Britain will ban the resale of tickets for concerts, sport and theatre above their original cost, with ministers set to detail the plan this week following a fan-led backlash over soaring prices on secondary platforms.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said it intends to end industrial‑scale ticket touting, estimating the change will make resale tickets £37 cheaper on average and save fans collectively £112m per year. Resale platforms will have a legal duty to monitor and enforce the new rules, and service fees will be capped to prevent hidden charges bypassing the limit. The Competition and Markets Authority is expected to enforce compliance.

Housing minister Steve Reed told BBC News that touting was “hugely damaging for individuals having to pay through the nose for tickets,” adding: “We are committed to ending the scandal of ticket touts.” Radiohead, Coldplay and Dua Lipa were among artists who last week urged the government to “stop touts from fleecing fans” and restore trust in ticketing.

The move follows a consultation that considered allowing resale up to 30 per cent above face value, but multiple reports said ministers will set the cap at the original price. The Guardian reported that anyone selling a ticket “will not be allowed to charge more than they paid for it,” with extras limited and platforms held liable if sellers break the law. Sky News and the Financial Times also reported a face‑value cap, noting that shares in StubHub fell almost 14 per cent after details emerged.

Secondary platforms criticised the proposals. A spokesperson for StubHub International said: “With a price cap on regulated marketplaces, ticket transactions will move to black markets. When a regulated market becomes a black market, only bad things happen for consumers. Fraud, fear, and zero recourse.” Viagogo said “price caps have repeatedly failed fans,” arguing that “in countries like Ireland and Australia, fraud rates are nearly four times higher than in the UK as price caps push consumers towards unregulated sites.”

Campaigners countered that current markups often exceed 50 per cent, with Trading Standards finding tickets resold for up to six times face value. Rocio Concha, director of policy and advocacy at Which?, said the plan would “rein in professional touts and put tickets back in the hands of real fans.” Live Nation Entertainment said it “fully supports” banning resale above face value and already limits resale in the UK.

Dame Caroline Dinenage, chair of the culture, media and sport committee, said: “This action to crack down on unscrupulous sellers is long overdue but welcome,” adding that she hoped it signalled openness to further steps to support live performance.

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