Lisa Nandy Criticizes ‘Depressing’ Oasis Ticket Sale, Calls for Surge Pricing Probe

Lisa Nandy has expressed her dismay over the inflated prices of Oasis tickets, describing the situation as “incredibly depressing.” She also revealed that surge pricing will be a subject of a government review concerning the ticket resale market.

Before Oasis fans faced ticket price hikes from £148 to £355 on Ticketmaster, the government had pledged to introduce protections to prevent fans from being exploited by ticket touts.

Reacting to the controversy, the culture secretary noted, “After the incredible news of Oasis’ return, it’s depressing to see vastly inflated prices excluding ordinary fans from enjoying their favorite band live.”

Ms. Nandy affirmed the government’s commitment to prioritizing fans in the music industry. “So we will include issues around the transparency and use of dynamic pricing, including the technology around queuing systems which incentivize it, in our forthcoming consultation on consumer protections for ticket resales,” she promised.

She further stated, “Working with artists, industry, and fans, we can create a fairer system that ends the scourge of touts, rip-off resales, and ensures tickets at fair prices.”

Ticketmaster received numerous complaints after Oasis fans spent an entire day attempting to secure reunion tour tickets, only to be confronted with significantly higher prices.

The dynamic or surge pricing policy adjusts prices based on demand, mirroring what scalpers would resell them for, and keeping the money in-house for the seller and artist. This practice is permitted under consumer protection laws.

Government minister Lucy Powell was among those affected by dynamic pricing, eventually paying more than double the original cost for an Oasis show ticket.

Fans labeled the “in-demand” pricing as both “sickening” and “scandalous.”

Ticketmaster has stated that it does not set ticket prices. According to its website, the “event organiser” is responsible for pricing tickets based on their market value.

Many fans missed out on reunion tour tickets due to website issues and being flagged as bots, before Oasis announced all 17 shows had sold out.

Ticketmaster insisted its website had not crashed and advised customers to clear cookies and use only one browser tab.

House of Commons leader and Lord President of the Council Lucy Powell disclosed that she ended up buying two tickets for £350 each for Heaton Park in July, originally quoted at £148.50, not including a booking fee of £2.75.

She told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Eventually (I) got through and bought a couple of tickets for more than I was expecting to pay.”

Ms. Powell admitted she does not “particularly like” surge pricing, adding, “It is the market and how it operates.”

“You’ve absolutely got to be transparent about that so when people arrive after hours of waiting, they understand that the ticket is going to cost more,” she emphasized.

The ticket prices for Oasis gigs are believed to be set by promoters.

Promoters SJM Concerts, Irish MCD, and Scottish DF Concerts & Events have been approached for comment.

Brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher confirmed their reunion, ending a more than decade-long acrimonious split.

Concerns have also been raised about non-official sellers like Viagogo, which listed a seat at Wembley on July 25 for £5,289 on Sunday.

Viagogo has defended the practice, stating that fans sell tickets on their platform and that resale is entirely legal in the UK.

Oasis advised fans to use Ticketmaster and Twickets for resales at “face value,” warning that tickets sold otherwise would be “cancelled by the promoters.”

The band has also been contacted for comment.

Source: PA Wire, BBC Radio 5 Live