The UK government is set to ban the reselling of live event tickets for profit, with an official announcement expected this Wednesday. Under the new plans, which fulfil a Labour election pledge, tickets can only be sold for the price they were originally bought for, effectively outlawing the practice of ticket touting.
The move follows an open letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer last week from dozens of major artists including Coldplay, Dua Lipa, and Sam Fender, who urged him to protect fans from “extortionate and pernicious” resale websites. Ministers had previously consulted on allowing a cap of up to 30% above face value, but have reportedly opted for a straight ban on any profit-making.
Under the new legislation, anyone reselling a ticket will be prohibited from charging more than they paid. While resale platforms will still be permitted to charge fees on top of the ticket price, these fees will also be limited to prevent them from being artificially inflated. The ban will apply to all resale platforms, including sites like Viagogo and StubHub, as well as sales on social media.
Enforcement of the new rules will be handled by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), and resale platforms will be held legally liable if sellers using their site fail to comply with the law. The government considered and rejected a licensing system for resale companies. Additionally, sellers will be prohibited from listing more tickets for an event than they could have legally purchased from the original vendor.
The plan has been welcomed by fan advocates and industry bodies. Rocio Concha of the consumer group Which? called it “great news for music and sports fans,” while Tom Kiehl of UK Music said a cap was needed to protect fans from “exorbitant” prices. Housing secretary Steve Reed confirmed the government is “committed to outlawing” the practice. Live Nation, Ticketmaster’s parent company, noted it already limits resale to face value prices in the UK and called the plan a “major step forward.”
However, resale platforms have argued against the changes. StubHub International and Viagogo both warned that a price cap could push consumers towards unregulated “black market” sites and social media, potentially increasing the risk of fraud. A Viagogo spokesperson claimed that fraud rates are nearly four times higher in countries with price caps.
The crackdown addresses a market that has seen fans face massively inflated prices. The CMA found tickets on resale sites are typically marked up by over 50%, with Trading Standards uncovering instances of tickets being sold for six times their original cost. Investigations by The Guardian and Which? revealed extreme examples, including Oasis tickets listed for over £4,000 and one festival ticket on Viagogo for an astonishing £114,666.
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