Trendpills
The UK government is preparing to ban the resale of tickets for live events at prices above their original face value. The move is a significant crackdown aimed at dismantling the secondary market where professional touts often sell music, theatre, and sports tickets at vastly inflated prices.
This new legislation intends to cap resale prices at the amount originally paid, plus any legitimate booking fees. The measure follows years of campaigning from artists, industry bodies, and consumer groups who have argued that the current system allows touts to exploit fans. Major artists, including Coldplay and Dua Lipa, have publicly urged the government to take firm action against what they describe as a predatory practice that harms both concert-goers and performers.
The decision was reportedly spurred by widespread public outrage over specific high-demand events, such as last year's Oasis reunion tour, where tickets appeared on resale sites for many times their face value almost immediately after selling out. This practice, often facilitated by bots that buy tickets in bulk, has left many fans unable to afford to see their favorite acts. The government's crackdown aims to address these rip-off prices and make events more accessible.
The ban will directly impact major secondary ticketing platforms like Viagogo and StubHub, which have long been criticized for their role in the ticket touting industry. While the platforms argue they provide a service for fans who can no longer attend events, critics maintain they have facilitated a multi-million-pound industry for professional resellers. This intervention is being described as the UK's most aggressive effort to regulate a market that has largely operated with minimal oversight, marking a major victory for fan-led campaigns.
