The UK government is poised to introduce a landmark ban on reselling tickets for more than their original face value. This decisive move forms a central part of a major crackdown on professional ticket touts and exploitative resale websites that have long plagued music and sports fans.
A Victory for Fans and Artists
This anticipated legislation follows a powerful campaign led by some of the biggest names in the music industry, who have demanded action to make live events more affordable and accessible. Artists including Coldplay, Dua Lipa, and Radiohead were among those who recently signed a collective statement urging the government to honour its pledge. They were joined by Robert Smith of The Cure, New Order, Mark Knopfler, Iron Maiden, PJ Harvey, and Sam Fender in calling for a cap to 'restore faith in the ticketing system' and 'help democratise public access to the arts'.
The initiative was a key promise in the Labour manifesto, committing to stronger consumer protections to prevent people from being scammed or simply priced out of seeing their favourite artists or teams. The problem is often exacerbated by touts using automated 'bots' to buy huge quantities of tickets the instant they are released for sale, which are then listed on secondary sites at massively inflated prices.
Consultation and Industry Reaction
While the government had initially launched a public consultation considering a price cap of up to 30% above face value, reports from the Guardian and Financial Times indicate that ministers are now expected to set the limit at the ticket's original face value. Service fees charged by the resale platforms could still be applied on top of that price. The Government has officially declined to comment on these reports, but an announcement is expected imminently.
The proposed ban has received widespread support from consumer groups and industry bodies. Rocio Concha, director of policy and advocacy at the watchdog Which?, stated: 'This is great news for music and sports fans. A price cap set at the ticket's original face value plus fees will rein in professional touts and put tickets back in the hands of real fans.' The coalition behind the campaign also includes the FanFair Alliance, O2, the Football Supporters' Association, and various music and theatre industry organisations.
In a significant show of support, Live Nation Entertainment, the parent company of Ticketmaster, has backed the government's plan. The company confirmed that Ticketmaster already limits resale to face value in the UK and described the move as 'another major step forward for fans'.
Opposition and Warnings of a Black Market
However, not all industry players are in favour. Resale giant StubHub has issued a stark warning, arguing that such a cap could inadvertently fuel a black market for tickets. A spokesman for StubHub International claimed that the policy would 'condemn fans to take risks' and push transactions towards unregulated platforms where fraud is more common, citing higher fraud rates in countries like Ireland and Australia that have similar caps.
This criticism comes as StubHub and its rival viagogo are currently under investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) over the transparency of their mandatory fees. The CMA is examining whether these additional charges are being displayed clearly to customers from the outset.
If enacted, this legislation would represent one of the toughest stances on ticket touting in the world, delivering a major victory for consumer rights advocates and millions of live event fans across the United Kingdom.
