In a powerful collective statement, 38 of the UK's most prominent musicians have issued a direct plea to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, urging his government to honour its election manifesto pledge and take decisive action against ticket touts.
The artists, including global superstar Dua Lipa, rock giants Coldplay, and iconic figures like Robert Smith of The Cure, have labelled the current secondary ticketing market as "extortionate and pernicious" for British music fans.
The Call for a Hard Cap
The coordinated appeal, signed on 13th November 2025, calls for the Prime Minister to use the next king's speech to commit to a "hard cap" on resale prices. This measure would directly address tickets being resold on secondary websites for, in some cases, more than triple their original face value.
Other notable signatories include Iron Maiden, Johnny Marr, Sam Fender, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, PJ Harvey, Nick Mason of Pink Floyd, Mogwai, and New Order.
The artists' statement argues that the current system is fundamentally broken. "For too long, certain resale platforms have allowed touts to bulk buy and then resell tickets at inflated prices, forcing fans to either pay above the odds or miss out entirely," it reads.
Industry Resistance and Political Pressure
The government is currently finalising a review on how to tackle the issue, with its findings expected to be published within weeks. Among the proposals being considered is a hard cap limiting resale prices to somewhere between the original face value and a maximum 30% increase.
However, the proposals are facing significant pushback. Secondary ticketing companies claim that such caps would increase the risk of fraud for consumers. This resistance was further highlighted by a Guardian undercover investigation, which reportedly caught the UK's biggest touts planning their own political influence campaign to fight the proposed measure.
The artists remain steadfast, stating that a cap is essential to protect the live events ecosystem. They contend that the exploitative secondary market "erodes trust in the live events sector and undermines the efforts of artists and organisers to make shows accessible and affordable."
