The Government is poised to announce a ban on reselling tickets for live events at a profit. This move aims to combat touts and secondary ticketing websites that sell tickets well above their original face value. The Labour manifesto had pledged to provide stronger protections against scams and inflated prices caused by touts using automated bots to purchase tickets in bulk and resell them at exorbitant prices.

Recent reports suggest that the Government may set a cap on resale prices at the face value of the ticket, with the possibility of additional fees being charged on top of that. Notably, prominent music artists like Coldplay, Dua Lipa, and Radiohead have advocated for price caps to reduce costs for fans. The Cure’s Robert Smith, New Order, Iron Maiden, and others have also supported the call for a cap to improve access to live events and restore trust in the ticketing system.

Various organizations, including Which?, the FanFair Alliance, and O2, have backed the initiative to curb ticket resale above face value. They emphasize that setting a price cap at the original ticket price plus fees will deter professional touts and ensure that genuine fans have fair access to tickets. Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, has expressed full support for the Government’s plan, highlighting the importance of keeping live events accessible for fans.

However, some industry players like StubHub have raised concerns that implementing a price cap could drive ticket transactions into unregulated black markets, potentially leading to fraud and other issues. Nonetheless, supporters of the price cap argue that it is a necessary step to protect consumers and prevent exploitation in the ticket resale market.