Ticketmaster faces legal action in the UK over Oasis ticket pricing
Ticketmaster has been warned of possible legal action after a UK watchdog found problems with how it sold Oasis reunion tour tickets.
Ticketmaster could soon be taken to court by the UK’s competition watchdog over how it handled ticket sales for Oasis’ 2025 reunion tour. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has confirmed that it is preparing to pursue legal action after the company failed to agree to proposed changes to its ticketing practices.
In 2024, more than 900,000 tickets were sold for the tour, but fans were left confused and frustrated by pricing. Many waited in long online queues, unaware that standing tickets were being sold in two different tiers at different prices. Even more controversial was the sale of so-called “Platinum” tickets, which were nearly 2.5 times the cost of standard seats – despite offering no extra benefits.
In response to growing complaints, the CMA launched a full investigation into the ticket sales in September 2024. By March 2025, the regulator shared an update into the investigation, stating that Ticketmaster may have breached consumer protection law and would need to make changes to address the CMA’s concerns.
At that time, the CMA said Ticketmaster had already made some adjustments to how it sold tickets. However, the watchdog added that it “does not currently consider these changes are sufficient to address its concerns.”
Now, after receiving Ticketmaster’s formal response in June, the CMA says there is still “fundamental disagreement between the CMA and Ticketmaster about whether Ticketmaster’s practices infringed consumer law.”
Now, the CMA is preparing for court proceedings. In a letter to the Business and Trade Committee dated 2nd July, it confirmed that Ticketmaster has not offered any undertakings to resolve the matter. It wrote: “Given that no undertakings have been offered or agreed, [the CMA] is now preparing to litigate the matter if necessary.” The watchdog added that it had “discharged its obligation to consult” with the company but is still open to a “voluntary resolution.”
One key question raised during the investigation was whether Ticketmaster used algorithmic pricing to adjust costs in real time. The CMA clarified: “The CMA did not find evidence that Ticketmaster used an algorithmic pricing model to adjust ticket prices in real time according to changing conditions like high demand.”
Still, the company’s dynamic pricing model remains controversial. Fans saw ticket prices jump from £150 to £355 as demand surged – an approach that was heavily criticised. As outlined in earlier CMA findings, these increases were a direct result of pricing based on demand, not value or seat quality.
The CMA’s findings have put significant pressure on Ticketmaster to change its approach. With legal action now on the table, the case could set an important precedent for how ticketing is handled in the UK moving forward. Whether resolved through court or compromise, the spotlight remains firmly on transparency and fairness for fans.