Competition authority launches investigation into ticket sales for Oasis

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said its investigation would also look into how so-called “dynamic pricing” was used and whether Ticketmaster’s sale of Oasis tickets may have breached consumer protection laws.

Ticketmaster has stated that it does not set concert prices. The company’s website states that this is the responsibility of the “promoter,” who “sets the prices of tickets according to their market value.”

The investigation will examine whether Ticketmaster engaged in unfair commercial practices, whether people were informed in a timely and clear manner that tickets could be subject to so-called “dynamic pricing”, and whether consumers were pressured to buy tickets within a short period of time at a higher price than they would otherwise have to pay.

The CMA said it would now contact Ticketmaster and collect evidence from various other sources, possibly including the band’s management and the event organizers.

The CMA is also asking fans to submit evidence of their experiences purchasing or attempting to purchase Oasis tickets.

She urged fans to provide their evidence on the CMA website and, if possible, attach any screenshots they may have taken during the purchase process.

The CMA said it did not believe Ticketmaster had breached consumer protection laws.

CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell said: “It is important that fans are treated fairly when purchasing tickets, which is why we have launched this investigation.

“It is 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 have gone through the process and may have encountered issues so we can investigate whether existing consumer protection laws have been breached.

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

“This has been a focus of the CMA for a number of years, having previously taken enforcement action and recommended changes to improve the secondary ticket market. We are committed to working closely with the Government to address the long-standing challenges in the ticket market.”

The CMA had previously stated on Thursday that it was working “intensively” to clarify the facts surrounding ticket sales for Oasis and was keeping open the possibility of legal action in the event of any violations of consumer protection laws.

The authority said it was aware of “widespread concerns” about the sale of Oasis tickets by Ticketmaster “and potentially other major ticket sellers” on August 31.

While it said that dynamic pricing – which saw the price of standard tickets for the reunion tour more than double from £148 to £355 on Ticketmaster – was “not in itself illegal”, it also said that companies “must not mislead customers about their prices and must be transparent about pricing”.

In a letter to Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Culture Minister Lisa Nandy, the CMA bosses wrote: “Against this background, we are working hard to clarify the exact facts regarding the sale of Oasis tickets on 31 August and are keeping all possible options open.”

“This includes possible enforcement actions if we see indications of possible violations of consumer protection laws.

“We will keep you updated on all further steps in the coming weeks.”

The letter came days after many fans were shocked to see standard ticket prices for the band’s reunion tour more than double, prompting the government and the CMA to say they would explore the introduction of dynamic pricing.

Others were angry and disappointed to be left empty-handed after waiting for hours in an online queue to buy tickets.

On Wednesday, Oasis announced new dates for Wembley Stadium using a new ticket plan following the chaos of the weekend.

Liam and Noel Gallagher have extended their Live ’25 tour to include two more shows in London on September 27 and 28, 2025, using a new “tiered, invitation-only voting process” where applications to take part in the voting will be open first to those who were unsuccessful in the first sale.

A statement said: “It must be made clear that Oasis leaves decisions regarding ticket sales and pricing entirely to its promoters and management and at no time had any knowledge that dynamic pricing would be used.”

“Although previous meetings between promoters, Ticketmaster and the band’s management had resulted in a positive ticket sales strategy that would provide a fair experience for fans and included dynamic ticketing to keep general ticket prices low and reduce illegal sales, the implementation of the plan fell short of expectations.

“Everyone involved has done their very best to provide fans with the best possible experience, but due to unprecedented demand, this was not possible.”

Ticketmaster has stated that it does not set concert prices. The company’s website states that this is the responsibility of the “promoter,” who “sets the prices of tickets according to their market value.”

The long-awaited Oasis reunion tour has attracted a lot of attention from fans, as it will mark the first time the Manchester-founded Britpop band have performed together since their split in 2009.

On August 31, they announced that tickets for their UK and Ireland concerts had sold out on general presale in less than a day, but many fans missed out as they struggled with website issues and were mistakenly classified as bots.

Following the uproar over ticket sales, the Advertising Standards Authority received 450 complaints about Ticketmaster’s advertising for the Oasis concerts.

A spokesman for the UK advertising regulator said the plaintiffs argued that the ads contained “misleading claims about availability and price”.