Recently, the highly anticipated reunion tour of the iconic UK band Oasis has captured the attention of music fans worldwide. With the buzz surrounding their return, the demand for tickets has been through the roof. Unfortunately, the ticketing experience has left many fans more than disheartened, thanks to an avoidable problematic implementation of dynamic pricing.
The crux of the issue lies in the use of dynamic pricing, a strategy where ticket prices fluctuate based on demand. While this approach is often beneficial in optimizing revenue, it can also lead to significant consumer frustration if not executed properly.
Lack of Communication: The promoter and ticketing company failed to adequately inform customers about the use of dynamic pricing. Fans were caught off guard when they encountered unexpectedly high prices—up to £350 for a ticket that started at £150. This lack of transparency eroded trust and led to widespread dissatisfaction.
Long Queue Times: The combination of massive demand and dynamic pricing created extraordinarily long waits in online ticket queues. Fans were frustrated by the extended periods spent waiting, only to be shocked by inflated prices once they reached the front of the line.
This shock quickly tuned into heightened stress caused by a checkout timer presenting people with just a handful of minutes to decide if they wanted to pay significantly higher prices for their tickets - and with it significantly higher fees charged by the ticketing company.
Failure to Manage Expectations: Without clear communication and proper management of expectations, the dynamic pricing model became a source of discontent rather than an effective tool for managing demand and increasing revenue.
These issues stemmed from a failure to follow essential procedures and protocols when implementing dynamic pricing:
Defining Objectives: Understanding the objective behind dynamic pricing is crucial. Is it to maximize revenue, manage demand, or both? In the case of the Oasis tour, it seems this objective was not clearly communicated or managed effectively.
Assessing Suitability: Dynamic pricing should be chosen only if it aligns with the goals of the event and the expectations of the audience. For high-demand events like the Oasis tour, it’s vital to work out if dynamic pricing is the right tool for the job.
Setting Base Prices and Parameters: Establishing a fair starting price and appropriate parameters for price fluctuations is essential. If the base price is set too high or the range of price changes is too extreme, it can lead to consumer shock and dissatisfaction.
Effective Communication: Transparency is key. Clear communication about how dynamic pricing works, including potential price changes and queue expectations, can prevent misunderstandings and build trust.
Terms and Conditions: Comprehensive and clear terms and conditions help set expectations and provide consumers with necessary information about pricing changes and ticket availability.
Ethical Considerations: Ensuring that pricing practices adhere to ethical standards and consumer protection rules is vital. This includes avoiding exploitative pricing strategies and ensuring that the process is fair for all customers.
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When done correctly, dynamic pricing can be a powerful tool. Imagine it like a skilled chef adjusting the seasoning of a dish based on the taste of the diners. If the chef understands their ingredients and the preferences of their guests, they can create a balanced, enjoyable meal. Similarly, dynamic pricing, when implemented with precision and care, can meet both business objectives and consumer expectations effectively.
The Oasis ticketing debacle highlights the importance of following proper procedures when using dynamic pricing. By defining clear objectives, communicating transparently, setting appropriate prices, and adhering to ethical standards, dynamic pricing can be a valuable asset rather than a source of frustration.
You would think and hope that the promoter and the ticketing company for the Oasis tour would have these procedures and protocols in place. Oasis themselves are distancing themselves from who was to blame and the promoter and the ticketing company are pointing fingers at each other. Perhaps it was all a mistake. Perhaps they all knew what was going on. I'll let you decide.
No Oasis lyrics were used in the creation of this article.
DynamO is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Nuweb Group, introducing intelligent pricing signals into Nuweb's product suite.
The integration will be rolled out across Nuweb Group’s network of ticketing partners, offering fully automated real-time pricing updates to venues and event organisers.
“We’re pleased to welcome DynamO to our marketing suite,” said Anthony Escott-Lawrence, Head of Product at Nuweb Group.
“This is precisely the type of partnership our ecosystem was designed to support. It gives our ticketing platform partners a competitive advantage, helps their organisers sell more tickets, and ensures fair pricing for end buyers.”
Nuweb Group supports a wide range of ticketing platforms across the live events and entertainment sector through its modern ticketing infrastructure.
DynamO doesn't require any upfront costs or minimum usage requirements, meaning ticketing platforms can add a layer of pricing intelligence that was previously only available to the largest operators.
“This partnership helps make advanced, software-driven pricing accessible to everyone” said Bence Marosi, Founder and CEO of DynamO Pricing.
“Smaller venues can benefit from sophisticated yet fully controllable pricing signals, while for those with more complex needs, deeper and more comprehensive support is also available. It’s a great opportunity for all Nuweb users, and an important strategic step forward for both companies.”
The partnership aligns with a broader trend toward intelligent pricing models in the events industry, as venues look for ways to reduce unsold inventory without resorting to steep discounts late in the sales cycle.
DynamO will provide data-driven pricing signals informed by demand trends, historical sales, market benchmarks, and selected external data points within the Nuweb platform.
The solution lets organisers set minimum and maximum prices, define rules aligned with demand scenarios or sales objectives, and apply safeguards to retain full control of pricing.
The system will be fully integrated into Nuweb Group’s product suite, automatically sharing sales and behavioural data with DynamO Pricing and sending back recommendations directly into the ticketing workflow.
"Ticketing platforms trust us because we constantly improve our technology," said Anthony Escott-Lawrence, Head of Product at Nuweb Group.
"We deliver updates, integrations, and new capabilities regularly at no extra cost, helping partners stay competitive without added development work."
Nuweb Group is a global ticketing technology partner, powering event experiences in over 110 countries. Nuweb provides open infrastructure that enables organisers, venues, and ticketing providers to own their platforms, maximise revenue, and operate securely at scale. Its technology integrates easily with existing systems to support ticket sales, operations, and expansion into new markets.
DynamO Pricing is a market-leading pricing technology company serving live events and visitor attractions across multiple continents. The company works with cultural, sports and music organisations to optimise ticket pricing using software-driven pricing engines and expert support. Its solution is proven in live environments, supporting tens of millions of pounds in ticket revenue, and is developed and operated by a team of PhD-level pricing specialists.
If you’re interested in finding out how a partnership with DynamO could help your organisation increase revenue and fill empty seats, get in touch using our contact form or email info@dynamopricing.com. We’d love to hear from you.
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We’re delighted to announce our partnership with King’s Head Theatre - an iconic Off-West End theatre in Islington that celebrates the LGBTQ+ community, on and off stage.
The collaboration reflects DynamO’s commitment to developing flexible products that support a wide range of performing arts organisations, from the West End to pioneering fringe venues, with ethical, data-driven pricing solutions that increase revenue and drive audience growth.
A bold and historic venue
Founded in 1970, King’s Head Theatre has long been recognised for its trailblazing programming, championing emerging artists and staging daring new work. Now, as the theatre navigates an exciting new chapter with their new and improved space on Islington Square, DynamO is proud to play a role in helping the team build a sustainable future.
Seamless integration, flexible tools
Thanks to our existing integration with King’s Head Theatre’s ticketing system, Spektrix, onboarding the team was a seamless and efficient process. Now, their event data is pulled through automatically from Spektrix - and vice versa - meaning they can manage their dynamic pricing without having to double up on data entry. Our dashboards provide real-time insights into how each of their events is performing, empowering them to make quick, impactful decisions informed by data.
Supporting their values
King’s Head Theatre has always put accessibility at the core of its mission. With DynamO’s built-in safeguards - including lower and upper price boundaries - the theatre can stay true to its concession policies and commitment to fair pricing, while also maximising all revenue opportunities. The additional revenue generated will, in turn, help the theatre retain and build on its commitment to accessibility.
Driving sustainable growth
As the theatre world continues to navigate shifts in audience behaviour, King’s Head Theatre is taking a forward-looking approach to its commercial model. By working with DynamO, they gain the ability to proactively adapt pricing in line with real-time demand, while maintaining the transparency and audience trust that are vital to their ethos.
Impact no matter the scale
This partnership highlights how dynamic pricing can support organisations of all scales - not just large commercial venues, but also independent and boundary-pushing producing houses that are essential to nurturing new creative talent.
Interested in exploring dynamic pricing?
If you’re interested in finding out how a partnership with DynamO could help your organisation increase revenue and fill empty seats, get in touch using our contact form or email info@dynamopricing.com. We’d love to hear from you.
For DynamO’s first ever webinar, we led a panel discussion on how to balance organisational values and ticketing revenue, with thought leaders from arts and cultural organisations - including:
Leon Gray, Head of Ticketing and Audience Experience at Edinburgh International Festival
Dawn Farrow, Founder and CEO at On Sale Group
Monique Baptiste-Brown, Head of Communications and Audience Development at Brixton House
Bence Marosi, CEO at DynamO Pricing
Phoebe Cleghorn – Sales and Marketing Generalist at DynamO Pricing
As well as posting a recording of the session over on the DynamO YouTube - which you can watch free on demand - we’ve also summarised some key insights shared by our expert panellists.
“Values aren’t optional or situational.”
Bence set the tone: if organisational values only apply when convenient, they’re not values. Pricing decisions should reflect who you are - because they impact audiences, staff morale, brand trust, and long-term credibility.
Broadest possible audience - by design, not by accident.
Leon shared how Edinburgh International Festival embeds its mission directly into pricing, offering £10 affordable tickets for those who need them (self-selected) and ensuring that 50% of tickets are £30 or under - all while meeting and exceeding revenue targets and selling 88% of capacity this year.
It’s not just “cheap equals accessible.”
Monique emphasised value over price. At Brixton House, access is about audience belonging and brand clarity: creating a space and experience where local communities see themselves, not just adding a low-price category. Tickets typically centre around £22, with Pay What You Feel performances and targeted low-price allocations to bring the right audiences in at the right time.
Brand, experience, psychology.
Dawn urged a mindset shift: focus on the exchange beyond the ticket - the transformation, the feeling when audiences leave, the clarity from confirmation email to curtain up. Pricing is as much brand storytelling and customer psychology as it is maths.
Start with audience truths; let pricing follow.
Brixton House builds from socio-cultural insight: What’s the story? Who is it for? How does it connect with them? What barriers exist? Early authenticators (those who feel most represented) are more likely to become advocates, helping to build momentum and pricing power organically. From there, dynamic pricing can lift later-stage revenue while protecting pockets of accessible ticket inventory.
Plan the balance sheet to fund access.
Edinburgh International Festival partners with DynamO to push premium seats where demand supports it, and reinvests that incremental revenue into Tickets For Good, the Young Musicians Pass and an extensive set of concessions. The balance is planned upfront using previous-year data, then tuned throughout the sales cycle.
Segment everything, then be brave.
Bence advocated for deep differentiation - by seat zones, performance types (matinee vs. weekend), demand curves and audience segments. Then apply meaningfully different strategies across those segments. ‘Flat’ pricing philosophies often ignore real differences in audience needs and willingness to pay.
Challenge legacy discounts.
Dawn noted that some traditional concession rules (e.g., universal OAP discounts) can end up misaligned with current ability to pay. Re-examining who qualifies - and why - can unlock headroom for funding access where it’s most needed today.
Concrete concessions with modern reach.
Edinburgh International Festival has expanded and simplified eligibility:
Under 18s: 50% off
Under 30s & students: concession pricing
Arts workers: 30% off
Deaf, disabled & neurodivergent audiences: 50% off, plus an Access Pass that unlocks held seats (aisle, near exits/toilets) which are bookable online.
Translate the concept of access, not just the copy.
Monique flagged a frequent gap: many new or infrequent attendees don’t recognise access schemes as for them. Brixton House has been exploring multilingual captioned performances and communications to reach growing local communities, paired with held seat allocations and FOH/box office support that guides first-timers through the process.
Use premium demand to pay for equity.
Bence shared examples where clients introduced cheaper tickets than ever because premium tiers or high-demand performances were able to subsidise them. Other tactics include member presales with distinct price behaviour vs. general public.
Values and revenue are not mutually exclusive - when planned together, premium demand can fund inclusion.
Combine forward-planning and agility - decide your access commitments upfront, then finetune pricing as demand unfolds.
Access includes communication, not just price - ensure your access and inclusion efforts don’t begin and end with the price. Consider the end-to-end journey.
Audience first, always - when people see themselves in the work and the space, they become advocates - and that advocacy powers sustainable revenue.
If you’d like to learn how dynamic pricing could help your organisation balance values and revenue, get in touch using our contact form or email info@dynamopricing.com. We’d love to hear from you.
