Expert comment Last updated 03 September 2024
A Senior Lecturer in Music Industries and Radio at 探花直播 (BCU) is calling on artists and bands to stop opting-in to 鈥榙ynamic pricing鈥� with ticketing agencies.
It comes as Oasis reunion tour ticket prices jumped to hundreds of pounds, despite .
鈥淲ell, it was bound to happen, and it rings true that you can鈥檛 please all the people all the time!鈥� said Dr Matt Grimes, Course Director for BA (Hons) Music Business at BCU. 鈥淗undreds of Oasis fans faced long queues, limited tickets and were then stung by 鈥榙ynamic pricing鈥�, when the band鈥檚 reunion tour went on sale over the weekend.
"Dynamic pricing is not a new phenomenon and is grounded in supply and demand, of which there was plenty. It鈥檚 an opt-in system for promoters and/or artists with ticketing agencies such as Ticketmaster.
"Many artists, such as Taylor Swift and Robert Smith from The Cure, have criticised dynamic pricing and refuse to use it, in some cases even arranging partial refunds due to fees from Ticketmaster.鈥�
鈥淭his also raises the issue of ticket reselling and touts. Even before the general release on Saturday, it was alleged that tickets were going on sale online for up to 拢6,000. As a response to the extortionate resale price, the Gallagher brothers issued a statement that tickets could only be bought and resold through official ticket agents, otherwise they would be cancelled.
鈥淏ut Ticketmaster themselves have been known to resell tickets at higher prices, an almost 鈥榣egally approved鈥� version of the once notorious ticket touting.
鈥淚t鈥檚 no wonder that the Culture Secretary has demanded an investigation into these practices that seem to exclude 鈥榦rdinary fans鈥� from accessing tickets.鈥�