is particularly pressing in the Canadian context, given that in 2019 Canada’s Competition Bureau fined Ticketmaster $4.5 million for inefficiently disclosing additional fees to customers. Since then, “Ticketmaster has been required to display the face value price along with all associated fees in Canada, called all-in pricing”.
Laws around ticket pricing in the US, much like the UK, do have regulations. However, these are not on par with the strictness of Canadian laws. In this sense, we can appreciate that the scrapping of dynamic pricing for North American dates could show a sense of responsibility and conscience from Oasis.
Adding to the controversy, Ticketmaster has now cancelled 50,000 Oasis tickets on the count that they violated purchase terms – these tickets will be re-released and appropriately sold. Whilst of course this provides an opportunity to people who could not get tickets originally, it is yet to be specified whether these will be subject to dynamic pricing.
Additionally, this cancellation is admirable if it ensures tickets bought by bots can go to fans, but it entails risk, with concerns already rising about erroneous cancellations. It further points out ironic pitfalls in dynamic pricing – since dynamic pricing is intended to reduce ticket resales and deter bots.
Clearly, there seems to be a much wider issue – not specific to the Oasis reunion – with Ticketmaster. This becomes important in the context of other concerts, with dynamic pricing used for Harry Styles, Bruce Springsteen and Coldplay.
Ultimately, a wider issue of inaccessibility seems to be at play, and we must adapt accordingly to ensure the music industry retains integrity and accessibility in an era of rapid technology.
