UK government to ban above-face value ticket resale
Dua Lipa performs as part of her “Radical Optimism Tour” at the Estadio Mas Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on November 8, 2025.
Tomas Cuesta | Getty Images
The UK government is set to ban the resale of live event tickets above face value on Wednesday. According to numerous British media reports, the move includes concerts, major sporting events and theatre.
The move comes as no surprise as the country’s Labor Party, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has previously signaled support for a crackdown on ticketing, citing the issue of inflated resale prices as a major consumer protection issue.
Dozens of artists, including Sam Fender, Dua Lipa and Coldplay, recently signed an open letter urging Starmer to deliver on his promises and impose a cap on resale prices.
Housing Minister Steve Reed said: BBC Breakfast He said the government was “determined to outlaw this”.
The new legislation is expected to impose caps on platform fees and price limits to avoid workarounds that artificially inflate prices using new methods.
ticket seller StubHub Shares closed around 6% on Tuesday following news of the impending ban. Its shares fell 37% last week after it failed to provide guidance when announcing earnings last week.
shares Live Nation EntertainmentTicketmaster owns . Live Nation published a statement Ahead of the expected ban in the UK, it said it “fully supports the UK government’s plan” to currently limit all resales in the UK to value prices. “This is another huge step forward for fans, putting an end to exploitative touts to help keep live events accessible. We encourage others around the world to adopt similar policies that put fans first.”
The move comes as US regulators are scrutinizing bot-based ticket collection, with some investigations focusing on deceptive fee structures and inflated resale prices. The average resale ticket for Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” was over $1,000.
Swift producer and fellow musician Jack Antonoff recently criticized Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino for saying at a CNBC event that concert tickets were underpriced.
“The answer is simple: It should be illegal to sell a ticket for more than its face value.” wrote.
The Federal Trade Commission sued Live Nation and Ticketmaster in September, alleging illegal ticket sales practices. Last year, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster for alleged antitrust violations, claiming the company had a massive monopoly in the ticketing industry. Fan complaints following unsuccessful distribution of Swift’s Eras Tour tickets.
Pressure has increased for more transparent ticket markets for live music, sport and large-scale tours.
