When major artists like Taylor Swift, Oasis, or Radiohead announce a tour, the excitement among fans can be electric. Yet, all too often, that thrill is short-lived. Within hours of tickets going on sale, many are snapped up by resellers and listed online at prices that make attending the event nearly impossible for ordinary fans.
Now, the UK government is set to tackle this with new rules that could reshape the way tickets are bought and sold in the country. Proposed measures will make it illegal to resell tickets above their original cost, capping service fees and imposing legal responsibilities on resale platforms to enforce these limits. Individuals will also face restrictions on how many tickets they can resell, preventing large-scale hoarding.
These changes aim to protect fans across music, theatre, comedy, and sports events, targeting industrial-scale ticket touting that uses automated bots to snatch up high-demand tickets. Secondary platforms, social media marketplaces, and even fan-to-fan resales will fall under the new regulations, with penalties for breaches potentially reaching 10% of a company's global turnover.
For fans, the impact could be significant. Government analysis estimates an average saving of £37 per ticket, adding up to around £112 million annually, while roughly 900,000 additional tickets could be purchased directly from primary sellers each year. Previously, resale mark-ups of 50% or more were common, with some tickets resold at six times their face value.
Now, fans will still be able to resell tickets, but only at face value plus unavoidable service fees, keeping the focus on fair access rather than inflated profits. The new laws, though pending parliamentary approval, could mark a major shift in making live events more accessible to the people who love them most.