In a bid to crack down on commercial resellers and resale platforms such as StubHub, the UK government is set to announce this week that it will ban the resale of concert and live performance tickets that cost more than face value. Financial Times' report.
The decision came after dozens of British artists, including Dua Lipa, Coldplay And Radioheadhas called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to make good on Labour's election manifesto pledge to crack down on “extortionist and harmful” websites.
Under the new plans, expected to be announced on Wednesday (November 19), no one selling tickets will be able to charge more than the price paid for the ticket, and resale platforms will only be able to charge commission on top of the original price. All those who resell tickets will also not be allowed to resell more than the limits set by the original box office company.
The ban will also affect the resale of tickets on social networks. Guardian citing resale platforms' concerns that social media will become a breeding ground for the sale of counterfeit tickets if online ticket exchanges remain unregulated.
The news raises the question of whether the ban will prompt resale platforms to leave the UK, as they may struggle to survive on additional fees alone. These nonessential ticketing companies are hitting back, saying the proposal will lead to more fraud. A StubHub International spokesperson said: “Due to price caps on regulated marketplaces, ticket transactions will shift to black markets.”
