The UK government is planning to tackle ticket touts by potentially introducing a price cap on resale websites.

The plans follow comments from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who back in September  confirmed that the government would be consulting on the future of the law in regards to dynamic pricing, which caused mass frustration following the soaring costs of tickets for Oasis’ reunion tour. A large number of tickets were then also listed on resale sites for thousands of pounds.

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Now, culture secretary Lisa Nandy has launched a consultation that she says will end the “misery” of fans being exploited by touts. As reported by The Guardian, this consultation will consider capping resale prices at a 30 percent uplift, and on limiting the number of tickets that resellers can list to match the maximum they are allowed to buy on the primary market. Ministers will also be looking at the dynamic pricing model.

Government plans are also considering legal obligations for resale platforms, so they are held responsible by trading standards and the competition watchdog for the accuracy of information they provide to buyers. The consultation is now open to members of the public, and will close on 4 April 2025 at 11:59pm.

Nandy comments, “The chance to see your favourite musicians or sports team live is something all of us enjoy and everyone deserves a fair shot at getting tickets – but for too long fans have had to endure the misery of touts hoovering up tickets for resale at vastly inflated prices.”

DJ Fatboy Slim has also shared his thoughts on the matter, stating that it is “Great to see money being put back into fans’ pockets instead of resellers.”

Research from YouGov shared in October last year revealed that ticket touts are costing UK music fans an extra £145 million annually. The survey, conducted among music fans over the age of 18, found that ‘almost half’ of gig-goers find it difficult to identify a ticket resale platform, and that approximately one in five tickets end up on a resale platform of some sort.

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