The United Kingdom plans to ban ticket reselling for profit

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The U.K. is getting ready to enact a major new law to crack down on ticket scalping. It will be illegal to resell tickets to concerts, comedy shows, plays, and sporting events if you’re making a profit from it.

Following a public appeal from musicians including Dua Lipa, Coldplay, Sam Fender, Radiohead, and the Cure, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is set to unveil a plan that will limit the resale of event tickets to their original price, plus a small fee.

This change is expected to reduce ticket prices by about £37 ($49), potentially saving fans a total of £112 million ($147 million) annually. Fans will still be able to resell tickets for events they can’t make it to, but they won’t be able to significantly increase the price.

Music

The lawsuit alleges that Live Nation deceived investors by stating it doesn’t act in ways that would invite an antitrust case.

Ticket prices in the U.K. have come under scrutiny following the recent announcement of an Oasis reunion tour. The way Ticketmaster sets prices – a system called “dynamic pricing” – came under fire when fans saw ticket costs increase rapidly as they tried to purchase them online. This is a separate issue from ticket reselling, but it demonstrated how quickly prices can change based on demand.

People who weren’t able to buy tickets directly often had to pay much higher prices on resale websites like Viagogo and Stubhub. This led the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority to investigate whether Ticketmaster was following the rules designed to protect customers.

Music

Oasis’ recent concerts at the Rose Bowl were a welcome event for a city looking for a reason to celebrate. One fan explained, “People just need a little joy, and seeing one of the best rock bands ever is a great way to get it.”

Steve Reed, the U.K.’s Housing Secretary, explained to the BBC that buying tickets just to resell them at a higher price is really harmful, as it forces people to pay much more than they should.

Prior to the official announcement, Live Nation Entertainment, Ticketmaster’s parent company, stated they already limit resale prices in the U.K. to the original price. They described the new proposal as a significant benefit for concertgoers.

The company recently switched to a single, upfront price in the U.S. to eliminate confusing fees. They report this change has been a success, making things clearer for customers and actually boosting sales for artists, with fewer shoppers leaving items in their online carts before completing a purchase.

Hollywood Inc.

The Federal Trade Commission has filed a lawsuit alleging that Ticketmaster and Live Nation illegally bought out ticket brokers and misled customers about pricing.

Live Nation is being sued by the U.S. government in a major antitrust case, claiming the company has unfairly controlled the live entertainment market. This legal action follows recent Senate discussions sparked by problems fans experienced when trying to buy tickets for Taylor Swift’s Eras tour. Earlier this year, former President Trump directed efforts to combat expensive and unfair ticket reselling, and in September, the Federal Trade Commission sued both Ticketmaster and Live Nation, accusing them of breaking the law with their ticket resale practices.

In September, FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson stated that live entertainment in the United States is unmatched globally and should be affordable for everyone. He believes that events like baseball games and concerts shouldn’t be prohibitively expensive for families.

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2025-11-18 22:31