EU Weighs New Rules on Advance Disclosure of Ticket Prices and Allocations

Ireland’s European commissioner for justice, Michael McGrath, is overseeing development of the proposed Digital Fairness Act, which would require concert promoters to disclose how many tickets are available at each price point before sales begin. The commission is examining the measure as part of an impact assessment of unfair commercial practices linked to dynamic pricing in the event ticket sector.

The legislation remains at consultation stage, with a formal proposal expected by the end of 2026.

One option under consideration would require ticket price information to be clearly displayed in advance, for example showing that 5,000 tickets are available at €100 and 1,000 at €300. Another option would restrict or ban advertising of “starting from” prices unless platforms also disclosed how many tickets were actually available at that price.

McGrath told The Sunday Times that consumers often feel they are queueing in the dark with an expectation of getting tickets at one price, but they could meet a very different reality a few hours later when their turn comes to actually make the purchase.

He said the commission would assess whether additional EU-level measures are needed to protect consumers and provide legal certainty for businesses. A senior EU source said the new legislation was intended to close gaps in existing consumer protection rules around online sales and pricing transparency.

The source said general EU consumer protection laws provide general principles on what kind of information should be given to consumers before they buy a product or service, but the laws are really at a principle level and are too vague.