Crackdown on ticket resales for revenue ‘places followers first’

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Your assist makes all of the distinction. Learn extra New authorities guidelines will make it unlawful to resell tickets for reside occasions for revenue, aiming to finish the 'industrial-scale' touting that has induced distress for hundreds of thousands of followers.

Ministers have confirmed plans to outlaw the sale of tickets for concert events, theatre, comedy, sport, and different reside occasions at a value above their 'face worth' – outlined because the preliminary value plus unavoidable charges, together with service costs.

The Labour manifesto had beforehand pledged stronger protections towards touts, who typically use bots to amass tickets in bulk, promoting them on for big mark-ups on secondary platforms.

To forestall circumvention, service charges will probably be capped, and platforms can have a authorized responsibility to observe and implement compliance.

Moreover, people will probably be prohibited from reselling extra tickets than they had been initially entitled to buy.

Tradition Secretary Lisa Nandy stated: “For too lengthy, ticket touts have ripped off followers, utilizing bots to snap up batches of tickets and resell them at sky-high costs. They’ve turn out to be a shadow trade on resale websites, performing with out consequence.

“This authorities is placing followers first. Our new proposals will shut down the touts’ racket and make world-class music, comedy, theatre and sport inexpensive for everybody.”

<img src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/09/25/09/521e5192b534a368962daf234a087fc7Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzU4ODc1MTc4-2.77330332.jpg" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/09/25/09/521e5192b534a368962daf234a087fc7Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzU4ODc1MTc4-2.77330332.jpg?quality=75&width=320&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/09/25/09/521e5192b534a368962daf234a087fc7Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzU4ODc1MTc4-2.77330332.jpg?quality=75&width=640&auto=webp 640w" loading="lazy" alt="Touts often deploy bots to acquire tickets in bulk upon release, subsequently selling them for substantial mark-ups online" class="sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn"/> open picture in gallery

Touts typically deploy bots to amass tickets in bulk upon launch, subsequently promoting them for substantial mark-ups on-line (PA Archive) Bastille lead singer Dan Smith stated: “It’s such nice information that the federal government has stepped up and launched a value cap on resale tickets – one thing I’ve been campaigning for alongside O2 and the FanFair Alliance for a very long time.

“It’s a very good step in direction of defending music followers from being ripped off and can enable extra real followers to see their favorite artists carry out at face worth costs. I'm welcoming a world the place there aren't any extra resellers snapping up the entire tickets and massively inflating their costs.”

The brand new guidelines will apply to any platform reselling tickets to UK followers, together with secondary ticketing platforms and social media web sites.

Companies who break the laws may very well be fined as much as 10 per cent of their international turnover by the Competitors and Markets Authority (CMA), beneath new powers launched within the Digital Markets, Competitors and Customers (DMCC) Act.

A Viagogo spokeswoman stated: “We acknowledge the federal government’s announcement at the moment which is a part of an extended, multi-year course of, not a remaining end result.

“Proof exhibits value caps have repeatedly failed followers, in nations like Eire and Australia fraud charges are almost 4 occasions larger than within the UK as value caps push customers in direction of unregulated websites.

“The answer is open distribution, connecting main and resale platforms to confirm tickets. This enables the sharing of crucial info to establish unlawful bot exercise and get rid of fraud.

“Opening the market to larger competitors additionally helps drive costs down, benefiting followers.”

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Dua Lipa was amongst artists demanding a cap on resale costs (Yui Mok/PA) In keeping with the CMA, typical mark-ups on secondary market tickets exceed 50 per cent, whereas investigations by buying and selling requirements have uncovered proof of tickets being resold for as much as six occasions their authentic value.

Authorities evaluation suggests these measures may save followers round £112 million yearly, with 900,000 extra tickets purchased straight from main sellers annually. Inclusive of all charges paid, the typical ticket value paid by followers on the resale market may very well be decreased by £37.

The transfer follows a marketing campaign by a number of the largest names in music to chop prices for followers.

Coldplay, Dua Lipa and Radiohead had been final week amongst artists urging the federal government to honour the pledge to cap resale costs.

The Remedy’s Robert Smith, New Order, Mark Knopfler, Iron Maiden, PJ Harvey and Mercury Prize-winner Sam Fender joined them in signing a press release calling for a cap to “restore religion within the ticketing system” and “assist democratise public entry to the humanities”.

Different signatories included the watchdog Which?, FanFair Alliance, O2, the Soccer Supporters’ Affiliation and organisations representing the music and theatre industries, venues, managers and ticket retailers.