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Dua Lipa, Coldplay, and other popular musicians are urging the UK government to take action against ticket touts who resell concert tickets at extremely high prices. More than 40 artists, including Sam Fender, Radiohead, and The Cure, have signed a letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, asking him to keep his promise to protect fans from unfair ticket resales. The musicians want the government to set a limit on how much tickets can be resold for, so fans are not forced to pay much more than the original price.

The issue of ticket touting has been a problem for years, with many fans complaining that they cannot afford to see their favorite artists because tickets are bought up quickly and resold at huge markups. Earlier this year, the government launched a public consultation to gather opinions on how to tackle the problem. They said they wanted to stop touts from buying large numbers of tickets and selling them for much more money. However, seven months after the consultation ended, there has been no sign of new laws being introduced.

Research by Which? magazine found that tickets for Oasis at Wembley Stadium were being listed for as much as £4,442, far above the original price. The Competition and Market Authority (CMA) also found that tickets on resale sites are usually marked up by more than 50%. The government has considered a price cap of up to 30%, but nothing has been decided yet. Dan Smith from Bastille said it is unfair that fans are not protected from these price increases, especially when countries like Ireland and Australia have already introduced caps. He believes that with government support, fans could resell unwanted tickets for the price they paid, without being ripped off.

The Department for Culture said the government is committed to stopping touts and putting fans first. They are reviewing the evidence from the consultation and will announce their plans soon. The consultation also suggested limiting the number of tickets that resellers can offer. In their letter, artists like PJ Harvey, Mark Knopfler, Amy MacDonald, Iron Maiden, and Nick Cave joined consumer groups in asking the government to respond quickly and include a price cap in the next King's Speech. They believe this would restore trust in the ticketing system and make it easier for everyone to access live events.

Coldplay played a record-breaking ten nights at Wembley Stadium this summer, but many fans had to pay inflated prices to attend. Which? found that sellers from countries like Brazil, Dubai, Singapore, Spain, and the US were buying tickets for popular events and reselling them at higher prices on sites like StubHub and Viagogo. It is often difficult for fans to know who the seller is or to contact them, even though the CMA ordered Viagogo to reveal the identity of traders in 2018.

Which? also discovered speculative selling, where tickets are listed for sale before the seller has even bought them. Lisa Webb, a consumer law expert, said the joint statement from artists and fan groups shows that people are unhappy with the current ticketing market, which has allowed touts to profit for too long.

Resale sites like Viagogo and StubHub argue that a price cap could push buyers towards unregulated sites and social media, increasing the risk of fraud. In football's Premier League, ticket resales are banned to maintain safety in stadiums, but a black market still exists, with tickets selling for thousands of pounds. Viagogo claims most sellers are fans who cannot use their tickets, and that price caps would only strengthen Ticketmaster's control over the market. StubHub says it has strict measures to protect consumers, including a money-back guarantee, but does not support price caps. They believe more can be done to improve standards for all ticket buyers.