Coldplay fans urge band to rule out surge pricing in wake of Oasis row
Coldplay are under pressure to rule out dynamic pricing in the wake of the row over Oasis ticket prices.
The band, fronted by Chris Martin, have announced six shows in the UK for next summer, marking the only ones they will perform in Europe in 2025.
However, fans have launched a petition urging the group not to allow the controversial pricing method for which Ticketmaster has come under scrutiny.
Dynamic pricing is the practice of raising ticket costs when demand is high and is used by well-known artists and groups, including Harry Styles and Taylor Swift.
It is legal provided that consumers are not misled about what they will pay, but it can mean tickets more than double in cost from face value for popular shows.
The practice came under scrutiny last month when people hoping to secure tickets for the Oasis reunion tour faced prices rising as much as 140 per cent.
Some fans who wanted to buy standard tickets to the tour reported costs that more than doubled from ￡148 to ￡355 on Ticketmaster when the sale went live.
The Coldplay petition states: “Fans are uniting to advise the band to opt-out of Ticketmaster’s ‘Dynamic Pricing’ feature.
“We feel having this feature enabled would go against the values of what the band likes to exude and represent.”
It also states: “Recent ticket sales for popular artists such as Oasis and Taylor Swift have sparked fears over Coldplay using dynamic pricing on any future tour dates.
“If this happens, it could make regular tickets unaffordable for regular fans, hardcore fans and casual fans alike, compromising opportunities to attend the shows to see the band we all love and adore.”
Fan accounts from around the world are sharing the petition, including in the Philippines and India as well as the UK.
Coldplay fans are uniting to advise the band to opt-out of Ticketmaster's 'Dynamic Pricing' feature ahead of any future tour dates ??
Add your name ??https://t.co/CPXP7N2Dfe— ColdplayXtra (@coldplayxtra) September 16, 2024
It is understood to have been launched by the group of die-hard fans behind ColdplayXtra, an account with more than 314,000 followers across social media platforms that shares news and creates online content for the band.
When sharing the petition to their X account, they said: “Coldplay fans are uniting to advise the band to opt-out of Ticketmaster’s ‘Dynamic Pricing’ feature ahead of any future tour dates. Add your name.”
The Oasis furore led the competition watchdog to launch an investigation to assess whether the ticketing platform may have breached consumer protection law by not warning its customers of dynamic pricing.
Coldplay tickets have previously been subject to dynamic pricing, with fans reporting unexpected hikes in August 2022 for shows at Manchester’s Etihad Stadium.
One fan branded the practice “predatory” after a pair of standing tickets, which for Wembley the same year had been ￡85 each, were offered at ￡526.30.
The band, made up of Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion, remain one of the most popular and best-selling music acts of all time.
They announced on Tuesday that they will perform at Craven Park in Hull for the first time on Aug 18 and 19 before taking on six dates at Wembley Stadium.
To avoid local fans missing out on tickets, they have reserved 50 per cent of Hull tickets for nearby residents using a postcode system.
A limited number of “affordable” Infinity Tickets will also be on sale, costing a maximum of ￡20.
They have been released for every Coldplay show on their record-breaking Music Of The Spheres World Tour, which they have been performing for two years.
Solar powered
The band said that their six Wembley performances will be powered entirely by solar, wind and kinetic energy, which they said is a “world first for a stadium show”.
It follows an announcement in June that their current tour has so far produced 59 per cent less carbon emissions than their previous 2016/17 stadium tour.
They are planning to release their tenth studio album, Moon Music, next month and they have claimed that it will be their most “eco-friendly” record.
The general sale for both Wembley and Hull will begin at 9am BST on Friday, Sept 27 following a presale the day before for those who have pre-ordered the new album.
