The government has announced plans to cap the price of resale tickets in order to prevent the public from being exploited by professional touts. The proposed limit could range from the original ticket cost to a 30% increase, with a consultation to be conducted to determine the exact details of this measure.
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Another option under consideration is limiting the number of tickets that resellers can list to the maximum amount they are allowed to purchase on the primary market. These proposed changes are a response to incidents where concert tickets for artists like Taylor Swift were resold at significantly higher prices by professional touts.
There have also been instances where lack of transparency in the dynamic pricing system resulted in exorbitant price hikes for standard tickets, such as Oasis fans seeing prices more than double from £148 to £355 while waiting in queue. The culture department has already committed to conducting a review of dynamic pricing, with the latest measures aimed at preventing touts from stockpiling tickets and reselling them at inflated prices.
Concerns about overpriced ticket resales have been ongoing, with high-profile artists like Ed Sheeran advocating for increased regulation. According to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), second-hand ticket mark-ups often exceed 50%, and Trading Standards investigations have revealed instances of tickets being sold for up to six times their original price.
Ed Sheeran has campaigned for a crackdown on touts. Pic: Reuters
Last year, Virgin Media O2 estimated that ticket touts cost music fans an extra £145 million per year. The measures announced today will impact music concerts, live sports, and other events, fulfilling a commitment from the Labour manifesto to create a fairer ticketing system.
DJ Fatboy Slim expressed support for the proposal, stating it is good to see money returning to fans instead of resellers. Dame Caroline Dinenage, Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, believes these measures will help address the unjust practices that harm music fans.
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However, she called for a fan-led review of the music industry to explore how it can better support struggling small venues and emerging artists. Other initiatives in the ticket tout crackdown include making resale platforms legally accountable for the accuracy of third-party listings on their sites.
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‘Dynamic pricing’: What can be done?
A 2021 report by the CMA found that professional sellers often provide false information about their identity or ticket details, especially for events with resale restrictions. The watchdog also expressed concern about “speculative selling,” where touts advertise tickets they haven’t purchased, collect proceeds in advance, and hope to acquire tickets later to fulfill the orders.
The government is also proposing stricter fines and a new licensing system for resale platforms to enhance consumer protection enforcement. Trading Standards can currently impose fines of up to £5,000 for ticketing violations, and the consultation will assess whether this cap should be raised.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy stated: “Everyone deserves a fair opportunity to see their favorite musicians or sports teams live, but fans have long endured the frustration of touts buying up tickets and reselling them at significantly higher prices. As part of our Plan for Change, we are taking steps to strengthen consumer protections, prevent fans from being exploited, and ensure that money spent on tickets benefits the vibrant live events sector instead of lining the pockets of greedy touts.”