Ministers have intensified work on new laws aimed at stopping ticket touts from profiting at the expense of music fans, government sources told reporters. The move comes as several high-profile artists renewed calls for the government to follow through on a manifesto commitment to ban for-profit resale of tickets.
Artists including rapper Tinie Tempah and Mike Joyce, drummer of the Smiths, have stepped up pressure on the prime minister and ministers to keep the promise. Keir Starmer pledged last year that his government would "stop fans from being ripped off" by prohibiting the for-profit resale of tickets on secondary platforms, a policy first set out in Labour's 2024 election manifesto.
The pledge targets commercial resale on sites such as Viagogo and StubHub, which critics say enable scalpers to buy tickets and sell them at sharply inflated prices. According to the sources, officials are now working to translate the commitment into enforceable legislation, although the detail and timetable for any bill have not been made public.
Supporters of tighter controls say the measures are intended to protect consumers and preserve fair access to live events, while opponents warn of potential legal and commercial complications in regulating secondary markets. Any forthcoming proposals are likely to prompt debate among artists, promoters, consumer groups and the ticketing industry about how best to balance access, competition and enforcement.
Further engagement with stakeholders is expected as the government develops its approach, the sources added, and ministers will face scrutiny from campaigners and performers keen to see rapid progress. The issue remains politically sensitive given public frustration over ticket prices and the high profile of performers lobbying for change.