UK government announces clampdown on secondary ticketing markets
The UK government has announced proposals to crack down on ticket touts. Later this year, a cap on the price at which tickets for live performances can be placed on resale will be introduced.
Lisa Nandy, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, is leading the initiative. She has promised to end the exploitative culture that generates extortionate profits by raising the prices of resale tickets for events that are in high demand.
As part of a public consultation process, there will be discussion on whether resale prices should be capped at a 30 per cent uplift, and whether there should be a limit on how many tickets can be sold by an individual on designated resale platforms such as StubHub and Viagogo.
There will also be an investigation into whether action needs to be taken against the controversial dynamic pricing model that came under scrutiny after Oasis used it for their reunion tour sale in 2024. The system introduced saw fans placed in queues for tickets and eventually shown a different price at the checkout screen than what they were initially advertised.
The music industry campaign group FanFair Alliance have stated that other countries, such as the Republic of Ireland, have already put measures in place to “prevent the resale of tickets for profit can massively curb the illegal and anti-consumer practices of online ticket touts and offshore resale platforms,” arguing that the UK needs to put their own regulations in place to control the problem.
Data gathered by O2 and YouGov in December 2024 showed that public opinion on the matter is largely in favour of implementing measures. 72 per cent of Britons surveyed stated that they would support the idea of imposing stricter laws on ticket resales—a rise from 63 per cent in July 2024.
A spokesperson for O2 has echoed the sentiments of FanFair Alliance, who they have worked alongside in the past: “One thing that can truly stop touts in their tracks is legislation […] it’s time to bring in laws to protect fans and live music.”
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