Céline Dion Concerts: Fans denounce soaring prices at checkout

The tickets for Céline Dion’s concerts are causing controversy. From prices doubling in a few clicks, suspicions of dynamic pricing, to reselling at exorbitant prices, some fans are denouncing opaque practices, while authorities are taking a closer look at the online ticket market.

On social media, some fans are already impatient for Céline Dion’s concerts. For others, the surprise comes with the prices: 1,503 euros for two tickets, 1,103 for a pit ticket. Some even report a sudden change in price at the last moment. One buyer shares his experience: “We see the individual price of these tickets and a total of 426 euros. I press continue. A window informs me that the price may have changed. And then, we see a total of 855 euros for the same two tickets. So the price did indeed double between when I pressed continue and when I accessed my cart. There’s a timer displayed. We only have eight minutes to confirm. After struggling for an hour to select a working seat, add it to our cart, etc. I believe it’s a way to pressure fans into buying.”

He denounces what appears to be dynamic pricing, a legal process in France that sets real-time prices based on demand. The initial promise was clear: ticket prices should fall between 89.50 € and 298.50 €. Contacted, the sales platform AXS ensures that these are isolated cases related to a technical incident, as indicated in this message: “The price variations seen in some videos shared online by fans were due to a temporary incident related to cache and third-party systems.”

Rapid price increases had already sparked controversy in the UK during Oasis’ comeback. The Fraud Repression Office recently opened an investigation into the unfair practices of online ticket sales platforms. Exorbitant prices are also seen with resellers active on social media.

Responding to an ad offering a ticket for 1,000 €, then 800 € over the phone reveals further discrepancies. “I bought 232 category 1 tickets,” discloses a reseller, who firmly states that the price will remain the same when asked if it can be bought for less.

To avoid scams, the Defense Arena, where the Canadian star will perform, advises against purchasing tickets at auctions or from scalpers, and recommends preferring official resale channels.