Ticketmaster price gouging has got to go
Ticketmaster price gouging has got to go - The Labour Party
Speaking ahead of the long-awaited Oasis gigs, Labour Party spokesperson on Culture, Robert O’Donoghue recalls the outrageous price gouging allowed by Ticketmaster this time last year.
Deputy O’Donoghue said:
“Dynamic pricing is a scourge on modern music, sport, and cultural ticket purchases. Since Ticketmaster introduced the practice in 2022, fans and spectators have seen sudden price increases, sometimes of up to 500%, of already expensive ticket prices.
“While there are excuses made that this practice falls to event organisers, when Ticketmaster has a near monopoly on ticket selling, they are ultimately the ones in charge of allowing such price hikes to happen. This is leading us down a path where only the very well-off can afford to go to a gig without putting themselves under severe financial strain.
“Minister for Enterprise, Peter Burke has stated to me in a parliamentary question that he is awaiting the result of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC)’s investigation on the matter of dynamic pricing, but the evidence is already clear in the bank balance of anyone who bought an Oasis ticket.
“Last year, Government introduced the Sale of Tickets (Cultural, Entertainment, Recreational and Sporting Events) (Amendment) Bill 2024 to ensure these rip-off ticket prices do not happen again, but we haven’t seen anything of it since. I am calling on Government to progress this legislation to tackle rip-off ticket prices. The time for action is now.”