Dynamic ticket pricing delay hits council income

A council has blamed delays in introducing of dynamic ticket pricing at cultural venues for part of a £1.3m budget overspend.

Durham County Council (DCC) planned to generate more income through variable pricing at venues including the Gala in Durham and the Empire Consett, but claims to have lost £30,000 due to delays caused by "technical problems".

Dynamic pricing sees ticket prices change depending on demand, but critics say it exploits gig-goers.

Unachieved theatre income has also contributed to Durham's overspend, along with the temporary closure of Empire Consett between February and September 2024 for roof repairs.

Initial proposals to introduce dynamic pricing claimed the model would "incur no cost to the council" and would see the removal of concession tickets and an increase in the number of cheaper tickets.

However, the authority's Forecast Revenue Outturn for 2024-25 says the Culture, Sport and Tourism directorate faces a £1.3m overspend against the budget for the year, with £30,000 of unrealised projected income resulting from the delay to dynamic pricing.

The roll-out was planned for April 2024 but could not be introduced until November, a spokeswoman for the council said.

Alison Clark, head of culture sport and tourism at DCC, said the council expected the new pricing structure to "bear fruit" over the coming weeks and months.

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