The Government is poised to announce a prohibition on reselling live event tickets for profit. The aim is to combat touts and secondary ticketing platforms that sell tickets at significantly inflated prices.
The Labour manifesto had pledged to enhance safeguards to prevent consumers from falling victim to scams or being priced out of events by touts who use automated bots to buy tickets in bulk as soon as they are released, reselling them at exorbitant mark-ups.
While a consultation had considered capping prices at up to 30% above face value, reports suggest that the Government is likely to set the limit at face value, with additional fees still permissible.
Several music industry heavyweights, including Coldplay, Dua Lipa, and Radiohead, have been advocating for price caps to reduce costs for fans. Artists like The Cure’s Robert Smith, New Order, Iron Maiden, and others have urged the Government to implement caps to restore confidence in ticketing systems and make arts events more accessible to the public.
Various organizations, including Which?, FanFair Alliance, and O2, have supported the move, emphasizing the need to curb professional touting and ensure genuine fans have fair access to tickets. Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, has endorsed the ban on ticket resale above face value, highlighting the importance of prioritizing fans and cracking down on exploitative practices.
However, StubHub has expressed concerns that imposing price caps could drive ticket transactions to black markets, potentially exposing fans to risks such as fraud and limited recourse. Similarly, Viagogo warned that price caps could lead consumers to unregulated sites, citing higher fraud rates in countries where such caps are in place.