Oasis tour promoters to cancel 50k resale tickets
Promoters of Oasis’ reunion concerts say they will cancel up to 50,000 tickets listed on unofficial resale sites for the tour’s UK leg.
Live Nation and SJM told BBC Radio 4’s File on 4 the invalidated tickets would be re-listed at face value on Ticketmaster.
Oasis Live ’25 was the biggest concert launch ever seen in UK and Ireland, with over 10 million fans from 158 countries attempting to buy tickets for the 1.4 million tickets available for the group’s first shows since 2009.
Strict anti-touting measures were put in place in a bid to ensure tickets are resold for no more than face value and booking fees, with Twickets selected as the tour’s official ticket resale platform.
“Ticket resale is permitted at no more than the price you paid (face value + booking fees),” read a message on the Oasis website prior to the 31 August on-sale. “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.”
The promoters said they would begin the process of voiding tickets deemed to have breached the terms and conditions shortly.
“Fans will be the beneficiaries of this action when any cancelled tickets go back on sale at face value”
“These terms and conditions were successfully put in place to take action against secondary ticketing companies reselling tickets for huge profit,” they say in a statement. “Only 4% of tickets have ended up on resale sites. Some major tours can see up to 20% of tickets appearing via the major unauthorised secondary platforms.
“All parties involved with the tour continue to urge fans not to purchase tickets from unauthorised websites as some of these may be fraudulent and others subject to cancellation.”
Speaking to IQ, FanFair Alliance campaign manager Adam Webb praises the move.
“It’s great to see Oasis take these measures to enforce their T&Cs,” he says. “To be clear, they are not cancelling tickets bought by fans – they are cancelling tickets unlawfully acquired by touts. That’s a very different thing. Some of these tickets might not even have been resold. And obviously fans will be the beneficiaries of this action when any cancelled tickets go back on sale at face value.”
Viagogo’s Matt Drew told File on 4 that “2%” of Oasis tickets had appeared on Viagogo and Stubhub, and indicated the secondary sites would not be deterred from offering them for resale.
“We will continue to sell them in the way the regulator says we can,” he said. “We are serving a clear consumer need, we will continue doing it on that basis.”
“For the upcoming Oasis world tour, the only shows for which tickets are not being touted on Viagogo, StubHub and Gigsberg are the two at Croke Park in Dublin”
In a previous high-profile case, organisers of Ed Sheeran’s 2018 ÷ Tour stadium run cancelled around 10,000 tickets after Viagogo refused a request from Sheeran’s team not to list the tickets for resale. Labour MP Sharon Hodgson referenced the singer during last week’s secondary ticketing hearing in parliament.
“I do not want this debate to end without mentioning Ed Sheeran and how much he has done to try to tackle the scourge of ticket touting,” said Hodgson. “Lots of other artists, such as Iron Maiden, Arctic Monkeys, Mumford & Sons and many others have tried, but Ed Sheeran went above and beyond by cancelling tickets when they had been resold. Taylor Swift never did that because she did not want to break the hearts of all her fans, but Ed Sheeran has been a real warrior in that regard.”
With the new Labour government preparing to launch a consultation into the resale market, Hodgson highlighted the impact of ticketing legislation introduced in Ireland in 2021.
“For the upcoming Oasis world tour, the only shows for which tickets are not being touted on Viagogo, StubHub and Gigsberg are the two at Croke Park in Dublin,” she said.
Cast were this week confirmed as the opening act for Oasis’ 19-date UK and Ireland tour leg, joining previously announced special guest Richard Ashcroft on the bill. The on-sale became marred by a dynamic ticketing row that triggered multiple inquiries in the UK and Ireland. In the wake of the backlash, the band’s team opted against utilising the pricing strategy for their subsequent North America and Australia sales to “hopefully avoid a repeat of the issues”.
“It is widely accepted that dynamic pricing remains a useful tool to combat ticket touting and keep prices for a significant proportion of fans lower than the market rate and thus more affordable,” they said in a statement. “But, when unprecedented ticket demand (where the entire tour could be sold many times over at the moment tickets go on sale) is combined with technology that cannot cope with that demand, it becomes less effective and can lead to an unacceptable experience for fans.”
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UK culture minister: ‘Change is coming’ on resale
UK culture minister Chris Bryant has vowed that “change is coming” on secondary ticketing during a parliamentary debate.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to introduce new legislation to cap ticket resale as part of the Labour Party manifesto, with the UK government set to launch a consultation into the market imminently.
The subject was discussed at Westminster Hall yesterday (24 October) in a hearing instigated by Labour and Co-operative MP Emma Foody.
“The issue profoundly affects music and sport fans, event-goers and the integrity of our live entertainment industry, but it appears to be inadequately addressed by current regulatory frameworks,” said Foody. “People understand that they will not always get a ticket to the show, gig or game, but they feel a real sense of injustice at the scale of secondary ticketing platforms, with tickets often appearing just moments after people have attempted to purchase them.
“While allowing a space for those tickets to be resold is important, it is also important that that is not to the detriment of consumers.”
“There is no point bringing forward new laws if we cannot enforce them”
Bryant gave an idea of the timescale involved in any legislation, but stressed that a key matter going forward would be enforcement.
“There is no point bringing forward new laws if we cannot enforce them,” he said. “We made manifesto commitments during the general election that we are absolutely determined to implement.
“As for when they will be implemented in legislation, we have had one King’s Speech; there will be another one coming along. I do not want to tell the Leader of the House precisely who will have what Bills at what time, because I might not stay in my post if I keep doing that, but if there is a Bill at some point, we will have to ensure that we sort out the enforcement issue. That is one element on which we will be consulting.
“We want to make sure that every single element of the legislation that we eventually bring forward works, does what it says on the tin and is able to be enforced.”
Bryant said a consultation would be launched “in the very near future”.
“I do not want to completely ban people from selling tickets,” he added. “If someone has bought four tickets but suddenly only two people can go, because somebody is ill or they have to change the dates, it is perfectly legitimate that they should be able to sell the tickets on.
“They might also want to be able to recoup not only the cost of the tickets themselves but some additional costs. That is one of the things we want to consult on, and what would be a suitable cap. I note the point that has been made about a level of 20%, which some people think is too high. Some people think that 10% would be too high; some people think that it would be too low. We need to make sure we get the level right.”
“I want openness in dynamic pricing. People should be able to understand from the very beginning if that is the process they are entering into”
Last month, the government responded to the Oasis reunion tour sale controversy by saying that it would be adding the use of dynamic pricing into the consultation.
“I want openness in dynamic pricing,” he said. “People should be able to understand from the very beginning if that is the process they are entering into.
“There are versions of dynamic pricing that do work, and we do not want to ban those. I would argue that the early-bird tickets… are a perfectly legitimate part of the whole equation. They sometimes bring money into venues early on, and we do not want to ban that.”
Labour MP Sharon Hodgson, who has long campaigned for regulation of the secondary ticketing market, first introduced her private members’ bill on the topic back in 2010. She said the change in government had created a “watershed opportunity to create the change we desperately need”.
“Change is coming, so they should start getting ready for it, because that is what we are determined to deliver”
Recent research by O2 and YouGov indicated that ticket touts are costing music fans in the UK an extra £145 million (€174m) a year. And referencing the successful prosecution of two internet ticket touts for fraudulent trading in 2020, Hodgson noted the resale platforms faced no such sanctions in relation to the case.
“They kept their cumulative 25% service fees from the illegal transactions – if we do the numbers, we see that means millions of pounds – and they continue to profit from further illicit trading,” she said. “Where are all the illegal proceeds of crime? Why have they never been recovered?”
Hodgson added that legislation to outlaw resale for profit or to cap resale prices had worked well in other countries.
“Ireland saw a large drop in fraud after it implemented a version of – guess what? My private members’ bill,” she said. “For the upcoming Oasis world tour, the only shows for which tickets are not being touted on Viagogo, StubHub and Gigsberg are the two at Croke Park in Dublin.
“This is a golden opportunity to ensure that UK audiences receive similar protections and enjoy a capped, consumer-friendly and ethical resale market that works in their interests.”
Bryant concluded: “I say to all the people that I have referred to – Gigsberg, Viagogo, StubHub, Ticketmaster and all the rest – that change is coming, so they should start getting ready for it, because that is what we are determined to deliver.”
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Coldplay India ticketing row heads to court
A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in India calling for strict guidelines on the domestic resale market in the wake of ticket sale controversies for concerts by Coldplay and Diljit Dosanjh.
Police are investigating an alleged touting scam relating to Coldplay’s shows in Mumbai in January 2025 after tickets – priced between 2,500 rupees (€27) to 12,000 rupees (€129) – quickly reappeared on secondary ticketing platforms at eye-watering prices of up to 900,000 rupees (€10,000).
It followed a similar row over Punjabi singer’s Diljit Dosanjh’s upcoming concert in the country, whereby tickets sold via Zomato Live popped up on resale platforms at huge mark-ups soon after selling out.
The PIL, which has been lodged at Bombay High Court by lawyer Amit Vyas of Vertices Partners, alleges “several irregularities and illegalities” during the sale of tickets for large events and accuses resellers of violating consumer protection rules.
“The… facts and circumstances serve as a stark reminder of the challenges facing live events in the digital age”
He is requesting authorities create provisional regulations to “prevent ticket scalping, touting and black marketing until specific legislation is enacted”, reports Times of India.
“The… facts and circumstances serve as a stark reminder of the challenges facing live events in the digital age, where the joy of securing tickets to see your favourite artist can quickly turn into a frustrating and potentially costly ordeal,” reads Vyas’ complaint, as per CNBC. “It also highlights the need for a robust system to ensure fair access to tickets and prevent exploitation by ticket scalpers and bots.”
Vyas previously filed a criminal complaint against Indian ticketing giant BookMyShow (BMS) and others, accusing the company of colluding with resale sites to scalp tickets for the three Coldplay gigs – allegations the firm denies.
BMS, which partnered with the band on the shows, has threatened to void tickets sold on the black market and lodged a formal First Information Report (FIR) with Mumbai police urging authorities to investigate “the unauthorised resale of tickets by individuals and platforms”.
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NIVA appeals to Congress over fake Oasis tickets
The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) is urging Congress to investigate “deceptive” ticketing practices after discovering thousands of fake tickets already listed for resale for Oasis’ 2025 North American tour.
NIVA says that 9,000 speculative and, in many cases, non-existent tickets for the band’s US and Canada concerts appeared on secondary platforms at prices far above face value ahead of yesterday’s (3 October) presale and today’s general sale.
It is now calling on the Senate Commerce Committee to hold a hearing on predatory ticket practices – including the sale of speculative tickets – upon Congress’ return from recess in November.
“We are sharing examples of speculative and fake tickets from the Oasis shows with Congress because these are among the highest-profile sales that get the public’s and Congress’ attention,” says NIVA executive director Stephen Parker in a letter to Senate committee on commerce, science and transportation chair Maria Cantwell and US senator Ted Cruz.
“The scourge of fake tickets for these shows and so many other lower profile shows deceives consumers and may even lead them to buy flights, hotels, dinners, and more that they can’t recover if they don’t receive the ticket they have purchased or if the ticket they receive does not work.
“The prices for these fake tickets are likely exceedingly higher than the face value of the tickets. We can’t determine the exact markup on the fake tickets given that there are no tickets available for the public to buy, let alone see the price. These price gouged tickets will leave fans with less money to spend on other shows and less money for the food, drink, and merchandise that generate critical revenue for the local communities where these shows happen.”
“We found a significant number of listings with no warning or messages that the tickets were not in the possession of the seller”
The US trade association claims that approximately 4,354 fake tickets for three Oasis shows were listed on StubHub as of the evening of 2 October, with around 3,450 fake tickets listed on Vivid Seats.
“We found a significant number of listings with no warning or messages that the tickets were not in the possession of the seller, including the most expensive tickets across all three nights,” continues Parker. “Even more egregious is messaging on Vivid Seats sharing misinformation with fans that only ‘1% of tickets [are] left’ when again, the official ticket sale has not yet begun.”
IQ has approached StubHub and Vivid Seats for comment.
NIVA, which represents more than 2,000 independent concert venues and related music businesses, is also pressing lawmakers to advance the Fans First Act as part of a comprehensive year-end legislative package to reform ticketing practices in the territory.
Introduced by senators last December, the Fans First Act is designed to help increase transparency in ticket sales, protect customers “from fake or dramatically overpriced tickets,” and hold “bad actors who engage in illegal ticket sale practices” to account.
“What is happening this week with Oasis tickets in the US is alarming, but it pales in comparison to what artists and independent stages see every day”
“What is happening this week with Oasis tickets in the US is alarming, but it pales in comparison to what artists and independent stages see every day from predatory resellers,” adds Parker. “This letter is a defence of consumers and artists everywhere.”
Earlier this week, Oasis announced outdoor shows in the US, Canada and Mexico for next summer – their first gigs in North America since 2008 – supported by special guests Cage The Elephant.
The reunited group went on to confirm four additional shows as part of the tour leg, which is produced by Live Nation and SJM, due to “phenomenal demand”. They will now play Toronto’s new Rogers Stadium (24-25 August), Chicago’s Soldier Field (28 August), MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey (31 August & 1 September), Los Angeles’ Rose Bowl (6-7 September) and GNP Seguros Stadium (12-13 September).
Fans who have purchased tickets and can no longer attend the shows are urged to resell their tickets via the North American tour’s official resale platform Twickets or Ticketmaster Fan-to-Fan in the US and Canada.
Meanwhile, RTE has reported details of almost 100 complaints made to Ireland’s Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) over the handling of the 31 August on-sale for the band’s Dublin concerts, which is being investigated by the watchdog.
The UK & Ireland sale was marred by a controversy over dynamic pricing that has sparked multiple inquiries. A statement from Oasis’ management confirmed the model will not be employed for the US, Canada and Mexico shows.
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Red Light, Q Prime back NITO resale complaint
The National Independent Talent Organization (NITO) has filed a complaint with the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), alleging widespread violations of the BOTS Act by ticket resellers.
The advocacy group, whose complaint is backed by dozens of signatories including Red Light Management, Q Prime, Arrival Artists, Ground Control Touring, Mint Talent Group and Paladin Artists, represents the interests of independent music booking agencies and managers in the United States.
Its filing sets out how multiple technology companies provide tools that enable touts to circumvent ticket purchasing limits, including sophisticated browser extensions, proxy services, and virtual credit card platforms designed to bypass security measures implemented by primary ticket sellers.
“NITO requests that the FTC investigate the widespread sale of technology used to violate the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act,” says a letter from NITO addressed to FTC chair Lina Khan. “Our organisation recently attended the World Ticket Conference organised by the National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB). At this event, we observed a sold-out exhibition hall filled with vendors selling and marketing products designed to bypass security measures for ticket purchases, in direct violation of the BOTS Act.
“Artists, promoters, venues, and primary ticketing systems set ticket purchase limits to increase accessibility and protect fans from large-scale resale for profit, especially for high-demand concerts. The BOTS Act aims to prevent the use of technology that circumvents these ticket purchase restrictions and to protect consumers from price gouging on the secondary market.
“However, despite these efforts, purchase limits are routinely bypassed. Our research shows that for a single concert, thousands of tickets often end up on secondary sites at an average markup of twice the original face value.”
“By implementing these recommendations, rights holders and the FTC can take significant steps towards curbing BOTS Act violations”
It adds that the prevalence of such technologies at major industry events indicates that many ticket brokers may be violating federal law by using these technologies.
“Multiple solutions exist for those seeking to bypass purchase limits, and most were being marketed and sold at the NATB Conference,” NITO continues. “We urge the FTC to investigate the practices and companies detailed.”
The letter was also shared with members of Congress, other Federal and State entities and the trade group’s partners in the Fix The Tix Coalition.
The complaint from NITO president Jack Randall and MD Nathaniel Marro concludes with actionable recommendations for rights holders and the Federal Trade Commission to combat these practices, including increased enforcement, legislative updates, and enhanced cooperation between stakeholders in the ticketing industry.
“By implementing these recommendations, rights holders and the FTC can take significant steps towards curbing BOTS Act violations and ensuring fairer access to event tickets for consumers,” it adds.
Other member companies to back the filing include Magnus Artists, Crossover Touring, Artisan Agency, New Frontier Touring, Ted Kurland Agency and Northstar Artists.
The BOTS Act was signed into law by then US president Barack Obama in 2016.
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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 are 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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StubHub sued for ‘deceptive pricing & junk fees’
The attorney general for the District of Columbia (DC) in the US has filed a lawsuit against StubHub, accusing the resale platform of “deceptive” pricing and hidden fees.
Brian L. Schwalb alleges the American ticket exchange and resale platform hides mandatory fees from customers until the end of a lengthy purchase process, and then fails to provide clear and accurate information about the purpose of those fees or how they are calculated.
Furthermore, he claims the “deceptive and unfair practices” interfere with consumers’ ability to comparison shop and “otherwise make informed decisions about their ticket purchases”, in violation of the District’s consumer protection laws.
“For years, StubHub has illegally deceived District consumers through its convoluted junk fee scheme,” says Schwalb. “StubHub lures consumers in by advertising a deceptively low price, forces them through a burdensome purchase process, and then finally reveals a total on the checkout page that is vastly higher than the originally advertised ticket price.
“This is no accident – StubHub intentionally hides the true price to boost profits at its customers’ expense. The District is home to one of the nation’s largest and most vibrant live entertainment scenes, and StubHub’s predatory tactics disproportionately harm District residents. That is why we’re suing to end StubHub’s exploitative pricing scheme.”
“We are disappointed that the DC Attorney General is targeting StubHub when our user experience is consistent with the law”
StubHub released a statement in response, saying it was “disappointed” at being targeted by the attorney general, and declared its support for all-in pricing.
“StubHub is committed to creating a transparent, secure, and competitive marketplace to benefit consumers,” it says. “We are disappointed that the DC attorney general is targeting StubHub when our user experience is consistent with the law, our competitors’ practices, and the broader e-commerce sector. We strongly support federal and state solutions that enhance existing laws to empower consumers, such as requiring all-in pricing uniformly across platforms.”
It was recently reported that StubHub had delayed its plans for a summer IPO. Previously, it was indicated it was planning to go public this summer if it was able to achieve a valuation of around US$16.5 billion (€15.1bn).
Viagogo announced its acquisition of StubHub for US$4.05bn in 2019 in a landmark deal that brought together the world’s two largest secondary ticket sellers, and placed Viagogo founder and CEO Eric Baker back in control of the company he co-founded in 2000.
The sale was approved by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) after Viagogo was forced to sell its international business due to competition concerns. It offloaded its StubHub business outside of North America to investment firm Digital Fuel Capital LLC for an undisclosed sum in 2021.
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Resale platform StubHub ‘delays IPO’
Secondary ticketing company StubHub has reportedly pushed back its plans for a summer IPO.
It was previously indicated the American ticket exchange and resale platform was planning to go public this summer if it was able to achieve a valuation of around US$16.5 billion (€15.1bn).
But according to CNBC, the firm has now pushed back its plans until after 2 September’s Labor Day in the US. Citing a source familiar with the deal, the news channel lists stagnant market conditions and the lack of major consumer IPOs in recent months as contributing factors in the decision.
StubHub, which declined to comment on the report, is understood to have been working with JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs on the IPO over the past two years.
Ticket platform SeatGeek has also reportedly been sizing up a potential initial public offering this year
Viagogo announced its acquisition of StubHub for US$4.05bn in 2019 in a landmark deal that brought together the world’s two largest secondary ticket sellers, and placed Viagogo founder and CEO Eric Baker back in control of the company he co-founded in 2000.
The sale was approved by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) after Viagogo was forced to sell its international business due to competition concerns. It offloaded its StubHub business outside of North America to investment firm Digital Fuel Capital LLC for an undisclosed sum in 2021.
Ticket platform SeatGeek has also reportedly been sizing up a potential initial public offering this year, while publicly traded competitors Vivid Seats and Live Nation are valued at $1.5bn and $22.8bn, respectively.
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Watchdog reports ‘astronomical’ Eras resale prices
Italian consumer group Codacons is making a formal complaint after touts were discovered to be illegally reselling tickets at “stratospheric” prices for Taylor Swift’s sold-out Milan concerts this weekend.
The US superstar brings The Eras Tour to the city’s San Siro Stadium for two nights on 13-14 July for what will be the 34-year-old’s first performances in Italy in 13 years.
An amendment to Italian legislation, introduced to Italy’s 2017 budget law to criminalise ticket touting, prevents tickets being resold for commercial purposes or for above face value.
Codacons has therefore issued an appeal to the authorities after finding tickets being offered for resale on secondary ticketing sites and private sales platforms at “astronomical” prices.
The Rome-headquartered watchdog notes that one site was selling a pair of tickets for more than €13,000, while another was offering a single ticket for €4,677. In addition, tickets priced up to €3,000 could be found on eBay.
“We are witnessing a despicable speculation that exploits the strong demand for tickets for the American artist’s concerts to make an illegitimate profit”
“Once again we are witnessing a despicable speculation that exploits the strong demand for tickets for the American artist’s concerts to make an illegitimate profit,” says Codacons president Carlo Rienzi. “For this reason, we will file a complaint with the Antitrust and Prosecutor’s Office, asking not only to investigate those responsible for the possible crime of stock market manipulation, but also to seize and block the web pages where tickets are sold at prices outside the market.”
The shows will be Swift’s first in the country since playing Milan’s Mediolanum Forum as part of her 2011 Speak Now World Tour.
Elsewhere in Europe, Eventim temporarily postponed the resale for The Eras Tour‘s German leg back earlier this year after hackers attempted to steal digital tickets for the concerts. It was reported in April, meanwhile, that UK Swifties are estimated to have lost over £1 million (€1.2m) in a wave of online scams since tickets went on sale for the European leg of the outing last July, according to data from Lloyds Bank.
Post Milan, the record-shattering trek will continue to Germany, Poland, Austria and England, where the European leg wraps up at London’s Wembley Stadium in August, before resuming in North America in October. Swift recently confirmed the tour will conclude in December.
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