Which?, fan and music industry groups and management for some of the world’s biggest artists are urging the government not to U-turn on plans for a ticket resale price cap, as new research from the consumer champion shows touts could fleece fans for £24 million this summer.

The latest research from Which? underlines the scale of the rip-off music fans face without government action to shut down online ticket touts. The consumer champion looked at reseller listings on StubHub and Viagogo across 66 artists - including Ariana Grande and BTS - between April and September this year.

By comparing the face value of tickets with their inflated listings by third-party sellers on resale sites, Which? researchers calculated that resellers could make almost £24 million this summer. This figure breaks down as £13.3 million from listings on StubHub and £10.2 million from Viagogo.

Harry Styles fans will be hit especially hard as resellers could make £6.6 million from his live shows. Which? researchers found a single Harry Styles ticket with a face value of £200 listed on StubHub for an eye-watering £3,622.

Fans of other major artists such as Ariana Grande and BTS could be stung for £4.9 million and £1.3 million respectively. Which? found that a single BTS ticket with a face value of £450 was listed for £4,872 on StubHub, and an Ariana Grande ticket worth £135 was listed for £2,832 on StubHub.

The average markup prices for these artists are as follows:

• Ariana Grande: 274%

• BTS: 312%

• Harry Styles: 159%

While not every seller on these platforms is a professional tout, Which? researchers worked out that professional resellers could account for £18.5 million - a huge chunk of the total value.

The government announced plans for a price cap in November 2025, days after Which? joined forces with fan and music groups, and artists including Coldplay and Dua Lipa called for the measure. In an interview with the NME, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy suggested legislation would be included in next month’s King’s Speech.

But concerns have grown that the issue may have slipped down the government’s priority list after Arts Minister Ian Murray told a meeting of Westminster’s Ticket Abuse APPG that plans to protect fans may not feature in its programme of legislation set out by the Monarch.

A coalition of fan and music industry groups has written an open letter to the Prime Minister urging him to deliver on his manifesto commitment to protect fans. Signatories are:

• AEG

• ATC Management (Radiohead, Nick Cave)

• AXS Europe

• Everybody’s (Keane)

• Featured Artist Coalition

• Fan Fair Alliance

• Grumpy Old Management (Ed Sheeran)

• Kilimanjaro Live

• LIVE

• Live Nation

• Music Manager’s Forum

• Music Venue Trust

• National Arenas Association

• O2

• ROAM

• Save Our Scene

• Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre

• Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers

• The O2

• Ticketmaster

• UK Music

• Wildlife Entertainment (Arctic Monkeys, Fontaines DC)

The letter states: “The predatory tactics used by touts, often operating overseas, are distorting the live events sector and causing significant harm to UK fans who are consistently excluded from attending shows due to exorbitant prices. Culture should be accessible to all.

“Fans now need a parliamentary timetable that guarantees delivery of these important protections. Including the Bill in the King’s Speech is the only way to do so. Without this formal commitment, the public will see this as yet another Government U-turn.”

Lisa Webb, Which? Consumer Law Expert, said:

“Our research shows professional ticket touts are preparing to make millions this summer by exploiting true music fans - a reminder of why new laws for a price cap on ticket resales are so urgently needed.

“The government promised to put fans first and make music and live events affordable for all. Backtracking on this promise without a clear timetable for legislation would be a gift to touts and a slap in the face for fans.

“The Prime Minister must shut down online ticket touts for good by including price cap legislation in next month’s King’s Speech.”

📸 Photo by: @lxkiya_