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Ticketmaster agrees to better price information after Oasis complaints

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Chi Chi IzunduInvestigations correspondent and

Mark SavageMusic correspondent

imageReuters Liam GallagherReuters

Ticketmaster will have to give music fans more advance information about ticket prices, after complaints about the system used for Oasis’s reunion tour last year.

The Competition and Markets Authority says the company has agreed to tell fans 24 hours in advance if a tiered pricing system is being used, as it was for Oasis tickets, and give more information about ticket prices during online queues.

It comes after the CMA said Ticketmaster “may have misled Oasis fans” with unclear pricing last year.

Platinum tickets sold for almost two-and-a-half times the standard price, but Ticketmaster did not explain to consumers that they came without extra benefits.

As a result of the CMA investigation, Ticketmaster will have to provide more information about prices during online queues, helping fans anticipate how much they might have to pay.

It will also have to use accurate labelling, to ensure the site does “not give the impression that one ticket is better than another when that is not the case”, the CMA said.

The company will also have to regularly report to the CMA over the next two years to ensure it is adhering to the new compliance.

imagePA Media Liam and Noel Gallagher raise their hands in celebration during a show at their 2025 reunion tourPA Media

“Fans who spend their hard-earned money to see artists they love deserve to see clear, accurate information, upfront,” said CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell.

“If Ticketmaster fails to deliver on these changes, we won’t hesitate to take further action.”

The CMA also said it had not made any findings about whether consumer law was infringed.

A spokesperson for Ticketmaster said in a statement: “We welcome the CMA’s confirmation there was no dynamic pricing, no unfair practices and that we did not breach consumer law.

“To further improve the customer experience, we’ve voluntarily committed to clearer communication about ticket prices in queues.

“This builds on our capped resale, strong bot protection, and clear pricing displays – and we encourage the CMA to hold the entire industry to these same standards.”

‘No dynamic pricing’

The launch of Oasis’s highly-anticipated reunion tour last year descended into chaos, as fans found themselves paying hundreds of pounds more than they expected.

Many expressed outrage over allegations that Ticketmaster used “dynamic pricing” – where ticket prices rise and fall according to demand – prompting the CMA to launch an investigation into the sale.

However the CMA said it had “not found evidence” that such an algorithmic pricing system had been used to adjust the price of Oasis tickets in real time.

The confusion seems to have arisen because identical or adjacent tickets were often sold for wildly varying prices, a practice known as tiered pricing.

Although these fees were set in advance, the cheaper ones naturally sold first, leaving only the more expensive ones – leading to an impression that the prices were being hiked due to demand.

Even Oasis appeared to believe that dynamic pricing had been employed, issuing a statement saying they had not agreed to the practice in advance.

However, the boss of Ticketmaster UK told MPs that prices did “not move during the on-sale period”.

“There’s no technology-driven change to those prices,” said Andrew Parsons, appearing before the Business and Trade Select Committee this February.

“They are the prices which humans have agreed to. There’s not a computer or a bot behind it.”

Fans ‘feel let down’

Consumer magazine Which? welcomed the CMA putting pressure on Ticketmaster to make its prices clearer, but said the settlement didn’t go far enough.

“While it’s positive that Ticketmaster has agreed to follow the rules moving forward, it is disappointing that the CMA is not using its power to demand refunds for fans,” said Lisa Webb, a consumer law expert for the magazine.

“Those who felt ripped off when buying Oasis tickets last year will undoubtedly feel let down that Ticketmaster hasn’t been held to account for its past behaviour.

“Since this incident the CMA has been given stronger powers. It needs to show that it is willing to use them to create a meaningful deterrent for breaches of consumer law.”

imageGetty Images

The CMA’s action comes as Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation face legal action in the US over allegations they allowed brokers to buy up millions of dollars of tickets and resell them at higher prices.

The lawsuit was filed in California by the Federal Trade Commission and seven US states, and accused Ticketmaster of deceptive practices, including advertising lower prices that were actually unavailable.

The lawsuit also alleged that, in one instance, a broker had been able to purchase more than 9,000 tickets for a single concert during Beyoncé’s 2023 Renaissance tour.

When some of those tickets were resold on Ticketmaster at a higher price, the company was able to collect additional fees, the lawsuit alleged.

Ticketmaster and Live Nation have yet to respond.

Meanwhile, Live Nation’s CEO Michael Rapino has said he thinks concert tickets are underpriced.

Speaking at the Game Plan conference in Los Angeles last week, Rapino compared rock and pop shows to sporting events, telling Rolling Stone: “In sports, I joke it’s like a badge of honour to spend $70,000 for a Knicks courtside [seat],” but “they beat me up if we charge $800 for Beyoncé.”

The average price of a concert ticket rose 23.3% globally last year, according to data from the live industry trade publication Pollstar, reaching a record high of $130.81 (£104.36).

But Rapino said there was “a lot of runway left” in terms of price increases.

“When you read about ticket prices going up, the average concert price is still $72. Try going to a Laker game for that, and there’s 80 of them. The concert is underpriced and has been for a long time.”

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Unprecedented EBU vote to decide if Israel competes in Eurovision next year

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THE EUROPEAN BROADCASTING Union (EBU) has said that it will hold an vote in November to decide whether Israel will be allowed to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest next year.

The unprecedented move follows months of mounting pressure from national broadcasters, with RTÉ, Spain’s RTVE, and the Netherlands’ AVROTROS all pledging to withdraw if Israel’s state broadcaster KAN remains in the competition.

Slovenia and Iceland’s public broadcasters have also indicated they may follow suit.

RTÉ News has reported that, in a letter sent to member broadcasters, EBU president Delphine Ernotte-Cunci acknowledged an “unprecedented diversity of views” over Israel’s participation, saying the issue required “a broader democratic basis”.

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The vote, expected in early November, will be the only item on the agenda.

Until now, membership of the EBU guaranteed broadcasters the right to participate.

A suspension would mark a historic precedent and could reshape how the contest navigates geopolitical controversies.

Russia was expelled from Eurovision in 2022 following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but Israel has competed throughout the genocide in Gaza despite growing opposition.

Reports emerged in Israeli media earlier this month suggesting that the EBU had quietly put proposals to national broadcaster KAN giving a choice to either compete under a neutral flag or to temporarily withdraw for a year.

The EBU, however, has insisted that no such proposals have been made.

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Rare joint-party Dail motion to condemn attacks on Gaza-bound flotilla with Irish aboard

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A RARE CROSS-PARTY motion condemning recent attacks on the Gaza aid flotilla is expected to be tabled in the Dáil next week.

The Oireachtas Business Committee agreed this evening to finalise wording for a joint statement, which will be tabled on behalf of all members of the Dáil next Tuesday.

The move comes after Tuesday night’s attack on the flotilla off the coast of Greece, when drones dropped explosive devices on several vessels attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

No casualties were reported, but organisers said the incident appeared to be designed to intimidate those on board.

There are 22 Irish citizens participating in the voyage, including Sinn Féin senator Chris Andrews.

Activists say they intend to continue towards Gaza despite growing fears of further Israeli action as the boats move into international waters.

Israel has vowed to stop the flotilla, which it accuses of “serving Hamas”.

Tánaiste Simon Harris said he was working with EU partners to secure the safety of those on board.

Speaking in Washington DC, where he oversaw the opening of a new Irish embassy, he said he had raised the matter directly with the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, and asked her to consider issuing a statement on behalf of the bloc.

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“I’ve linked in with our own team back home now, and my understanding is there’s efforts to see if the Dáil can pass a cross-party motion. I’m very open to that,” Harris said.


Tánaiste Simon Harris speaking to the media outside the United Nations Building in New York Department of Foreign Affairs


Department of Foreign Affairs

“Israel has to know, in the strongest possible terms, that any breaches of international law will be taken extraordinarily seriously.”

Spain and Italy have already deployed naval vessels to monitor the situation and support their citizens on board.

The issue was also raised in the Dáil today, with People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy calling for the government to send an observer to join the flotilla’s legal support vessel.

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said he would refer the proposal to the Department of Foreign Affairs but stressed that “diplomacy is the way we conduct our affairs”, rejecting suggestions the government was being passive.

Murphy accused the government of failing to act decisively, while Donohoe insisted Ireland was engaging “in direct contact” with flotilla organisers and pushing for a coordinated EU response.

He also rejected Israeli claims that the activists were linked to terrorism, saying he had “no doubt whatsoever” they were motivated by humanitarian concerns.

Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty had sought to bring forward a motion today to condemn the attack, but the Leas-Cheann Comhairle said the matter fell under the remit of Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy.

Flotilla organisers have estimated that they are just four days away from Gaza.

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Former Arsenal striker dies after sustaining ‘significant injury’ during game

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Chichester City FC and former Arsenal striker Billy Vigar has died after sustaining a “significant brain injury”.

Vigar, 21 and from Worthing, was injured during a game at Wingate and Finchley on Saturday in the Isthmian League Premier Division.

It is thought the injury was caused when he collided with a concrete wall, but the club has not confirmed this.

Vigar’s family said on Thursday they were “devastated that this has happened while he was playing the sport he loved”.

“After sustaining a significant brain injury last Saturday, Billy Vigar was put into an induced coma,” the family said.

“On Tuesday, he needed an operation to aid any chances of recovery. Although this helped, the injury proved too much for him and he passed away on Thursday morning.

“The responses to the original update show how much Billy was loved and thought of within the sport.”

Vigar was a graduate of the Arsenal academy and also had spells at Derby County, Hastings United and Eastbourne Borough.

Derby County said in a statement: “All at Derby County are deeply saddened by the passing of Billy Vigar.

“Billy spent the second half of the 2022-23 season with the academy on loan from Arsenal, making several appearances for the Under-21s.

“The thoughts of everyone at the club are with his family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.”

A spokesperson for Hastings said: “All of us at Hastings United are devastated to learn of the passing of Billy Vigar.

“We will always remember Billy’s time at Hastings United with fondness. Our thoughts are with Billy’s family [and] friends at this time.”

Vigar made 32 appearances for Eastbourne while on loan from Arsenal during the 2023-24 season.

Eastbourne said: “[We] are devastated to learn of the passing of former player Billy Vigar.

“Both footballing and non-footballing club staff are shocked and deeply saddened of the news, and our thoughts are with Billy’s family at this terrible time.”

The FA said in a statement: “We send our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, loved ones and everyone at Chichester City FC at this incredibly difficult time.”

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