Ticket reselling and touting for profit to be outlawed in UK government crackdown

 The UK government is preparing to outlaw the resale of tickets for profit, marking a major crackdown on touting and resale platforms such as Viagogo and StubHub.

Under the new law, anyone reselling a ticket will only be allowed to charge the original face value, ending years of inflated markups that have seen fans continuously priced out of major live events. Platforms will still be able to charge limited service fees, though these will be capped to prevent hidden profiteering.

Image: Dua Lipa, Coldplay, and Thom Yorke on Facebook

The decision follows a public plea from dozens of world-renowned artists, including Radiohead, Dua Lipa, and Coldplay, urging the government to fulfil its manifesto promise to “protect fans, not touts.” The legislation, expected to form part of next year’s King’s Speech, will also make resale platforms legally liable if users breach the new rules.

The Competition and Markets Authority will enforce the changes, which aim to stamp out speculative listings and bulk buying by professional touts. Face-value resale sites such as Twickets are expected to benefit from the reforms. At the same time, the future of Viagogo and StubHub’s UK operations remains uncertain, amid a morning in which their stocks have dropped up to 10%.

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Header image credit: Getty Images on Unsplash