Euractiv.com
A coalition of live entertainment and consumer advocacy organizations is urging the European Union to prohibit dynamic pricing for live events, arguing the practice leaves fans vulnerable to sudden price hikes and undermines transparency during ticket sales.
Trade association Live DMA has joined forces with Euroconsumers and Football Supporters Europe to call on the European Commission to include a ban in its forthcoming Digital Fairness Act, legislation aimed at strengthening consumer protections in the online marketplace.
The groups argue that ticket buyers are increasingly being caught off guard by fluctuating prices during high-demand on-sales for concerts and major sporting events, making live experiences less accessible. While dynamic pricing is common in sectors such as air travel and hospitality, they contend that live entertainment operates under fundamentally different conditions.
According to the coalition, fans typically have no alternative when purchasing tickets for a specific show.
The organizations also point to recent ticket sales for 2026 FIFA World Cup matches and concerts by global superstars as evidence that pricing practices remain a growing concern.
As one example, Euroconsumers highlighted ticket sales for Bad Bunny’s upcoming shows in Spain, claiming buyers were unable to see the final cost until checkout. The group alleged that dynamically adjusted prices, combined with additional fees, significantly increased the overall ticket price beyond the advertised starting rate. Spanish consumer organization OCU has since filed a complaint with the country’s consumer affairs ministry over the sale.
The debate follows months of scrutiny surrounding ticket pricing across the live industry. Ticketmaster has previously defended demand-based pricing as a way to reduce profits flowing to ticket resellers, though the company later clarified that pricing used during the highly criticized Oasis reunion tour on-sale in the UK relied on tiered pricing rather than dynamic pricing.
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