The U.K. government is set to ban reselling concert tickets above face value following pressure from artists including Dua Lipa, Coldplay, the Cure, Radiohead, and Sam Fender, who signed an open letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer urging action against ticket touting. The musicians asked government officials to take action to “restore faith in the ticketing system” and “help democratize public access to the arts.” Under the proposed plan, resale of tickets for live music, theater, comedy and sports events will be allowed only up to the original purchase price with minimal extra fees, aiming to reduce ticket costs by an average of £37 ($48) and save fans £112 million ($137 million) annually. Resale platforms will be legally required to enforce these rules, addressing widespread ticket price inflation seen at major events like Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and Oasis’ reunion shows, which even prompted a government investigation into Ticketmaster’s consumer practices. (Variety)
