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Ticket touting officially banned to protect fans from rip-offs

No more extortionate resale tickets.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 19th November 2025

The government has officially banned ticket touting, making it illegal for tickets to be resold at inflated prices.

The new measures will destroy the operating model of ticket touts, who snap up tickets for theatre, sport and live music, then sell them on the secondary value for far more than their face value.

Oftentimes, touts use automated bots to buy large volumes of tickets at once, taking them away from real fans.

The government says it’s caused misery for millions of fans and damaged the live events industry.

But now, the practice is being banned, with the government making it illegal to sell tickets above face value (plus unavoidable fees like service charges).

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Resale platforms will also have their service fees capped, and they’ll have a legal duty to monitor and enforce compliance with the price cap.

Individuals will also be banned from reselling more tickets than they were entitled to buy in the initial ticket sale.

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Culture secretary Lisa Nandy said: “For too long, ticket touts have ripped off fans, using bots to snap up batches of tickets and resell them at sky-high prices. They’ve become a shadow industry on resale sites, acting without consequence.

“This government is putting fans first. Our new proposals will shut down the touts’ racket and make world-class music, comedy, theatre and sport affordable for everyone.”

Business Secretary Peter Kyle added: “The UK is home to a brilliant range of music, entertainers and sporting stars – but when fans are shut out – it only benefits the touts. That’s why we’re taking these bold measures to smash their model to pieces and make sure more fans can enjoy their favourite stars at a fair price.”

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Dan Smith, lead singer of Bastille – who have been part of the campaign against ticket touting – said: “It’s such great news that the government has stepped up and introduced a price cap on resale tickets – something I’ve been campaigning for alongside O2 and the FanFair Alliance for a long time.

“It’s a good step towards protecting music fans from being ripped off and will allow more genuine fans to see their favourite artists perform at face value prices. I am welcoming a world where there are no more resellers snapping up all of the tickets and massively inflating their prices.”

According to analysis by the CMA, typical mark-ups on secondary market tickets exceed 50%, whilst investigations by Trading Standards has uncovered evidence of tickets being resold for up to six times their original cost.

It’s believed these new measures against ticket touts could save fans around £112 million annually, freeing up around 900,000 more tickets from the primary ticket sellers each year.

The use of strategies like dynamic pricing has also been a major source of frustration for fans – such as the method used during the Oasis reunion on-sale – and new rules mean that fans must be given 24 hours notice of tiered pricing, plus provide clearer price information during online queues.

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Industry voices who have weight in today include Mumford & Sons, who said that touts have ‘taken advantage of the good will and passion of music fans for many years’; Ed Sheeran’s manager Stuart Camp, who said the announcement is ‘long overdue’; and Coldplay manager Phil Harvey, who added that the legislation will be ‘a game-changer’.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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Pop-up park and rides announced to manage ‘sheer volume’ of people travelling to Manchester city centre

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Pop-up park and rides announced to manage 'sheer volume' of people travelling to Manchester city centre

Four new pop-up park and rides will open in Greater Manchester from this week, to help people travelling into the city centre over the Christmas period.

Transport for Greater Manchester has announced the scheme will kick in to handle the ‘sheer volume’ of people heading into town for festive events and Christmas shopping, with around 80,000 extra trips made in one weekend alone last year.

The news comes after a weekend that saw car parks congested and the city streets gridlocked with traffic.

TfGM is now encouraging people to use public transport – including the new park and ride services – instead of driving this winter.

The four park and rides will provide an extra 1000 free parking spaces, with frequent bus shuttles then completing journeys into Manchester city centre.

Millions of people are expected to visit this year for events including the Manchester Christmas Markets, shopping, football matches, concerts and nights out.

The Bee Network is hoping to help all those people save cash, beat traffic, and keep the city centre moving.

Other measures being introduced this year, as part of a joint approach by TfGM, Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Police (GMP), include later-running trams at weekends, temporary parking restrictions and traffic measures, and round-the-clock CCTV monitoring.

Trams will run until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays over the Christmas period, with extra double trams running at busy times.

Temporary weekend parking restrictions are being introduced on Swan Street and Liverpool Street, with weekend closures inbound on Corporation Street to reduce congestion around Shudehill, and a no right turn from the Arndale car park to ease congestion on Withy Grove.

The four new park and rides, with 1,000 extra parking spaces, will be open every Saturday and Sunday from this Saturday (22 November) until 21 December.

They’ll be located at Booth Street West, Central Park, Belle Vue and Irwell Place.

People are urged to plan their journeys carefully this Christmas.

Danny Vaughan, Chief Network Officer at TfGM said: “Christmas is one of the best times to enjoy Manchester – so much is going on and there’s such a buzz to the city centre. Our message is clear … the Bee Network is the best way to get there and home again. Board the bus, jump on the tram and plan your journey in advance.

@jstaffcycles

When you know its Christmas in Manchester.

♬ original sound – James S

“With plenty of frequent buses and trams to and from the city centre, single bus fares from just £2 and trams from just £1.40, the Bee Network is the easiest, quickest and most affordable way to travel this Christmas.

“Our pop-up park and rides mean you don’t need to struggle for parking in the city centre, but can park for free and finish the journey on a dedicated bus for just £2 single or £4 return and completely free for under 16s.

“As well as the new pop-up park and rides, there’s also 24 park and ride sites across Greater Manchester where you can park for free and jump on the tram – with all the locations and latest tram times available in the Bee Network app.

“We know roads and the network are going to be really busy, especially at weekends. That’s why we’re working closely with Manchester City Council and GMP on a joined-up approach to keep people moving safely around the city as they experience the brilliant things it has to offer.”

Councillor Tracey Rawlins, Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment and Transport, said: “Christmas is always a hectic period on our roads and this year we are redoubling our collective efforts to keep the transport network moving across Greater Manchester.

“With millions of people set to visit Manchester City Centre we are urging people to plan their journeys ahead of time and where possible, leave the car at home. There are a huge number of ways to get to town, be that a bus, tram or train, and these will often be a quicker and cheaper alternative.”

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Featured image: TfGM

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GMP appeals after pedestrian potentially involved in police pursuit dies following M60 collision

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A public appeal has been issued after a pedestrian was killed following a collision between the M60 and M66.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that the pedestrian – confirmed to have been a 19-year-old man – was struck by a vehicle travelling southbound on the M66 as it meets the M60 at Simister Island at around 9:40pm this past Sunday evening (16 November).

According to investigating officers, it’s believed the deceased male may’ve been in a car previously involved in a pursuit with a GMP patrol.

A blue BMW X3 was initially spotted driving at speed on Bury Old Road and then went through a red light, which led to a police pursuit.

Police lost sight of the vehicle, before subsequently finding it on the Junction 18 roundabout of the M60, where it was believed to be abandoned after having collided with another vehicle, and the passengers had fled the scene on foot along the motorway.

Once the BMW passengers had fled the scene, this is what is thought to have lead to a collision with a Tesla – where the 19-year-old man sadly died.

Now, police are appealing to the public for information, witnesses, and CCTV or dashcam footage.

At this time, no arrests have been made in relation to the incident, and in line with what is said to be ‘normal procedure’, referrals have been made to GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for investigation.

Speaking as the appeal has been issued, DC Ian Lawton from GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU), said: “Officers initiated a pursuit in accordance with policy after a vehicle failed to stop for police after being seen driving at speed, and the subsequent collision and tragic fatal injuries are now part of an independent review with the IOPC.

“We extend our condolences to the family, and are appealing for anyone with information to please come forward and report.”

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Can you help? Any with any information is asked to contact GMP on 0161 856 4741, quoting reference number 3150 of 16/11/2025, or information can also be shared using the ‘report’ tool or LiveChat function at www.gmp.police.uk.

Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. 

Featured Image – David Dixon (via Wikimedia Commons)

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