Music giants Dua Lipa, Coldplay call for action on UK ticket touts
A group of high-profile music stars has united to urge the UK government to fulfill its election manifesto promise to protect fans from ticket touts who inflate prices for concerts. Artists including Coldplay, Dua Lipa, Radiohead, Sam Fender, and Iron Maiden are among dozens who have added their names to a joint statement calling for urgent legislation to cap resale prices.
The initiative has also gained support from consumer group Which?, campaign group FanFair Alliance, The Football Supporters’ Association, and several music and theatre industry organizations. The joint statement described the secondary ticketing market as “extortionate and pernicious,” allowing touts to exploit fans with exorbitantly priced tickets.
“Introducing a cap will restore faith in the ticketing system, help democratize public access to the arts in line with the government’s agenda, and make it easier for fans to identify illegal practices such as ticket fraud,” the statement said.
The ruling Labour Party, elected in July 2024, had pledged in its manifesto to introduce stronger consumer protections. While a government consultation launched in January considered the possibility of capping resale prices, legislation has yet to be introduced.
Investigations by Which? have revealed that international touting operations are targeting vulnerabilities in the UK’s ticketing sector. For example, tickets for the British rock group Oasis’s comeback tour at Wembley Stadium this summer were listed for over £4,000 ($5,200) on the resale platform Viagogo. In one extreme case, a ticket for London’s All Points East music festival was advertised for £114,666.
Adam Webb, Campaign Manager at FanFair Alliance, which has campaigned on the issue since 2016, emphasized the financial impact of online ticket touts, which cost UK fans “hundreds of millions of pounds” annually. Webb said that capping ticket resale prices is the only pragmatic way to address the problem, a measure that has already been successfully implemented in countries including Ireland and Australia.
Supporters argue that a resale price cap would level the playing field for fans, reduce illegal activity, and make live events more accessible. They insist that the government act quickly to introduce legislation to ensure that attending concerts and events does not remain a privilege for the wealthy but becomes accessible to all who wish to participate.
With the music industry and fans increasingly vocal about the issue, pressure is mounting on the government to follow through on its pledge and curb the exploitation that has become widespread in the secondary ticketing market.
