The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) recently secured changes from Ticketmaster following its Oasis ticket sale investigation. Fans weren’t told about tiered prices in advance. Some seats were labeled “platinum” even though they offered no more benefit than lower priced tickets in the same area. People waited in long queues without knowing the full range of prices or when lower priced tiers had sold out.
The result? Frustrated fans, eroded trust, and regulatory action.
While this ruling targeted a global commercial giant, it carries a message the entire live events sector should heed: pricing must be understandable, timely, and truthful.
At TRG, we’ve long believed that transparency is not a liability but an asset. For arts and cultural organizations, clarity in pricing is not just about compliance; it’s about earning loyalty, deepening relationships, and managing demand.
Here are six ways arts leaders can make pricing a source of trust, not tension:
1. Say the quiet parts out loud
If you’re using tiered pricing, for example, standing tickets at two price points, tell audiences upfront. The CMA now requires Ticketmaster to give 24 hours’ notice before using tiered pricing. You don’t need a regulator to tell you that this is good practice.
Instead of waiting for audiences to discover it mid-checkout. Signal your value and affordability from the very beginning. We recommend listing “from” prices. The same applies to membership and subscription benefits, as well as early-access schemes designed to reward and build loyalty.
You’ll earn more trust from honesty than you will from surprise.
Transparency That Recognises Loyalty
And when demand is high, it’s also important to proactively remind your most loyal audiences (members, subscribers, or multi-buyers) of the benefits they’ve already unlocked. Priority booking, early access, and best-value pricing are not just transactional perks; they’re signals that loyalty is recognised and rewarded. Reinforcing that message at moments of high demand strengthens trust and validates the good decisions those patrons have already made.
Transparency shouldn’t end once someone joins an online queue. The CMA now requires clearer price ranges and real-time updates when lower tiers sell out.
For blockbuster events, queues may be inevitable. But in the arts sector, even with the most popular productions, it’s not typically the norm to have tens of thousands of people competing for tickets at the same moment.
The most important step is to start with the right opening prices at on-sale. When price ranges and venue scaling are set thoughtfully from the beginning, you minimise the need for mid-queue adjustments. If strong demand does emerge, there may still be an opportunity to adjust prices after the initial rush has passed.
If queueing is necessary for a particularly high demand show, see it as an opportunity to build trust:
It’s also important to acknowledge openly that there won’t always be enough seats for the number of people who want them; and that’s okay. What matters is that people feel informed and respected throughout the process.
Queues can easily create tension. But with honest communication, they can also become a moment to demonstrate fairness and strengthen relationships with your audience, and reinforce your organisation’s values.
Every audience member deserves a positive experience, regardless of what they paid for their ticket. That’s why we don’t recommend vague or inflated labels like premium or platinum unless they’re backed by a distinct add-on or experience (e.g., a reception, meet-the-artist opportunity, or special seating).
Instead, we encourage organizations to use clear and neutral descriptors like Band A, Band B, Band C, Band D. This makes pricing levels transparent, easy to understand, and free from implied hierarchies that can leave audiences feeling undervalued.
If there is a genuine enhancement, call it what it is:
This way, audiences know exactly what they’re getting, and no one feels misled. Transparency in labelling reinforces fairness; and protects long-term trust in your pricing strategy.
Creating the “perception of success” isn’t about hiding the truth; it’s about creating the best possible conditions for a positive atmosphere and a powerful shared theatre experience.
What this means in practice? Only selling the seats you need, all while ensuring you maintain as many options for price and location for customers to choose, for as long as possible.
Inventory Management is about selling the seats you need to create that energy, while also maintaining as many options for price and location as possible, for as long as possible. That balance matters. It ensures that audiences can still choose the seats and price points that work best for them, even while you’re shaping a house that feels vibrant and full.
Scale to where the demand is.
Putting the whole theatre on sale doesn’t always serve the audience in the room, nor the experience you’re trying to create. If demand within a 2,000-seat theatre is closer to 800 for a specific show, scale to where the demand is, rather than hoping you’ll always hit 100% sold. Not all shows are meant to sell out; some are meant to bring people back. Scaling to actual demand ensures each type of production succeeds on its own terms, and the atmosphere is better for the audience who are there.
Ticket buyers know when sections of the hall aren’t on sale. The point of inventory management isn’t to disguise that reality; it’s to intentionally shape the experience in the room. When audiences are seated together, the atmosphere is stronger, the performance on stage is more energised, and the experience for every ticket-buyer is elevated; increasing their likelihood of return.
This same principle translates to pricing.
Pricing isn’t about hiding or confusing; it’s about being clear, fair, and strategic. In most TRG-led re-scaling, the best seats at the best prices are available immediately as a show goes on sale. Lower-price tickets are not pushed to the margins; they are often placed right at the front of the auditorium.
This is a point of strength, not secrecy. Inventory management and strategic pricing are disciplines that allow arts leaders to demonstrate care for their audiences and artists alike; using transparency and intention to create experiences worth coming back for.
Publish your accessibility policy alongside pricing
Accessibility should never feel like a secret workaround. If you offer community pricing, rush tickets, or discounts for specific groups, be explicit about what they are and why they exist.
By naming these programs publicly, you:
It’s one more way to build confidence in your values as well as your tickets.
In Leading the Way, we’ve discussed how pricing is often one of the most emotional decisions an organization makes, yet it’s the one most in need of data.
That means:
Audiences may not love every increase, but they’ll respect a clear rationale tied to sustainability and experience: “This price adjustment allows us to invest in artists and improve your experience.”
Because the work on and off your stage matters. It inspires, connects, and transforms communities; and it also costs money. Those costs are rising, while public subsidy is shrinking. For the future of our sector, we cannot shy away from talking about money. It is not a dirty word.
Transparent pricing and intentional inventory management are part of stewarding both mission and money. By being clear about value, seating with purpose, and pricing strategically, organizations can care for their audiences and artists while also deepening trust, loyalty, and frequency.
That’s what leads to sustainable revenue growth; revenue growth which ensures you can cover costs, weather inflationary increases, broaden access to your programming and educational work, and take risks on bold and new artistic endeavours.
The CMA’s action against Ticketmaster is a reminder of something simple but vital: audiences expect clarity, and they reward it with trust.
For TRG, this isn’t a new lesson; it’s the core of our counsel. Transparent pricing and thoughtful demand management aren’t short-term fixes; they’re long-term strategies for resilience.
When you define success by loyalty and atmosphere, manage access with integrity, and use data to guide decisions, you don’t just avoid confusion, you create the conditions for audiences to return, invest, and advocate for your organization.
Transparent pricing and intentional inventory management aren’t just tactics; they’re disciplines that build trust, deepen loyalty, and grow sustainable revenue.
If you’d like to review your current pricing strategy, inventory practices, or audience communications through the lens of transparency, let’s talk.
Book a call with TRG to explore how you can align your organization’s values with your revenue goals, and create the conditions for your audiences and your organization to thrive.