Government to investigate ticket touting

The Departments for Business and Trade and Culture, Media and Sport are to open a consultation into ticket touting this autumn.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds announced the plan on last Friday (16 August). In a video posted to Twitter/X, and using several puns derived from Taylor Swift lyrics, he said the government would introduce new consumer protections on ticket resales and find the best way to tackle touting.

“We’re going to put a stop to ticket touting, to protect consumers, businesses and the artists and sports players who work so hard,” Reynolds, Labour MP for Stalybridge and Hyde, said. “This government will find a solution.”

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Ticket touting refers to buying tickets for an event and selling them on at an often considerably higher price. Most touts operate via social media or through leading secondary ticket websites and, in many cases, acquire the tickets they sell unlawfully or fraudulently.

Research into the impact of touting conducted by FanFair Alliance found music fans who purchase overly expensive tickets on the secondary market spend less on recorded music, merchandise and attending other concerts.

“The market distortion caused by secondary ticketing also has a deep cultural impact,” analysis on the alliance’s website says. “Music is a commercial business, but the future prosperity of music depends upon live performances being accessible to the widest possible audiences – and to young audiences in particular.”

'The uncapped market'

The Labour Party pledged to introduce consumer protections on ticket resales as part of its election manifesto.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer outlined the commitment during the Labour Creatives Conference in March, where he said: “We can’t let access to culture be at the mercy of ticket touts who drive up the prices. So, a Labour government will cap resale prices so fans can see the acts that they love at a fair price. Arts for the people and by the people.”

The former Conservative government decided last year not to implement proposals made by the Competition and Markets Authority in a 2021 report which called for legislative changes that would clamp down on touts and protect consumers. In a letter outlining the decision, the Department for Business and Trade said: “The uncapped market may still provide a service of value to some consumers.”

Scams on the rise

Earlier this year, a report by Lloyds Bank estimated Taylor Swift fans lost around £1m through ticket scams ahead of the UK leg of her current tour. The bank said over 600 customers had reported scams, losing an average of £332, and concluded that if other banks had similar figures, there were probably at least 3,000 incidents across the UK.

The report added that scams involving major music concerts had increased by 158% in 2023 compared to the year before, with 90% of those reported originating on Facebook.

While reports of scams often centre on concerts, other venues and performance types are affected. Last week, Norwich Theatre issued a warning to its audiences regarding the purchase of resold tickets after noticing an upswing of scams on both its own profiles and on social media.