In a rare show of unity, some of the United Kingdom’s most celebrated musicians—including Coldplay, Dua Lipa, Radiohead, and Sam Fender—have banded together with industry leaders and consumer groups to demand urgent government action on ticket touting. Their call comes as fans continue to face sky-high prices and questionable practices when trying to attend live events, from music concerts to major sporting fixtures.
The coalition’s message, delivered in a joint statement on November 13, 2025, is clear: it’s time for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his Labour government to honor their election pledge to protect fans from online scalpers, also known as touts, by introducing a legal cap on ticket resale prices. More than 40 artists, including The Cure’s Robert Smith, New Order, Mark Knopfler, Iron Maiden, PJ Harvey, and Mercury Prize winner Sam Fender, have signed the statement. They’re joined by organizations such as Which?, FanFair Alliance, O2, and the Football Supporters’ Association, as well as representatives from the music and theatre industries, venues, managers, and ticket retailers.
The artists’ appeal follows Labour’s 2024 general election manifesto promise to crack down on touts who use bots to snap up tickets the moment they go on sale, only to resell them at inflated prices on secondary platforms. Although the government launched a public consultation in January 2025—considering options for a resale price cap, ranging from face value to a 30% uplift—seven months have passed since the consultation closed, and there’s still no clear sign of when new laws will be introduced.
“For too long certain resale platforms have allowed touts to bulk buy and then resell tickets at inflated prices, forcing fans to either pay above the odds or miss out entirely,” the coalition’s statement reads, as reported by Billboard. “This erodes trust in the live events sector and undermines the efforts of artists and organisers to make shows accessible and affordable. Introducing a cap will restore faith in the ticketing system, help democratise public access to the arts in line with the Government’s agenda and make it easier for fans to spot illegal behaviour, such as ticketing fraud.”
The urgency behind this campaign is underscored by a new investigation from Which?, the consumer watchdog, which found that international scalpers—operating from countries including Brazil, Dubai, Singapore, Spain, and the United States—are using sophisticated methods to buy up tickets for UK events in bulk. These tickets are then relisted at astronomical prices on secondary sites like StubHub and Viagogo. For instance, tickets to see Oasis at Wembley Stadium were listed for up to £3,498.85 on StubHub and £4,442 on Viagogo, according to Sky News. A seat for the Minnesota Vikings vs Cleveland Browns NFL match at Tottenham Hotspur was found for £3,568.39 on StubHub, while a Coldplay ticket at Wembley reached £814.52. One particularly egregious example: an All Points East festival ticket, headlined by Raye, appeared on Viagogo for a staggering £114,666.
But it’s not just the prices that are the problem. Which? also found that buyers often struggle to identify or contact sellers, despite a 2018 court order that required Viagogo to reveal the identity of traders. There’s also the issue of speculative selling—where tickets are listed on secondary sites at double the price, even though the seller doesn’t yet own them. This practice was observed with tickets to a Busted vs McFly show in Glasgow, which were simultaneously available through Ticketmaster and being offered on StubHub and Viagogo at much higher prices.
According to the Competition and Markets Authority, tickets sold on the resale market are typically marked up by more than 50%. The government’s January 2025 consultation floated the idea of a cap of up to 30% above face value, but no firm decision has been made public. Dan Smith of Bastille, one of the signatories, told the BBC: “It seems crazy that fans aren’t protected from price hikes, when countries like Ireland and Australia have introduced caps on ticket resales. It’s not surprising that the idea of a price cap has such widespread support from bands and artists. With the support of the government we can all move to a situation where people no longer get ripped off by touts and genuine fans can easily resell unwanted tickets for their original price.”
Consumer law expert Lisa Webb from Which? emphasized the broad consensus for change, stating, “Today’s joint statement makes clear that artists, fan organisations and consumers reject the broken ticketing market that has allowed touts to thrive for too long. The Prime Minister pledged to protect fans and a price cap on resold tickets will be a critical step towards fixing this industry, but he must commit to this legislation by including it in the next King’s Speech.” Webb added that further reforms are needed to ensure sellers actually own the tickets they advertise before listing them, that resale platforms verify seller identities and ticket details, and that new rules are effectively enforced.
The government, for its part, insists it is “fully committed to clamping down on touts” and says it has listened to the evidence submitted in response to its consultation. A Department for Culture spokesperson told the BBC: “This government is fully committed to clamping down on touts and is going further to put fans back at the heart of live events. We have carefully considered evidence provided in response to our consultation earlier this year and will set out our plans shortly.”
Resale platforms like Viagogo and StubHub, however, have pushed back against the idea of price caps. In a statement to Sky News, Viagogo argued that caps have “repeatedly failed fans”, claiming they push consumers towards unregulated websites and social media, where the risk of fraud is higher. “Most sellers use Viagogo to resell a few spare tickets—73% sold fewer than five in 2023,” the company said. They also pointed to examples where resale prices were below face value, such as Beyoncé’s London tickets listed for under £75. Viagogo’s suggested solution is “open ticketing”, which would connect primary and resale platforms in real time to verify tickets and combat illegal bot activity. “Opening the market to greater competition also helps drive prices down as more platforms compete on prices, fees and services,” the company added.
Financial institutions, represented by UK Finance, have also cautioned the government about the risks of price caps, warning that such measures could inadvertently increase fraud. They are urging a formal risk assessment before any reforms are introduced.
Meanwhile, the issue of ticket touting isn’t unique to music. In football’s Premier League, where ticket resales are strictly forbidden to maintain stadium segregation, the BBC uncovered a thriving black market with tickets changing hands for tens of thousands of pounds.
While the government promises to announce its plans “shortly”, pressure is mounting from all sides. Artists, fans, and consumer advocates are united in their demand for a fairer ticketing system—one that keeps live events accessible and affordable, and puts an end to the era of extortionate mark-ups and shadowy sellers.
As the next King’s Speech approaches, all eyes are on Downing Street to see whether the government will finally deliver on its promise and bring real change to the UK’s live events industry.
