UK to Ban Ticket Resales Above Face Value in Crackdown on Touts
Music, theatre and sports fans in the UK are set to benefit from new rules making it illegal to resell tickets above their original cost.
The government announced that the measures are expected to save fans around £112 million a year, with resale tickets typically £37 cheaper on average. Officials say the rules will dismantle the business model behind large-scale ticket touting, giving genuine fans fairer access to live events.
Ticket touting, often carried out using automated bots, has seen tickets for concerts, theatre, comedy, and sporting events bought in bulk and sold at inflated prices. This has frustrated millions of fans and disrupted the live events industry.
The new legislation will make it illegal to resell tickets above face value, defined as the original ticket price plus unavoidable fees. Resale platforms will also face caps on service fees and will be legally obliged to monitor compliance. Individuals will be banned from reselling more tickets than they were entitled to buy during the initial sale.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle said, “The UK is home to a brilliant range of music, entertainers and sporting stars – but when fans are shut out, it only benefits the touts. That’s why we’re taking these bold measures to smash their model to pieces and make sure more fans can enjoy their favourite stars at a fair price.”
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy added: “For too long, ticket touts have ripped off fans, using bots to snap up batches of tickets and resell them at sky-high prices. This government is putting fans first. Our new proposals will shut down the touts’ racket and make world-class music, comedy, theatre and sport affordable for everyone.”
Support from Artists and Industry Figures
Musicians and industry representatives have welcomed the move. Bastille lead singer Dan Smith described the announcement as a long-awaited step to protect fans, “It will allow more genuine fans to see their favourite artists perform at face value prices.”
Other supporters include indie-rock band Alt-J, Ed Sheeran’s manager Stuart Camp, and music campaigners from the FanFair Alliance, all of whom have called for swift implementation of the rules.
The measures will apply to any platform selling tickets to UK customers, including secondary resale sites and social media marketplaces. Businesses breaking the rules could face financial penalties of up to 10% of global turnover, under new powers granted to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
Government analysis suggests the legislation could allow 900,000 more tickets to be sold directly to fans each year, and curb typical resale mark-ups of more than 50%. Investigations by Trading Standards have uncovered tickets being sold for up to six times their original cost.
The CMA has also been working with ticketing companies, including Ticketmaster, to improve transparency around pricing, online queues, and tiered tickets. The new rules are expected to strengthen these protections and make enforcement more effective.
Industry Reaction
Industry bodies have welcomed the move as a “game-changing” reform. Annabella Coldrick, chief executive of the Music Managers Forum, said, “Change has been a long time coming, but it is hugely satisfying to see artists, music companies, consumer groups, regulators and policy makers come together on the urgent need for a price cap.”
David Martin, CEO of the Featured Artists Coalition, described the measures as “significant,” while Adam Webb, campaign manager at FanFair Alliance, stressed the urgency of rapid implementation to protect fans from continued exploitation.
Virgin Media O2 also praised the decision, calling it “a victory for live music fans everywhere” and urging swift legislative action.
The government says the new rules are part of a broader agenda to make public services and systems fairer, ahead of the Autumn Budget.
