Which? found that a single Harry Styles ticket with a face value of £200 was listed on StubHub for £3,622. The consumer group said professional touts are preparing to exploit fans, urging the government to deliver on its pledge to cap resale prices.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in November 2024 that the government would 'stop fans from being ripped off' by outlawing resale of tickets for profit. However, Arts Minister Ian Murray told a meeting in Westminster that the measure may not feature in the government's programme of legislation set out by the Monarch on 13 May, contradicting Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy's earlier suggestion that it would be included. Murray referred to other potential legislative avenues such as private members' bills, widely seen as unreliable.
stop fans from being ripped off
A coalition of fan and music industry groups, including management for Arctic Monkeys, Ed Sheeran, and Radiohead, wrote an open letter to Starmer urging him to protect fans. Radiohead, Dua Lipa and Coldplay have also backed the ban. O2 estimates that fans have lost £60 million to touts since the policy was announced.
Ticket touts were making huge sums from the Radio 1 Big Weekend event in Sunderland, with 449 tickets listed on Viagogo and StubHub above face value on 12 March. The most expensive was £622 for a £45 ticket. Despite 90% of tickets being reserved for local people, touts in the Netherlands, Dubai, Hong Kong, and other countries listed them.
updated this accordingly
StubHub said it had failed to flag resale restrictions in error and had 'updated this accordingly'.