'Deeply depressing': Ministers announce surge pricing review following Oasis ticket backlash
The culture secretary said it is 'clearly a problem' that fans were unaware when they joined ticket queues that dynamic pricing was in use, as ITV News' Ellie Pitt reports
Oasis and Ticketmaster are facing a huge backlash after fans were forced to fork out more than double the cost of a ticket to see the rock band's reunion.
Fans called the “in-demand” pricing on Saturday for the band’s passes “sickening” and “scandalous” following standard tickets more than doubling from £148 to £355 on Ticketmaster.
The government announced it would review surge pricing as part of an upcoming consultation on consumer protections for ticket resales.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy pledged to “bring in protections to stop people being ripped off by touts” and said she's "determined to improve the transparency" of the ticketing system as whole.
She told ITV News: "It's deeply depressing to have had this incredible moment where so many people - especially of my age - were incredibly excited that this event of a lifetime they thought may never happen, was happening... to queue for hours, only for many to find out when they got to the front of that queue that they couldn't afford the tickets on offer.
"We think as a government there's an overhaul needed of the regulations around ticketing."
As part of its consultation, she pledged to look at dynamic pricing - when prices are adjusted based on demand - and said it was "clearly a problem" that Oasis fans didn't know that model was in place when joining the queue.
"It's dragged on for years and years this issue of fans being ripped off by the system that doesn't put them at the centre," added Nandy.
Ticketmaster said it does not set prices, and shared a link to its website where it says costs can be “fixed or market-based”.
Unscripted is ITV News' arts and entertainment podcast, brought to you by ITV News Arts Editor Nina Nannar. In each episode, Nina speaks to a leading name from the world of arts and entertainment.
Neither Liam nor Noel Gallagher have commented on the outrage after they were accused of taking advantage of fans' desperation.
All UK and Ireland dates sold out in less than a day.
An explanation by the website about the “in-demand standing ticket” price says: “The event organiser has priced these tickets according to their market value.”
House of Commons leader and Lord President of the Council Lucy Powell said she ended up buying two tickets for £350 each for Heaton Park in July, which were originally quoted at £148.50, not including a booking fee of £2.75.
The Manchester Central MP 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 said she does not “particularly like” surge pricing, before adding: “It is the market and how it operates.”
“You’ve absolutely got to be transparent about that so that when people arrive after hours of waiting, they understand that the ticket is going to cost more,” she also said.
A government spokeswoman said in a statement: “Everyone deserves a fair chance to see their favourite artists live, that is why vendors are required by law to be transparent about their ticket prices.
“We want to go further to put fans back at the heart of music, and will bring in protections to stop people being ripped off by touts.”
The Britpop band is are scheduled to play 17 gigs - their first shows for 15 years - in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh and Dublin starting July 4.
Some lucky fans managed to buy tickets through a presale on Friday. Within hours, tickets appeared on resale websites for as much as £6,000, causing Oasis to issue a warning.
The band told fans to buy tickets from the official websites.
A statement from their official X account read: “Please note, Oasis Live ‘25 tickets can only be resold at face value via @Ticketmaster and @Twickets! Tickets appearing on other secondary ticketing sites are either counterfeit or will be cancelled by the promoters.”
On Friday evening, Oasis tickets for Wembley Stadium were listed on Viagogo for up to £5,909 while some tickets at the London venue, listed under “Hospitality Club” were on sale for £10,578 on StubHub.
Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning
The StubHub website says all Oasis tickets “come with our FanProtect 100% guarantee for secure purchasing.”
Ticket reseller Viagogo has defended having Oasis tickets on sale for inflated prices on its platform as a “legal” practice.
Cris Miller, Viagogo global managing director, said: “Resale is legal in the UK and fans are always protected by our guarantee that they will receive their tickets in time for the event or their money back.”
He added that this is a "dream event" anticipated by millions worldwide, and urged fans using secondary marketplaces to continue to check prices outside of the first few weeks of sale.
“Demand will be at its peak when tickets hit the on-sale but it’s not a normal reflection of what tickets can and will go for," he said. "Just this summer tickets for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in the UK sold on our platform for as low as £80."
Lisa Webb, consumer law expert at Which?, said: “We’d strongly advise against buying any of the resale tickets currently popping up online at inflated prices.
“Not only is there a chance that some of these listings could be scam attempts, but even legitimate tickets could be cancelled, rendering them invalid, if they are sold outside of the official resale platforms or at above face value.”
Oasis tour 2025: How to improve your chances of getting tickets and avoid scams
On Friday evening the band asked fans whether they were “ready” for the sale and said it is “essential” to be logged into the “relevant ticketing agencies ahead of the general sale.”
Prices for a seat to watch the band at London’s Wembley Stadium begin at £74.25, with the most expensive ticket a £506.25 pre-show party, exhibition and seated package.
The cheapest seats are Cardiff’s Principality Stadium shows, which will set you back £73, and Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium at £74, according to Manchester-based promoter SJM Concerts, which runs the website Gigs And Tours.
Standing tickets at Wembley will cost fans £151.25, with the same tickets in Cardiff and Edinburgh slightly cheaper at £150 and £151 respectively.
In the band’s home city of Manchester, tickets start from £148.50, with only standing available alongside a number of hospitality and luxury packages.
Before the announcement for the UK shows, Irish promoter MCD said on its website that the price of both of the two Croke Park gigs in Dublin will start at 86.50 euros (£72.75) without booking fees.