UK Ticketing Scalping Ban is Getting Shelved for At Least a Year

Photo Credit: Sandra Tan

The UK’s ticket scalping ban is set to be delayed by at least a year, with only draft legislation likely to be included in next month’s King’s Speech.

A new report from Financial Times revealed that the UK’s ticket tout ban is due to be shelved for a year, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirming that he has no current plans to include a full bill to band ticket scalping in the King’s Speech next month. The news stems from officials concluding that there was insufficient space in the UK parliamentary calendar to include the legislation.

Music industry advocates have been urging the prime minister to fulfill his promise made last November to “stop fans from being ripped off” by banning the resale of tickets to live events at more than their face value. To that end, Starmer pledged a crackdown on scalping and resellers who severely increase the price of tickets to concerts and sports events.

The legislation was expected to feature in the King’s Speech, when King Charles lays out the government’s legislative priorities for the next year. But those familiar with the discussions confirmed that “there are a number of competing aims and restricted space.”

Lawmakers still intend to go ahead with the policy, and a secondary ticketing bill is likely to appear in the King’s Speech. But this will only include draft legislation, sources say, meaning it is unlikely to become law until the 2027-2028 parliament session.

Legislation would aim to cap service fees charged by resale platforms to stop price limits being undermined through hidden costs, as well as make it illegal to resell more tickets than they were entitled to buy in the primary market.

“The government said it would put fans first, but concertgoers have been fleeced by an estimated £60 million since it made its promise to ban ticket touts,” said Gareth Griffiths, Director, Partnerships and Sponsorship at Virgin Media O2.

“If the government truly intends to put fans first, then long-promised legislation to cap resale prices must be included in the King’s Speech,” Adam Webb, Campaign Manager at the FanFair Alliance, added. “A failure to deliver on that manifesto commitment would be devastating, encouraging exploitative touts and under-regulated offshore resale websites to continue fleecing British audiences.”

Notably, major artists including Dua Lipa, Coldplay, and Radiohead have all backed proposals to change the law.