Fans compare The Cure ticket prices to Oasis: ‘It totally depends on the artist’

Amid the controversy surrounding the shows of Oasis of the 2025 tour, fans recalled the attempt to Robert Smith to keep tickets for shows The Cure with fair prices.

Last year, the musician sent an email to fans saying: “The The Cure has agreed to all ticket prices, and with the exception of some Hollywood Bowl charity seating, there will be no ‘platinum’ or ‘dynamic pricing’ tickets on this tour.”

Even so, Smith was “disgusted” by the high fees charged by Ticketmaster when purchasing tickets for shows by The Cure. Later, the band’s frontman pressured the platform to return part of the buyers’ money for fees charged “wrongly”.

Oasis Controversy

Several fans of Oasis were disappointed when trying to secure a ticket for next year’s shows. The band announced their return to the stage last Friday, the 27th.

Since 2022, Ticketmaster has been applying pricing dynamics to tickets sold on the platform. Therefore, although sales began on Saturday, the 31st, at a price of 200 pounds, many fans were surprised by prices that were double the initially announced price.

Government ministers have announced that they will include pricing dynamics in a consultation with ticket resale websites that will begin in September this year. The Secretary of Culture, Lisa Nandysaid he wants to put an end to “fraudulent resales” and ensure that tickets are sold at “fair prices.”

Nandy She added that it was “depressing to see a lot of inflated prices excluding ordinary fans” from concerts. She revealed that ministers would also look at “issues around transparency and the use of dynamic pricing, including the technology surrounding queuing systems, which encourages it”.

Lucy Powellleader of the UK House of Commons, was shocked by the high prices, finding tickets costing twice the amount initially advertised. However, in an interview with BBC Radio 5she mused: “It’s how the market operates.”

On Monday 2nd, the Advertising Standards Authority revealed that it had received around 450 complaints about ticket sales for the concerts of Oasis“We are evaluating this carefully and therefore cannot comment at this time,” a spokesperson for the organization said. “To emphasize, we are not currently investigating these advertisements.”

Comparisons between The Cure and Oasis

Internet users took to Twitter to compare the attitude of Robert Smith to the silence of Liam and Noel Gallagher about ticket prices for their shows.

“Let’s not forget that it is in the power of the big bands to keep tickets affordable, control resale and exorbitant fees, and kick Ticketmaster’s ass for its venal behavior — as demonstrated by Robert Smith. Many simply choose not to do so,” one noted (via NME).

“The good Bob Smithof the The Cureshowed in 2023 when he challenged Ticketmaster over extortionate fees and the fraud that is dynamic pricing. Artists have a choice. The Oasis should insist on the same treatment for loyal fans,” argued another.

A third user also added to the discussion: “‘Platinum pricing’ is entirely up to the artist. If they didn’t agree (as the The Cure), it would not exist”.