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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Rob Davies

Work intensifying on UK laws to stamp out concert ticket touts, say sources

Mike Joyce Tinie Tempah United Kingdom Smiths Viagogo Lisa Nandy FanFair Alliance New Century StubHub
Tinie Tempah sings into a microphone while raising his leg high on stage
Tinie Tempah performs at the 2026 Boardmasters festival. The rapper said fans and artists deserved better than to see tickets “siphoned away”. Photograph: Hugh R Hastings/Getty Images

The government has stepped up work on new laws to stop ticket touts fleecing fans, as the prime minister came under pressure from artists including the drummer from the Smiths, one of his favourite bands.

Keir Starmer said last year that the government would “stop fans from being ripped off” by outlawing the for-profit resale of tickets on sites such as Viagogo and StubHub, a pledge Labour first made in its 2024 election manifesto.

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