Ticketmaster must appear before Oireachtas Committee – Carrigy

Ticketmaster and MCD must explain the high cost of tickets and service charges to members of the Oireachtas Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

Senator Micheál Carrigy has written to the chair of the committee seeking a meeting with representatives from Ticketmaster, to discuss pricing after the disastrous sale of tickets for the Oasis concert due to take place next year.

“Over the last few days many music fans were left devastated when the only tickets left for Oasis were priced far beyond the originally advertised €86.50.

“Online ticket giant Ticketmaster kept raising prices— even as people waited in line for hours, so fans had no choice but to opt for the more expensive tickets.

“Like many, I logged on last Saturday morning hoping to secure tickets and after two hours, I reached the top of the queue to purchase tickets at a startling cost of €415.50 each for General Admission.

“Serious questions remain unanswered about how dynamic ticket pricing works and why artists are allowed to opt into this.

“In 2021, Fine Gael introduced legislation that banned the reselling of tickets for more than their face value. The aim of this was to stop ticket touting and protect consumers.

“I believe Ticketmaster is touting in a different format with the band and promoter now using this method to make higher profits at the expense of the Irish public where there is a high demand to attend a particular show.

“It is imperative that the Oireachtas Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media is briefed on the decisions Ticketmaster and MCD have made.

“We need to hear a clear explanation as to how Ticketmaster and MCD justify these prices.

“I’ve written to the Committee’s Chair to ask her to invite representatives from Ticketmaster to come before the committee.

“I urge Ticketmaster and MCD to speak with members of the committee, so decisions made over the weekend are clarified and the public has all the information on what went wrong.” Senator Carrigy concluded.