The government is gearing up to ban reselling tickets for profit, a move aimed squarely at the touts and resale sites flogging gig and sports tickets for ridiculous mark-ups.
It was a key Labour promise, and it’s landing after years of fans being rinsed for 3x, 4x… even 6x the original price. A group of huge artists — including Sam Fender, Dua Lipa and Coldplay — recently pushed the PM to step in and stop fans being exploited.
Earlier consultations suggested a 30% price cap, but reports now say the limit will be face value only, with only small standard fees allowed on top. In other words: no more “£60 ticket for £300” nonsense.
Groups like Which?, the Football Supporters’ Association and major music and theatre bodies have all backed the move, calling current resale prices “extortionate”. The Competition and Markets Authority found tickets often go for more than 50% above face value — and Trading Standards have even seen mark-ups of 6×.
Live Nation says it already restricts UK resale to face value, calling this change a “major step forward for fans”. Meanwhile, Viagogo and StubHub claim a cap could push people onto riskier, unregulated platforms.
Ministers say the goal is simple: stop people being forced to “pay through the nose” for events they love.
The announcement could come as soon as Wednesday…
