Christopher BarrettAmid concerns the UK Government will significantly delay its long-promised laws to ban ticket touting, artists and industry figures are campaigning for legislation to be included in the King’s Speech.
With the speech scheduled for 13 May, the FanFair Alliance has launched a campaign urging prime minister Keir Starmer to keep the promise he made in November to wipe out industrial-scale ticket touting by making it illegal to resell live events tickets for above the original cost.
The Government’s announcement of the plans won the support of consumer watchdog Which? and the Competition & Markets Authority, with the Government’s own analysis finding that the move would save fans around £112 million per year. According to analysis from O2 and the YouGov institute, the practice is costing music fans alone an estimated £145m per year.
Last month, a report by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee recommended that implementation of such legislation should occur without delay and with robust enforcement.
Campaign posters have been displayed at sites and music venues around the PM’s constituency, including KOKO and the O2 Forum Kentish Town, and FanFair is encouraging artists and fans to get behind a social media post that has already been liked and reposted by acts including The Cure, Ed Sheeran, Mogwai, Mumford & Sons, and Amy McDonald.
The campaign has also won industry-wide support. LIVE CEO Jon Collins spoke of his frustration in response to reports that only a draft bill will be issued in the speech: “The plan to include legislation as a draft risks delaying action by three years, at a cost of nearly £500 million to consumers. Fans have waited long enough for an end to the ticket touting scandal, and there is no need for further consultation. It’s time for Government to deliver on its promise.”
“Action is long overdue,” said UK Music CEO Tom Kiehl.”We need ministers to live up to their promises to cap ticket prices and finally tackle the rampant abuse of the secondary ticketing market”.
Annabella Coldrick, CEO at the Music Managers Forum which founded FanFair, said, “We were told 2026 would be the year of action, not announcements. It’s ridiculous that after a manifesto commitment, full consultation and cross party support this Government doesn’t appear to be able to actually deliver any change.”