Ticketmaster is being forced to change how it advertises tickets after the dramatic Oasis dynamic pricing backlash.
The Competition and Markets Authority in the UK has said the company will now have to tell fans 24 hours in advance if a tiered pricing system is being used, as it was for Oasis tickets.
Ticketmaster will not also have to give UK customers more information about ticket prices during online queues.
The authority said Ticketmaster “may have misled Oasis fans” with unclear pricing.
Newstalk’s Tech Correspondent Jess Kelly said it is important to note that these changes only relate to the UK.
“The first thing to note is that the CMA, the Competition and Markets Authority, didn't find evidence that Ticketmaster used dynamic pricing in real time,” she told Lunchtime Live.
“So, that means that when I went on to buy my ticket, if I was in the UK, what I was seeing was not being altered in real time based on the demand.
“What in fact was there is what's tiered pricing, so that's different.”
The Ticketmaster UK site shows hundreds of thousands of people in the online queue as Oasis reunion tour tickets go on sale. Image: Vuk Valcic / Alamy Stock PhotoJess explained that tiered pricing is where tickets for a concert or gig are divided into different sections, and tickets increase in price depending on proximity to the stage, if ticket holders will be standing or sitting, etc.
Dynamic pricing, meanwhile, is when prices are artificially inflated due to demand.
“The next thing is Ticketmaster has said that they voluntarily committed to clear communication about ticket prices and queues,” Jess said.
“They are also going to continue with their capped resale value, the strong bot protection and clear pricing displays.
“So, going forward, if and when an Oasis concert comes around again or something like that, you will get clear information as to how much you're expected to pay, what you get for your ticket, for your price."
Dynamic pricing
However, entertainment.ie TV critic Brian Lloyd said there’s not much use in these measures if dynamic pricing is here to stay.
“It has no benefit to anyone other than Ticketmaster,” he said.
“As far as I'm aware, and I'm prepared to be corrected on this, you know, the music artists themselves don't generally tend to see any of that money when it comes to dynamic pricing in the US.
“I don't think they actually get it.”
Mr Lloyd said dynamic pricing is bad both for customers and performers alike.
Main image: Fans gather outside Temple Bar as supporters and concertgoers make their way to Croke Park stadium for the first of two sold out concerts in Ireland. Credit: Liam Murphy/Alamy Live News. 16 August 2025
