FanFair Alliance support the government investigation of ticket touting and “dynamic pricing”
Following the fallout from the recent dash to obtain tickets to the 2025 Oasis reunion shows, the FanFair Alliance (FFA) has supported the government’s pledge to enact a consultation into ticket touting and Ticketmaster’s “dynamic pricing”.
Despite the set prices for standing and seating sections being revealed by Oasis before the hotly-anticipated sales on Saturday morning, many fans found themselves falling foul of Ticketmaster’s “dynamic pricing” model and ticket touting. Due to the staggering demand, prices shot up to grossly unaffordable levels. To add insult to injury, ticket scalpers—the age-old nemesis of fans—were reselling tickets for exorbitant prices. Ironically, this is the very issue Ticketmaster claims to combat with their “dynamic pricing” model. As a result, many fans were priced out and prevented from fulfilling their dream of seeing the Gallagher brothers and Oasis live.
Following such a widespread fallout, complaints about the efficacy of Ticketmaster’s website also arose, and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy robustly commented on the matter. She said she seeks to end “rip-off resales” for good and ensure gig tickets are sold at “fair prices”. Nandy also called it “depressing to see vastly inflated prices excluding ordinary fans” from gigs.
The government had already announced an autumn consultation into ticket touting websites before the weekend’s debacle, but after this high-profile furore due to high resale prices for Oasis tickets and “dynamic pricing”, they have now confirmed it will be investigating both matters. Nandy revealed that ministers would explore “issues around the transparency and use of dynamic pricing, including the technology around queuing systems which incentivise it”.
FanFair Alliance, the UK campaign against industrial-scale online ticket touting, has welcomed Nandy’s comments. Campaign manager Adam Webb says in a statement: “It’s really welcome news to see the Government announce an extension of their consultation into ticket resale and that they’ll now also be looking at areas including dynamic pricing, technology and queuing systems.”
Adding: “FanFair Alliance is focused on preventing ticket touting and ensuring fans are not ripped off by unscrupulous traders operating on unauthorised resale websites. However, the lack of transparency in live music overall is increasingly problematic. This is an opportune moment to look at the market overall.”
Although it formed in 2016, FanFair Alliance relaunched in September 2023 around a simple three-point plan which they believe would end large-scale touting. This centres around legislative action, technological action and industry action. Their proposed measures are backed by a large cross-section of the music industry, including prominent bodies such as the Music Venues Trust and Featured Artist Coalition.
Webb also provided Far Out with more insight into the issues surrounding touting and dynamic pricing. He explained that while most people know about Twickets and Ticketmaster’s resale, “All of the big primary companies offer resale for the price you paid or less”.
“Quite a lot of sites are all doing the right thing,” he clarifies, but it’s just that the marketing isn’t up to scratch. “It’s not always evident when you’re buying a ticket that you can also resell it,” Webb notes. “Ironically, I think that’s something Oasis did brilliantly. The actual terms of the rules around the shows are really clear.”
“It’s incumbent that the actual industry makes communication really clear,” he adds, stating that in addition to the essential need for removing up touting for good, addressing other issues such as “dynamic pricing” would also improve fans’ general state of play.
Webb explains: “Ticket touting is really fundamental. Clearing that up is really important. It’s such a barrier to progress with so many things. It’s a direct rip-off. Half the touts are based overseas. You can’t trust what’s on the sites; they’re not guaranteed. It’s just parasitical.”
Webb maintains that ticket pricing has always been an issue. It is so controversial that it was one of the reasons The Rolling Stones organised the doomed Altamont Free Concert in 1969 and even played a part in the first wave of punk coalescing. However, dynamic pricing adds another layer to an already complex issue.
Webb explains: “Obviously, dynamic pricing is a thing, and some people might find it acceptable in some markets and not in others. I suppose there’s a choice around it. But, if you’re not telling people in advance, then that’s the big failing. It’s transparency. There are some complications with market structures and things like that, but I think that’s the fundamental issue.”
Regarding ticket touting, the FFA’s central subject, Webb states that some acts, such as Fontaines D.C. try to protect their fans by imposing anti-touting measures. On See Tickets, the rules are front and centre and presented clearly to consumers. However, it is simply not as explicit on others, such as Ticketmaster.
“Can we not just standardise this and make it really clear?” Webb asks. “Instead, a lot of the terminology is all quite complex industry jargon, not fan terminology, and that’s just for ticket resale. It’s things like, ‘These tickets are at market-based prices.’ Well, what does that mean? What market? Is that algorithmically driven? What is that? In a healthy market, you do question things, and say, ‘What does that mean?’ Presumably that means prices go down as well as up. But, it’s good to have more transparency.”
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