Dynamic Ticket Pricing

The debate was introduced by Dame Caroline Dinenage, the Member of Parliament for Gosport. She welcomed the Minister and expressed her desire to work with him to promote the UK's creative industries, including the music industry. She then discussed the recent controversy surrounding the Oasis reunion tour, where fans faced long queues and significantly inflated ticket prices due to the use of dynamic pricing by the event organizers. Dinenage explained that the dynamic pricing mechanism employed by Oasis, their promoters, and Ticketmaster resulted in a "lucky dip game" where ticket prices increased dramatically with no clear justification. She argued that this practice lacked transparency and fairness, and that fans were not adequately warned about the potential for price hikes before entering the digital queue. Dinenage also highlighted the broader issues facing the live music ecosystem, particularly the challenges faced by grassroots music venues, which are crucial for nurturing new talent. In response, the Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism, Chris Bryant, acknowledged the importance of live events to the UK's creative economy and the joy they bring to audiences. He expressed concern about the state of grassroots music venues and the need to address the challenges they face, such as skills shortages and rising costs. The Minister also discussed the evolution of ticketing systems, from physical box offices to the current digital platforms, and the new challenges this has presented in terms of security, fairness, and transparency. Regarding dynamic pricing, the Minister stated that while it can be a legitimate pricing strategy in certain contexts, it needs to be transparent and fair for consumers. He welcomed the investigation launched by the Competition and Markets Authority into the Oasis ticket sales and said the Government would look at the wider policy questions around the use of dynamic pricing in the live events sector. The Minister also reaffirmed the Government's commitment to addressing issues in the secondary ticketing market, with a consultation planned for the autumn. In a brief intervention, Pete Wishart, the Member of Parliament for Perth and Kinross-shire, welcomed the Minister's response and urged him to take action to address the problems highlighted in the debate, including potentially outlawing dynamic pricing entirely. The Minister acknowledged Wishart's impatience and reiterated the Government's intention to take the necessary steps to protect fans and ensure the live events market works for the benefit of the industry and the public.