Radiohead, Coldplay, and Other Major UK Artists Call for Ticket Price Cap

Over 40 major artists and organizations in the UK have signed an open letter demanding the Labour government make good on its vow to cap resale ticket prices. Artists on the letter include Radiohead, Dua Lipa, Iron Maiden, and Robert Smith of The Cure. Participating organizations include venue giant O2 and Music Venue Trust.

The letter:

• UK consumer rights group Which? published the letter.

• The organization recently found that scalpers in locations outside the UK, such as Brazil, the US, and Dubai, have been hoarding tickets to majorly upsell them on Stubhub and Viagogo.

• The most egregious example was a ticket for All Points East in London, headlined by RAYE. The listing was priced at £114,666 ($150,548) on Viagogo.

• Buyers had trouble contacting sellers despite legislation passed in the UK in 2018 requiring transparency in sellers’ identities.

• Which? Also found tickets on third-party sites even if their sellers hadn’t purchased them yet from the primary distributor.

• UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised to address resale prices during his campaign.

What they said:

• Lisa Webb, Which? Consumer Law Expert: “Today’s joint statement makes clear that artists, fan organizations, and consumers reject the broken ticketing market that has allowed touts to thrive for too long. The Prime Minister pledged to protect fans, and a price cap on resold tickets will be a critical step towards fixing this industry, but he must commit to this legislation by including it in the next King’s Speech. Further reforms are also needed to ensure sellers actually own the tickets they advertise before listing them, that resale platforms ensure the identities of sellers and key information about a ticket are verified, and that the new rules are effectively enforced.”