Keir Starmer vows to “stamp out ticket touts for good” in open letter to live music fans

Keir Starmer has written directly to live music fans promising to “stamp out ticket touts for good”, saying a crackdown on re-sellers will happen “as quickly as possible” and that he welcomes “British artists coming out in defence of their fans”.

The Prime Minister’s letter, shared exclusively with NME, lands amid months of stalled timelines, industry pressure and fresh research showing how much fans are being overcharged on secondary sites.

Labour first put the issue in its 2024 manifesto with a pledge to “put fans back at the heart of events by introducing new consumer protections on ticket resales”. In January 2025 the government said it would impose a price cap on secondary-ticket sales and launched an official consultation into the industry and controversial ‘dynamic pricing’ practices.

The consultation ran from January 10 until April 4, but by last November no concrete plans had emerged, prompting artists and managers to press the government to keep its promise. High-profile figures such as Radiohead, Sam Fender and Dua Lipa had already publicly urged action, and a later open letter gained signatures from management for Arctic Monkeys, Ed Sheeran, Fontaines D.C., Keane, Nick Cave and Radiohead.

Days after that pressure, the government reaffirmed plans for a price cap on secondary sales as a way to “protect fans from rip-off prices”. At the time Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told NME the measures would be set out in the King’s Speech and would need to “pass both the Houses of Lords and Parliament to become law”.

Now Starmer has put the policy back into plain language for the people being hit hardest: gig-goers. In his letter he frames the UK as “the birthplace of current superstars” like Olivia Dean, Adele, Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa, and stresses the economic value of music for jobs and local economies.

To all live music fans,

I grew up with music all around me. I listened to it at home. I played the flute, piano, recorder and violin. And I also know there is nothing quite like the atmosphere and feeling of watching live music.

Even now as Prime Minister, to wind down at the end of a long day I will put music on with the family. So I know firsthand how important it is to the people of this country – one that is the birthplace of current superstars from your industry like Olivia Dean, Adele, Ed Sheeran, and Dua Lipa – that they are able to afford the escape of going to a live event such as a concert or a gig at the end of a long week.

And our creative industries are booming. I’ve made them one of the eight sectors of our Modern Industrial Strategy so that we can keep backing you with big commitments from government. You are an engine for economic renewal across our country, bringing billions into the British economy, creating jobs and opportunity.

I have made a commitment to put fans first, and working with the Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy I will make sure this happens as quickly as possible.

The crowd at Reading 2023. Credit: Andy Ford for NME

We will crackdown on ruthless ticket touts preying on music fans by selling tickets for exorbitant and unaffordable prices, stopping them from seeing their favourite artists. Let me get that straight.

We will protect fans so they can keep more of their hard-earned cash, by making it illegal for tickets to live events to be resold for more than their original cost.

And I want to make it clear that I welcome British artists coming out in defence of their fans, who spend this hard-earned cash day in day out to follow them to venues around the country.

If we are going to crack down on unscrupulous ticket touts and really put fans first, we must work with groups and people across the sector – including fans, performers and campaigners – as well as parliamentarians to ensure we get it right the first time and make the lasting change you want and deserve.

And that is what we will do. We will make progress on the legislation to protect fans and create a policy that will stand the test of time. This is the first step to stamping touts out for good.

The crowd for Declan McKenna live at Reading 2023. Credit: Andy Ford for NME

That pledge arrives as new research from consumer watchdog Which? underlines the stakes. Their analysis found that without government action fans could be slugged for as much as £24 million over the summer through inflated reseller listings on sites such as StubHub and Viagogo.

Which? singled out big-name tours as especially vulnerable: touts could rake in an estimated £6.6 million from tickets for Harry Styles alone. The charity discovered examples of extreme markups — tickets with a face value of £200 listed for £3,622; BTS tickets originally £450 being advertised for £4,872; and Ariana Grande tickets worth £135 appearing on resale sites for more than £2,800.

The average markups they calculated were eye-watering: 274 percent for Grande, 312 percent for BTS and 159 percent for Styles. Which? also notes that while not every seller on these platforms is a profiteer, the touts on those sites are expected to make about £18.5 million of the total figure over the summer.

When the government confirmed plans to make it illegal to resell tickets above their original cost, it said the new rules would cover live music, sports, comedy and theatre and would, on average, make resold gig tickets roughly £37 cheaper and collectively save fans around £112 million a year. Massive extra fees from secondary sellers would be targeted too.

The crowd for Sam Fender at Reading 2023. Credit: Andy Ford for NME

“Finally, we’re here,” Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told NME when the plans were announced. “We promised when we were elected that it would be time up for ticket touts. It’s a good day.”

She explained the practical side for gig-goers: people would still be able to re-sell tickets, but only at the price they originally paid. “You do get lots of people who later find that they can’t go to a gig or sporting event, and we want to make sure that they can still sell their ticket. They won’t be able to add on any more money than they paid, but they will be able to get their money back.”

Elsewhere this year the government confirmed support for live music venues after backlash over proposed business rates, and plans were announced for a new ethical ticket resale platform developed in partnership with Music Venue Trust.

Starmer has previously spoken about support for grassroots music. In an interview with NME last August he backed a £1 ticket levy — already adopted on major tours by the likes of Coldplay, Katy Perry, Sam Fender and Mumford & Sons — as a way to funnel funds back into the venues where many artists start. “I’m very supportive of this initiative,” he said, adding that grassroots spaces are “where a lot of people access their music” and that he would like to see the levy expanded.

For fans who have watched ticket resale drama unfold for years, the letter is a direct reassurance from Downing Street that the government is still planning a legal fix. Whether the promises crystallise into enforceable laws that weather the passage through Parliament remains the question, but for the moment the messaging is unmistakable: the Prime Minister says tackling profiteering re-sales is a priority, and he wants artists and fans on board as he tries to make it happen.