The Government is poised to implement a ban on reselling tickets for live events at inflated prices. This move is aimed at curbing the activities of touts and secondary ticketing websites that sell tickets well above their face value.
According to reports, the Government is likely to announce a restriction where ticket resale prices cannot exceed the original face value, although additional fees may still apply. This decision follows a consultation that sought input on limiting resale costs to a maximum of 30% above face value.
Numerous music industry heavyweights, including Coldplay, Dua Lipa, and Radiohead, have urged the Government to honor its commitment to capping resale prices to benefit fans. Artists like The Cure’s Robert Smith and organizations such as Which? and O2 have also advocated for a price cap to improve public access to arts and music events.
Support for the price cap has been echoed by Ticketmaster’s parent company Live Nation Entertainment, emphasizing the importance of keeping live events accessible to fans. However, resale platform StubHub has raised concerns that the restriction could drive ticket transactions to unregulated black markets, posing risks for consumers.
In response, a Viagogo spokesperson highlighted instances in other countries where price caps led to increased fraud rates, cautioning against potential negative consequences if similar measures are enforced in the UK.