New Government Rules to Ban Ticket Resale Above Face Value

The UK government is set to introduce groundbreaking legislation that will make it illegal to resell tickets for live events above their original face value, aiming to combat the widespread problem of ticket touting. The proposed rules, which will be officially announced by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, will require resale platforms to cap prices at the original ticket cost plus unavoidable service fees.

The measures are designed to protect fans from exorbitant prices on secondary ticket markets, where tickets for popular events like Taylor Swift and Oasis concerts are often sold for multiples of their original cost. The government’s analysis suggests that the average ticket will be £37 cheaper on secondary markets, collectively saving fans approximately £112 million annually.

The legislation will apply to all live events, including concerts, sports, theatre, and comedy shows, and will cover not only dedicated resale platforms but also social media sites like X and Facebook Marketplace. Platforms that fail to comply could face penalties of up to 10% of their global turnover.

While the move has been welcomed by many fans and artists like Dua Lipa and Coldplay, some in the ticketing industry warn it could push transactions to unregulated platforms, potentially increasing fraud. However, supporters argue that the changes will make live events more accessible and affordable for genuine fans.