Seán Kelly urges GAA to enforce stricter rules to counter ticket gouging for concerts at stadiums

Seán Kelly: 'There should be no ticket gouging, period.' Photo: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

A Fine Gael MEP has called on the GAA to implement stricter rules on ticketing for concerts at their stadiums, following widespread criticism over the price of Oasis tickets.

Seán Kelly, MEP for Ireland South, said that there needs to be consistent ticketing standards at GAA stadiums due to the practice existing for match tickets. Mr Kelly, who served as President of the GAA between 2003 and 2006, said that he had been “shocked and appalled” over tickets for Oasis at Croke Park being hiked in real time.

"If this happened with All-Ireland final tickets, there would be absolute uproar,” Mr Kelly said. "Could you imagine charging €100 for a ticket and then seeing it jump to €200, €300, or even €400 just because of high demand? It wouldn’t be tolerated.”

Mr Kelly said that GAA stadiums at present do not have consistent rules around pricing for events that are not matches.

“These concerts take place in GAA grounds, and I firmly believe that the same principles that apply to our matches should apply to concerts. There should be no ticket gouging, period,” he said.

"I believe the GAA must step up and ensure that the same level of fairness applies to all events in their venues. This is about protecting consumers and ensuring that everyone can enjoy live events without being priced out.”

Tickets for the Oasis gigs at Croke Park were due to start at €86.50, not including booking fees. However, dynamic pricing kicked in, with in-demand standing tickets costing as much as €415.60.

For the 2024 season, All-Ireland hurling and football tickets were priced at €100 for stands and €55 for terraces respectively, which had been an increase on 2023’s prices.

Ticketmaster Ireland

The Fine Gael MEP has also written to the EU’s Competition Commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, calling for an investigation to be launched into Ticketmaster Ireland, questioning whether or not the company’s actions are breaking EU competition laws.

In a letter to Ms Vestager, Mr Kelly cited concerns about the sale of Oasis tickets, saying that the company appears to have “monopolistic control” over Ireland’s ticket market, citing the use of dynamic pricing.

“In the case of Ticketmaster, the implementation of dynamic pricing during the sale of tickets for these concerts has resulted in exorbitant price gouging, with prices escalating to levels far beyond what could reasonably be considered fair market value,” Mr Kelly wrote.

He said that while dynamic pricing may not be unlawful, it raises questions about the transparency of the practice in a market where consumers cannot access tickets elsewhere. Mr Kelly said that he believed the use of dynamic pricing could be a “form of abuse of a dominant market position”.

He told the Irish Examiner that fair pricing for tickets was required, “regardless of whether they purchase it at 1pm or 4pm”.

The Fine Gael MEP’s call comes just weeks after the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) confirmed that an investigation into Ticketmaster Ireland had been launched due to their handling of Oasis ticket sales.

Over 100 complaints were received by the CCPC over the Oasis concert ticket sales. Ticketmaster Ireland was contacted for comment on the matter.