PM Urged to Deliver on Ticket Touting Ban as Resellers Exploit Radio 1 Event

PM Urged to Deliver on Ticket Touting Ban as Resellers Exploit Radio 1 Event

Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces mounting pressure to fulfil his commitment to prohibit ticket reselling, as concerns grow that the legislation may be excluded from the forthcoming king's speech scheduled for 13 May. The potential omission has sparked alarm within the music industry, with advocates warning that fans could lose hundreds of millions of pounds annually.

Music sector representatives have intensified their calls for government action following revelations that professional ticket scalpers have aggressively targeted BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend event next month, securing substantial profits through secondary ticketing platforms including Viagogo and StubHub.

Government Commitment and Industry Support

In November, Starmer pledged that his administration would "stop fans from being ripped off" by implementing Labour's 2024 election manifesto commitment to criminalise ticket resale for profit. The proposal has garnered backing from numerous internationally celebrated musicians, among them Radiohead, Dua Lipa, and Coldplay.

However, Ian Murray, the minister overseeing the initiative, suggested during a parliamentary meeting last week that industry leaders should not expect the measure to appear in the king's speech. Instead, he pointed towards alternative legislative channels, such as private members' bills, which are widely recognised as an ineffective pathway for converting policy into legislation.

Massive Losses to Ticket Scalping

O2, a telecommunications company and venue sponsor, has calculated that fans have forfeited £60m to scalpers since the policy announcement. Patrons of major acts including Olivia Dean, Bad Bunny, and Ariana Grande have reportedly endured markups reaching up to 1,000%.

New evidence demonstrating the scale of the problem emerged from BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Sunderland. Although the BBC and official ticketer Ticketmaster implemented protective measures—including a two-ticket purchasing cap and priority access reservations for residents—secondary market operators have circumvented these safeguards.

Widespread Resale Activity Despite Protections

According to data compiled by FanFair Alliance, a music industry advocacy group, individual ticket scalpers listed as many as 30 tickets in single Viagogo advertisements, despite the two-ticket restriction. On 12 March, 449 tickets appeared across Viagogo and StubHub, all priced above face value. The highest asking price reached £622 for a ticket with a £45 face value.

By 31 March, this figure had climbed to 571 tickets (excluding duplicates), with a combined asking price of £86,546 compared to their original value of £27,278.

Despite 90% of allocations being reserved for local residents, resellers advertised Big Weekend tickets from locations spanning the Netherlands, Dubai, Hong Kong, Belgium, Israel, North America, Sweden, Slovakia, France, Ireland, and Singapore. Many traders failed to provide identification details, raising questions about compliance with consumer protection regulations. In certain instances, resale restrictions that could result in fan rejection at entry were not disclosed to purchasers.

Industry and Government Response

StubHub acknowledged that it had negligently failed to highlight resale restrictions on Big Weekend tickets and stated it had "updated this accordingly."

Caroline Dinenage, chair of the culture select committee, warned: "If it is not in the king's speech it would call into question whether the government is serious about protecting music lovers, and everyone who enjoys live events, from being ripped off."

Lisa Webb, consumer law specialist at Which?, stated: "The government has promised to put fans first, but if this legislation is not included in the king's speech, the only ones celebrating will be the rip-off secondary ticketing websites and online touts."

Annabella Coldrick, chief executive of the Music Managers Forum, noted that the ticket touting ban represented one of merely two music-focused commitments in Labour's manifesto, alongside facilitating EU touring. She described these as "widely supported, pro-growth measures that will deliver tangible benefits to the British public" and warned that postponement would "continue to cost […] constituents hundreds of millions of pounds a year."

StubHub maintained that platform sellers must comply with its requirements, including mandatory address disclosure. The company contended that "independent analysis shows that price caps on ticket resales push fans towards unsafe alternatives where the risk of fraud is significantly higher."

Viagogo characterised itself as a "regulated marketplace, in full compliance in the UK and all markets where we operate, with robust security and fraud measures in place." The platform asserted that sellers must adhere to strict policies and that accounts would be suspended or terminated if unlawful activity or user agreement breaches were identified.

The government declined to provide immediate comment when approached.