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UK’s CMA launches investigation into Ticketmaster

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a formal investigation into Ticketmaster following the ticketing controversy surrounding the Oasis reunion shows.

The investigation will assess whether Ticketmaster engaged in ‘unfair commercial practices’ prohibited by UK consumer protection law.

The regulator will also look into whether fans were given ‘clear and timely’ information to explain that the tickets could be subject to dynamic pricing, how this would operate and the price they would pay for any tickets.

It also says it want to understand if people were put under pressure to buy tickets within a short period of time at a price higher than they thought they would have to pay.

The CMA says it will engage with Ticketmaster and gather evidence from various sources, which could include the band’s management and promoters, and that “It should not be assumed that Ticketmaster has broken consumer protection law.”

A Ticketmaster spokesperson said: “We are committed to cooperating with the CMA and look forward to sharing more facts about the ticket sale with them.”

CMA is also inviting fans to submit evidence of their experiences of the purchase process, including calling for the submission of screenshots taken by fans.

“It’s clear that many people felt they had a bad experience and were surprised by the price of their tickets at check-out”

Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, said: “It’s important that fans are treated fairly when they buy tickets, which is why we’ve launched this investigation. It’s clear that many people felt they had a bad experience and were surprised by the price of their tickets at check-out. We want to hear from fans who went through the process and may have encountered issues so that we can investigate whether existing consumer protection law has been breached.

“The CMA also welcomes the government’s recent announcement that it will consult on measures to provide stronger protections to consumers in the ticketing sector, wherever they buy their tickets.”

The announcement comes on the same day that a letter from the CMA to UK Government ministers has been published, setting out its views on the secondary ticketing market. In the letter, the CMA reiterates its previous position that issues relating to secondary ticketing cannot be ‘tackled effectively by the CMA using its existing toolkit’. The regulator welcomed the Government’s upcoming consultation on additional consumer protections in the secondary ticketing market, saying it wanted the best outcome ‘for fans and fair-playing businesses’.

In addition to the views on the secondary market, the letter also noted the concerns raised by the ‘primary market sale of Oasis tickets’ and outlined the actions the CMA is taking.

The letter adds: “Dynamic pricing is used across a range of sectors; it may be facilitated by the development of AI and other digital tools; and, in certain contexts, it can affect consumers’ trust in markets, and their ability to get good deals. Reflecting this, we are exploring any broader competition and consumer issues raised by dynamic pricing, and we look forward to engaging with your officials as our thinking in this area develops.”

 

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Oasis announce extra Wembley Stadium dates

Oasis have added two further concerts at Wembley Stadium amid the ticketing controversy over their sold out UK reunion tour.

In addition to their 17 previously confirmed July/August dates across the UK and Ireland, the Gallagher brothers will now play the London venue on 27-28 September 2025 due to “unprecedented” demand.

According to the band’s team, the Oasis Live ‘25 Tour was the biggest concert launch ever seen in UKI, with more than 10 million fans from 158 countries attempting to buy tickets for the group’s first shows since 2009. The European exclusive dates are being promoted by SJM Concerts, Live Nation, DF Concerts and MCD Productions.

In an effort to “make amends” for the frustrations experienced by many fans, a special invitation-only ticket ballot has been devised for the two shows, with applications open first to those who were unsuccessful in the initial on sale with Ticketmaster.

“Inevitably, interest in this tour is so overwhelming that it’s impossible to schedule enough shows to fulfil public demand,” says a statement. “But this ticket sale strategy will make the process far smoother for fans by reducing the stress and time it takes to obtain one of the hottest tickets of our time.”

The group have also issued their first public response to the dynamic ticket pricing row that erupted in the wake of Saturday’s onsale, saying they were unaware the system would be employed for the shows. There was widespread media coverage of fan anger after ticket buyers were offered tickets for more than twice the advertised face value after queuing for several hours.

“Oasis leave decisions on ticketing and pricing entirely to their promoters and management, and at no time had any awareness that dynamic pricing was going to be used”

“It needs to be made clear that Oasis leave decisions on ticketing and pricing entirely to their promoters and management, and at no time had any awareness that dynamic pricing was going to be used,” adds the statement. “While prior meetings between promoters, Ticketmaster and the band’s management resulted in a positive ticket sale strategy, which would be a fair experience for fans, including dynamic ticketing to help keep general ticket prices down as well as reduce touting, the execution of the plan failed to meet expectations.

“All parties involved did their utmost to deliver the best possible fan experience, but due to the unprecedented demand this became impossible to achieve.”

The controversy prompted the UK government to announce it will be investigating dynamic pricing for concert tickets as part of its consultation into the resale market in the autumn, with the Guardian reporting the European Commission is also set to examine Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing model following the fallout.

Prime minister Keir Starmer commented on the row during today’s Prime Minister’s Questions.

“It’s great that Oasis are back together,” said the Labour leader. “But it is depressing to hear of price hikes. I’m committed to putting fans at the heart of music and end extortionate price resales and we’re starting a consultation to work out how best we can do this.”

 

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Oasis onsale prompts investigation into dynamic pricing

The UK Government has announced it will be investigating dynamic ticket pricing for concert tickets, following a weekend of controversy over the blockbuster Oasis reunion shows.

There has been widespread media coverage of fan anger after ticket buyers who had queued for several hours were offered tickets for more than twice the advertised face value. 

The new UK Government was due to launch a consultation into the secondary ticketing market in the Autumn, with widespread expectation that there would be proposals to limit resale to a little over face value. Now it has responded to the Oasis controversy by saying that it would be adding the use of dynamic pricing into the consultation.

In a statement to IQ, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy MP said: “After the incredible news of Oasis’ return, it’s depressing to see vastly inflated prices excluding ordinary fans from having a chance of enjoying their favourite band live.

“Working with artists, industry and fans we can create a fairer system that ends the scourge of touts, rip-off resales and ensures tickets at fair prices.”

“This Government is committed to putting fans back at the heart of music. So we will include issues around the transparency and use of dynamic pricing, including the technology around queuing systems which incentivise it, in our forthcoming consultation on consumer protections for ticket resales.

“Working with artists, industry and fans we can create a fairer system that ends the scourge of touts, rip-off resales and ensures tickets at fair prices.”

On Saturday more than 10 million people reportedly tried to access tickets to the first Oasis shows in more than 15 years, taking place next summer in Dublin, Edinburgh, Manchester, Cardiff and London. 

By the end of Saturday, all of the shows had sold out with reports emerging about the deployment of ‘in demand’ pricing with customers being given a very short period of time to decide if they wanted the higher priced tickets.

In Ireland, the Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) said the prices were “shocking” and involved “a kind of runaway inflation”.

Mr Martin told RTÉ on Sunday there was still time for “redemption” from the organisers.

“There are a lot, a lot of disappointed people out there from the perspective of what they would see as price gouging,” he added.

Ticketmaster, Oasis and the tour’s promoters – Live Nation, MCD Productions, SJM Concerts and DF Concerts – have not commented on the implementation of dynamic pricing on the shows. 

However, Niels Henrik Sodemann, co-founder of Queue-it, the technology partner behind Ticketmaster’s queueing system, said the day went well from a technology perspective.

“At the end of the day, the only way all Oasis fans can be satisfied is substantially more opportunities for fans to experience them live”

“Although the public sale was on a Saturday, it was just another day in the office for us. Substantially more demand on a single customer on Saturday, but less than normal weekdays combined across our customers,” he said. 

“At the end of the day, the only way all Oasis fans can be satisfied is substantially more opportunities for fans to experience them live. In times where many artists are struggling making a living, it is great to see that some of the lighthouses can bring dreams and enthusiasm into the industry.”

While dynamic ticketing is a commonly used tool in North America, it has been less frequently used in the UK and Europe to date. The practice hit headlines in the UK earlier this month following the presale for Sabrina Carpenter’s 2025 tour when tickets were advertised for £220 or more within minutes of tickets going on sale.

The above face-value prices for Oasis tickets has also seen one of the tour’s official resale partners, Twickets, lower its service fees after fans posted screenshots of fees in excess of £100. 

Richard Davies, founder of Twickets, told IQ: “Due to the exceptional demand for the Oasis tour in 2025, Twickets have taken the decision to lower our booking fee to 10% + a 1% transactional fee (to cover bank charges) for all buyers of their tickets on our platform. In addition we have introduced a cap of £25 per ticket for these shows. Sellers of tickets already sell free of any Twickets charge.” 

The UK Government consultation on ticketing will launch in the coming months, with consumer groups now seeking to link dynamic pricing in the primary sector with secondary market activity. 

Dynamic ticketing was defended by Bruce Springsteen in November 2022 after tickets for his summer tour were advertised for $5,000 by Ticketmaster in the US. “I know it was unpopular with some fans,” he told Rolling Stone, “But if there’s any complaints on the way out, you can have your money back.”

 

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Twickets talks Oasis, Eras and future of resale

Twickets founder Richard Davies has spoken to IQ after the firm was named as the official ticket resale platform for Oasis’ 2025 UK & Ireland reunion tour.

The fan-to-fan resale site has previously partnered with both Liam and Noel Gallagher on their respective solo shows, as well as acts including Arctic Monkeys, Foo Fighters, Adele, Queen, Take That and Stormzy.

Strict anti-touting measures being put in place for the Oasis shows, with tickets permitted to be resold for no more than face value and booking fees. Davies says he is thrilled the band’s representatives Ignition Management opted to partner with Twickets on one of the most anticipated tours in British history.

“It will be the biggest tour we’ve ever worked on,” says Davies. “There’s no two ways about it; it’s fantastic, so I’m delighted and very thankful. It’s great they’ve taken the bull by the horns and made a statement about resale this early – before tickets have even gone on sale.”

On top of the initial 14 dates, Oasis have already announced an extra three shows for Manchester’s Heaton Park (16 July), London’s Wembley Stadium (30 July) and Edinburgh’s Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium (12 August), amid “phenomenal” interest in the Gallagher brothers’ first gigs together since 2009.

Ticket prices for the concerts, which go on general sale this Saturday and are being promoted by SJM Concerts, Live Nation, DF Concerts and MCD Productions, were released today. Tickets for most shows are priced £65-185 (€77-220), excluding fees, with premium options also available, while tickets for the Dublin dates start at €73.

“Generally speaking, most of our transactions and trading are done within the last week before a show”

Given the predicted demand for tickets, Davies expects to see a shift from Twickets’ usual sales pattern.

“Generally speaking, most of our transactions and trading are done within the last week before a show,” he explains. “It has always been that way really, because people’s plans change last minute and they just need to get some money back, but I think Oasis will break that rule a little bit.

“What I think will happen this weekend is that people will rush to buy tickets and then find their mates have also bought them for the same night, so they won’t need as many as they first thought. So we’ll perhaps see a bit of activity immediately and in the next week or so.”

Davies also comments on the unusual activity seen on the site relating to the recently concluded European leg of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.

“Twickets averages about 3-4% of the total primary tickets sold being listed for resale,” he says. “For some tours – for example Arctic Monkeys or Foo Fighters – we’ll get up to 5% as those artists are very conscious of ensuring fans don’t get ripped off. As a result, they make it clear to their audiences to trade at face value only.

“For Taylor Swift, well under 1% of primary tickets found their way [to Twickets], which is pretty unique. An important point here is we’ve encountered more attempted listings above face value than for any other tour since we started. In fact, they represented the majority of listings we’ve received. But obviously those were turned away, which goes a long way to explaining the low volume of trading.”

“We’ve been profitable every year since the pandemic and have grown in terms of revenue”

Founded in 2014, Twickets has received funding from management companies of artists such as One Direction, Arctic Monkeys, 5 Seconds of Summer and Royal Blood. The revenue model sees buyers pay a standard booking fee of 10-15% of the ticket price, and Davies says the firm is now firmly back on track following a sticky spell during Covid.

“The last two or three years have been fantastic,” he reports. “The pandemic came on and we thought, ‘We could be in trouble.’ Luckily, we relied on the furlough scheme but sadly had to let some people go and we got 2% of our usual revenue through the door for the year. I still don’t know to this day who the 2% were, trading tickets in a pandemic, but we got a few, so we had a tiny amount of revenue, but we survived.

“Having come through the other side, we’ve been profitable every year since and have grown in terms of revenue. Last year, we grew 60% and this year, it’s going to be more like about 40% year-on-year. We’ve benefited from the backlog of shows that have taken place since the pandemic, so that had a big impact. But generally speaking, there’s been an acceleration in terms of word of mouth.”

He continues: “We may well invest further into mainland Europe and try and increase our presence there. But for now, the international side of our business is more about supporting our UK and US partners that are on tour.”

Twickets has recently expanded into theatre, working with LW Theatres and Ambassador Theatre Group, and also launched a partnership with personal safeguarding app Help Me Angela.

“We’re looking at partnerships to spread the word about us, but also about others that we feel are doing an interesting job and a complementary job as well – one that helps our audience,” says Davies. “It was an important campaign to support and make people aware of.”

“We were very much part of that initial campaign to bring about change”

Meanwhile, Davies says he is “very confident” that the UK’s new Labour government’s pledge to introduce new consumer protections on ticket resale will be followed through.

“I’m hoping it will be in time for the Oasis tour,” he adds. “[MP] Sharon Hodgson has done an incredible job over the years in driving this campaign, as have FanFair Alliance, and they’ve really made incredible progress to ensure that Labour included a cap on resale as part of their manifesto. So I fully believe that will be actioned now. I don’t know any timings, but I’m hopeful it will be sooner rather than later.”

In conclusion, Davies is happy that Twickets has played its part in helping to effect change in the resale market.

“With FanFair Alliance, we were very much part of that initial campaign to bring about change,” he says. “I think there’s a different mindset now. Up until we came along, Viagogo, StubHub and others were saying, ‘Resale can’t work unless we allow an uplift in the ticket price. It’s just not financially viable.’ Hopefully we’ve shown that isn’t the case, and that it can be a viable proposition to cap at face value.

“We’ve had others come to the market since that are following that model as well, so hopefully we’ve had a positive impact.”

 

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Oasis unveil Twickets partnership for reunion tour

Oasis have announced a partnership with Twickets, which will serve as the official ticket resale platform for their 2025 UK reunion tour.

Demand is expected to be enormous for the band’s first concerts since splitting up in 2009, with strict anti-touting measures being put in place in a bid to ensure tickets are resold for no more than face value and booking fees.

Tickets go on general sale on Saturday (31 August) and are limited to four per household.

“Ticket resale is permitted at no more than the price you paid (face value + booking fees),” it states on the Oasis website. “Please only use the official resale partners www.twickets.live and Ticketmaster. Selling tickets through unauthorised resale platforms will breach these T&Cs and those tickets may be cancelled.”

Fan-to-fan resale site Twickets has previously partnered with both Liam and Noel Gallagher on their respective solo shows, as well as acts including Foo Fighters, Queen, Take That and Stormzy.

“We’re expecting huge demand for the Oasis tour next year, and particularly as the UK dates are nearly a year away with that comes the fact that some of those tickets purchased this Saturday might not be right for that person when the time comes around,” says Twickets founder Richard Davies.

“We often see tickets resold due to summer holidays being booked, or if groups of friends all try and get tickets, then some of those friends may want to sell and buy for dates their friends are attending. Our platform offers a way for fans to sell their tickets to other genuine fans, and avoids people having to use sites that allow inflated prices, which the artists and events companies don’t benefit from.”

Oasis have added that despite speculation, they will not be performing at Glastonbury or any other festival next year

The Gallagher brothers confirmed yesterday that they will be reuniting for a run of stadium and outdoor shows in Cardiff, Manchester, London and Edinburgh, as well as Dublin, Ireland, next summer in what will will be their only European shows of 2025. The concerts are being promoted by SJM Concerts, Live Nation, DF Concerts and MCD Productions.

Plans are underway for OASIS LIVE ’25 to go to other continents later next year. However, Oasis have added that despite speculation, they will not be performing at Glastonbury or any other festival next year.

The UK’s new Labour government has pledged to introduce new consumer protections on ticket resale and will launch a consultation in the autumn.

“We’re calling on the Labour government to use the Oasis UK tour as an opportunity to put their party manifesto plans into action,” adds Davies. “Tickets are not an ‘asset’ as such, to be traded at will, but a licence to see a show. They are generally priced at a low level to open that event up to everyone, not just to those with the deepest pockets. And so exploiting those prices just for the opportunity to profiteer is in our view wrong, and means that genuine fans often miss out.

“Labour’s policy to end inflated pricing would mean fans have more money in their pockets to attend more events with better live entertainment experiences, and they’ll also spend more on event merchandise. That’s good for the industry too.”

 

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Oasis confirm 2025 reunion tour

Following days of speculation, Oasis have confirmed they are reuniting for a 2025 UK and Ireland tour.

Liam and Noel Gallagher have announced a 14-date run of stadium and outdoor shows in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh and Dublin for next summer.

“The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised,” says a statement from the group.

Their only shows in Europe next year, the concerts are being promoted by SJM Concerts, Live Nation, DF Concerts and MCD Productions.

Tickets for the UK dates go on sale from 9am this Saturday 31 August, with Dublin tickets available from 8am that same day. Plans are underway also for OASIS LIVE ’25 to go to other continents outside of Europe later next year.

The full list of announced shows is as follows:

JULY 2025

4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium

5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium

11th – Manchester, Heaton Park

12th – Manchester, Heaton Park

19th – Manchester, Heaton Park

20th – Manchester, Heaton Park

25th – London, Wembley Stadium

26th – London, Wembley Stadium

AUGUST 2025

2nd – London, Wembley Stadium

3rd – London, Wembley Stadium

8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium

9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium

16th – Dublin, Croke Park

17th – Dublin, Croke Park

The legendary British band split in 2009 following a backstage bust-up at France’s Rock en Seine in August 2009. Both Gallagher brothers have built successful solo careers in the intervening years, with Liam Gallagher recently completing a 30th anniversary tour based around Oasis’ classic 1994 album Definitely Maybe.

In their initial run, Oasis were booked by agent Ben Winchester of Primary Talent International outside North America. Winchester has continued to represent Noel, while Liam has worked with Wasserman Music’s Alex Hardee and Adele Slater since 2017.

The group famously played to 250,000 people across two shows at Knebworth at the height of Britpop in 1996. Other big moments included two headline sets at Glastonbury in 1995 and 2004; homecoming shows at Manchester City’s Maine Road stadium; and a run of Wembley Stadium gigs in 2000 and 2009.

 

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The biggest reunion tours in music history

The UK music business has been abuzz with talk of an Oasis reunion over the past few days, with an announcement teased for 8am tomorrow.

Rumours of a reconciliation between Liam and Noel Gallagher have been frequent since the Britpop icons split following a backstage bust-up at France’s Rock en Seine in August 2009.

But this time there does appear to be substance to the speculation, first reported by The Times over the weekend, which cited industry insiders claiming the brothers had agreed to a run of open-air concerts in London and Manchester next summer.

Oasis would join a long line of music greats to put years of acrimony aside and reunite. Fellow Manchester legends The Stone Roses got back together in late 2011, having disbanded in 1996 – an almost identical period of estrangement to the Gallagher brothers.

The Roses’ three nights at Manchester’s Heaton Park in the summer of 2012 were reportedly the fastest-selling UK rock gigs of all time, with 220,000 tickets being sold in just 68 minutes. The band continued to perform until 2017, when they quietly went their separate ways once more.

The highest-grossing reunion tour to date is Guns N’ Roses‘ mammoth 2016-19 Not in This Lifetime… Tour, which featured the “classic” lineup of Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan for the first time since 1993. Billboard data shows the Live Nation-promoted tour grossed US$584.2 million from 5,371,891 ticket sales, making it the third highest-grossing tour in history up to that point.

Where UK comebacks are concerned, Take That‘s 2005 return is still the gold standard

The Police‘s 2007/08 Reunion Tour, which followed their 1986 split, was a similarly monster success, taking the crown for the top-grossing tour of 2007 after generating $362m in total, according to Billboard Boxscore, while The Eagles‘ 1994-96 Hell Freezes Over Tour – their first jaunt in 14 years – garnered £152.9m.

Elsewhere, Fleetwood Mac‘s 2014-15 On with the Show, which saw Christine McVie rejoin the group for the first time since 1998, pulled in $199.2 according to Pollstar figures.

Other famous reunions include Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band (1999-2000), Black Sabbath (2012-14), Van Halen (2007) with original singer David Lee Roth, Iron Maiden, whose singer Bruce Dickinson rejoined in 1999 following a six-year absence, and Genesis (2021/22). In addition, Led Zeppelin played a one-off gig at The O2 in London in 2007, while Pink Floyd briefly regrouped for a performance at Live 8 in 2005.

Away from the rock realm, Jonas Brothers continue to do stellar business since returning from a six-year hiatus in 2019, while the Spice Girls have held two triumphant reunions – 2007/08’s The Return of the Spice Girls tour, which netted $70.1m from 45 arena concerts, and Spice World – 2019 UK Tour, which grossed $78.2m from just 13 stadium shows.

But in terms of lasting success, Take That‘s 2005 return remains the gold standard in their homeland. Their 2011 Progress Live tour with Robbie Williams, which saw all five original members perform together for the first time in 16 years, grossed $185.2m, with more than 1.8m tickets sold across 29 sold out stadium shows. Thirteen years on, it is still the biggest tour in UK history.

CAA’s Paul Franklin spoke to IQ about the roaring trade of reunion tours earlier this year.

 

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