Ticketmaster has been threatened with legal action by the U.K.’s competition watchdog over its ticket sale for the highly anticipated Oasis reunion tour, arguing that the company misled fans, many of whom bought tickets for hundreds of dollars over face value.
The release of tickets in August 2024 was met with unprecedented demand. More than 1.4 million tickets were reported to have been sold for the U.K. and Ireland leg of the tour, with over 14 million people attempting to purchase them. However, the sale was marred by lengthy delays, and in March, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published concerns that Ticketmaster may have misled fans, some of whom paid more than £350 ($477) for tickets with a face value of £150 ($204).
The CMA says that while it did not find evidence of Ticketmaster’s so-called “dynamic” pricing model being used — a system that prices tickets according to demand — it argues fans were not sufficiently informed about ticket prices during the process. Ticketmaster, which had denied the use of dynamic pricing, responded by saying that it had made changes to “some aspects” of its sale process — but the CMA said those changes were not sufficient to address concerns.
In light of this, on Wednesday (July 2), a letter published by the CMA — addressed to the business and trade select committee, which has been investigating ticket pricing, competition and consumer protection — said legal action was now an option. “Having carefully considered Ticketmaster’s response, the CMA’s view is that there is a fundamental disagreement … about whether Ticketmaster’s practices infringed consumer law,” the letter reads.
“Ticketmaster has declined to provide undertakings in the terms sought by the CMA or indicate whether there is a form of undertakings which it would be prepared to offer,” the letter continued, adding that it had earmarked the sale of more than 900,000 tickets as being under investigation.
The CMA says that it is concerned about the “platinum” tier of tickets, which could cost up to 2.5 times the price of standard equivalent tickets, but did not offer any additional benefits — and were often located in the same area of the stadium as standard tickets. Fans reported long wait times for tickets and a short amount of time to decide whether to purchase them at a price higher than expected.
“The CMA has written to Ticketmaster to confirm that it has now discharged its obligation to consult with Ticketmaster and, given that no undertakings have been offered or agreed, is now preparing to litigate the matter if necessary,” the letter continued. “The CMA will, in parallel, continue to engage with Ticketmaster in an effort to secure a voluntary resolution, should it indicate a clear and timely commitment to do so.”
Billboard U.K. has reached out to Ticketmaster for comment.
The Oasis tour will kick off Friday (July 4) at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, and run for 41 dates, 19 of which are slated for the U.K. and Ireland. It will mark the first time brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher have performed together as Oasis since 2009.
