Three touts from foreign countries were behind over three-quarters of more than 1,600 ticket listings placed on Viagogo, an investigation has revealed.
An examination by campaign group FanFair Alliance uncovered resales for nearly 300 shows across 13 venues in Manchester, Salford and Stockport. These included Band On The Wall, Gorilla, Night & Day Cafe, The Star & Garter, YES, Rebellion, New Century and The White Hotel.
Based in Germany, North America and Latvia, the trio of sellers accounted for upwards of 75 per cent of all the secondary platform's listings examined.
Every pass investigated was offered at a price vastly inflated above face value.
The single highest price tag reached £5,899 for Mica Millar's performance at New Century, representing a 19,728 per cent mark-up.
Elsewhere, entry to a 40th anniversary celebration for The Smiths' The Queen Is Dead — featuring drummer Mike Joyce alongside producer Stephen Street — was offered for £549.
The investigation found other tickets were listed in breach of UK consumer law, with bogus details and seller information.
O2 research also found tickets for 2027 Manchester arena tours, including Tame Impala and Gracie Abrams, being listed on uncapped resale websites at more than 1,000 per cent above face value, while tickets for artists including Tinie Tempah and Dizzee Rascal were priced at almost £6,000 each.
Tinie Tempah said: “Seeing tickets for my Manchester show being resold for nearly £6,000 each is crazy. That’s not what live music is about.
“At a time when emerging artists and grassroots venues are working harder than ever to survive, it’s sad to see money being siphoned away by people who contribute nothing to live music but are happy to profit from it. Fans deserve better.”
Mike Joyce from The Smiths said: “Manchester earned its reputation as one of the world’s great music cities through its venues, its artists and the fans who support them, not through ticket touts looking to make a quick profit.
“Seeing tickets for shows being resold for thousands of pounds is outrageous. Fans pay more, artists gain nothing, and venues see none of the benefit. That’s not supporting live music, it’s taking money away from the scene that made Manchester what it is.”
Gareth Griffiths, director of partnerships and sponsorship at Virgin Media O2, said: “O2 is tired of professional ticket touts ripping off music fans, damaging our live music industry, and getting away with it.
“This new research shows just how insidious the ticket touting problem is and that no venue or show is immune to the harm it causes.
“Manchester is one of the greatest music cities in the world. Its health and growth should not be compromised by offshore traders who are sucking money out of the city’s live economy and care only about lining their own pockets. We urge the Government to act quickly and ban ticket touting once and for all.”
FanFair Alliance campaign manager Adam Webb said: “Ticket touts are typically attracted to large, high-demand shows. However, this new research demonstrates how events taking place in independent and grassroots venues are also being targeted.
“What we’re seeing in Manchester is literally the tip of the iceberg, and being replicated at small-scale shows across the UK, Europe and the US. We urge the Prime Minister to make good on his Government’s promise to put fans first and end this industrial-scale rip-off.”
A Viagogo spokesman said: “FanFair Alliance has drawn conclusions from listing prices instead of final sale prices, which include tickets sold as low as £16 for these events.
“Presenting figures in this way is misleading and gives a distorted picture of what fans actually choose to pay.
“The highest prices you see on the platform have not sold yet, and inflated ticket listings are not likely to sell at any point.
“Viagogo takes its obligations under the law seriously and is fully compliant in the UK. Our policies prohibit speculative listings.”
