Stop concert tickets being sold above face value, govt told

The government has been urged to ban the resale of concert tickets above face value after fans reported feeling "neglected and ripped off". 

A review of live and electronic music commissioned by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee also calls for a government and industry-backed Music Fan Association, similar to one set up for football fans.

Review chairman Lord Brennan said: "Over the last year we've given a voice to fans of all different music types and genres from across the country, and they've told us loud and clear that often they feel neglected and ripped off.

"Sharp commercial practices and impersonal service are now all too prevalent in the music world and point to an industry that fails to treat its fans, the lifeblood of the sector, with respect."

The report called on the government to commit to a fans' charter made up of 50 recommendations to improve the live music industry.

Speaking at a launch event at the Le Pub live music venue in Newport, south Wales, Lord Brennan added: "From establishing a proper representative body to give fans more clout and ending the ticketing rip-off, to improving access for disabled gig goers and venue safety, it's time for all involved in music to turn the volume dial up to 11 in favour of the fans."

Recommendations in the charter include the government ensuring tiered ticket pricing is "clearly communicated in advance and applied transparently", and that the industry continues to "resist the introduction of dynamic surge pricing".

The report reads: "Fans across the review had a negative perception ... of major online ticketing platforms. They felt that the big agencies did not treat fans fairly, that ticket prices were too high, and that little was being done to deal with bots and online ticket touts."

A survey conducted as part of the review found changing ticket prices led to fans feeling "heightened levels of stress, fear of missing out and pressure to make unaffordable decisions".

The report said venues should be required to provide free earplugs and drinking water and they should publish clear start and finish times for sets as standard to ensure fans are able to plan their journeys to and from concerts in advance.

The review also said venues should work towards allocating a minimum of 2% of their total capacity to wheelchair accessible spaces.

It comes after an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) into the prices for the Oasis concerts held last year.

The investigation found Ticketmaster did not offer fans enough clarity on pricing.

As a result of that investigation, Ticketmaster committed to implementing a series of changes to its sales practices.

(c) Sky News 2026: Stop concert tickets being sold above face value, govt told