Tickets for popular gigs on secondary ticketing sites listed for eight times the price, Which? warns

A Which? investigation has found tickets for popular concerts and events are being sold online for as much as eight times the face value price, as the consumer champion calls on the government to ban online ticket touts from charging over-inflated prices. 

In January and February 2025, the consumer champion searched for some of the most popular concert and event tickets listed on Viagogo and StubHub International and found many are being sold at eye-watering price hikes and against event guidelines - meaning fans risk being turned away at the door.

Which? found tickets for Reading Festival listed at £596 on Viagogo and £616 on Stubhub International, despite the fact that face value tickets (costing £325) were still available through the official ticket agents.

To make matters worse, Reading Festival explicitly lists Viagogo and Stubhub International as unauthorised ticket agents and warns people against buying tickets through them - meaning fans who buy tickets from these sites risk being turned away.

Tickets for an IDLES gig in Bristol in August 2025 cost £59.65 at face value, and are still available to buy via the primary ticket seller. However, tickets were listed on Viagogo for as much as £480 - eight times the face value price. 

Which? also found tickets for popular sporting events being sold at inflated prices on Viagogo and Stubhub International.

Royal Ascot tickets were listed on Viagogo for £150 - £154, and on Stubhub International for £96, despite the fact that tickets were still available on the official website for just £34.

Tickets for the 2025 British Grand Prix were also listed on Stubhub International for £181, while face value tickets were still available on the Silverstone website for £159.

On the ticket listing page for the British Grand Prix, Stubhub International included a disclaimer stating ticket resales are restricted for this event and that your ticket may not be valid for entry - but that this was ‘unlikely'.

However, Silverstone told Which? that fans attempting to use a ticket at the gate that had not been purchased directly from an official ticket agent run the risk of being refused entry. 

To make matters even more confusing for music and sports fans, secondary ticketing sites often appear at the top of the Google search results when looking for tickets - meaning many fans may not realise they are not on the official ticket seller. 

Ally's husband purchased two tickets to see Pink in concert listed on Viagogo. He paid £400 for the two tickets when the face value was around £40 each.

Ally said: “He didn't realise how inflated they were. We didn't end up going to the concert as I absolutely refused to spend that much money so I put them back on the site to try and get some money back. Resale sites often appear at the top of Google search results and it's not always clear that they aren't the official selling site.”

The government has pledged to introduce stronger consumer protections for ticket purchases and is currently consulting on changes to ticket resales. Which? believes ministers must seize this opportunity to make ticketing fairer for fans. 

The consumer champion is campaigning for the government to shut down online ticket touts operating on resale platforms by introducing a price cap to ensure that tickets can only be re-sold on secondary sites at the original price paid - the ticket's face value plus any fees, which should be shown up front in the ticket price. This cap should apply across all events, including music, sports and theatre.

Which? also believes that resale platforms should be required by law to verify that the seller owns a ticket before it can be listed on their site and should also verify key information about a ticket, such as the original price and location within the venue. They should also be responsible for preventing the resale of tickets when the primary seller has prohibited resale.

Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said:

“It's shocking that secondary ticketing sites like Viagogo and StubHub International are allowing sellers to charge more than eight times the face value price for tickets to popular music and sports events.

“These sites often appear at the top of Google search results - making it hard for fans to decipher which platform is the official ticket seller. Tickets also appear on these sites despite warnings from the event organisers that anyone buying from a secondary seller risks being turned away at the door.

“Which? is calling on the government to make the ticketing industry fairer for fans by banning touts selling tickets for inflated prices and making secondary sites responsible for stopping tickets being sold if they won't be valid at the door.”

-ENDS- 

Notes to editors  

Research

In January and February 2025, Which? looked at the price of several popular concert and event tickets on Viagogo and StubHub International.

More information on people's consumer rights when buying from secondary sites here.

Right of replies

Viagogo said: “viagogo is a safe, secure and regulated marketplace that helps connect millions of ticket sellers to fans wanting to see their favourite artists, sports teams and enjoy great live events. As a marketplace, viagogo doesn't sell tickets or set prices. Sellers set the price and fans ultimately decide the ticket value that meets their budget. 

“Fans can easily choose the option which works best for them. This transparency also means sellers must compete against each other on price, in an open market, often leading to affordable options for fans. For example, during Beyoncé's 2023 Renaissance tour in the UK, tickets were available for as low as £24, while tickets for the UK leg of Taylor Swift's Eras tour were sold for as low as £80. 

“Transparency is a priority for us, which is why we reject any suggestion that viagogo misleads users. What you see in a listing price is what you will pay for the ticket on viagogo. viagogo's UK website discloses the face value for every ticket , and includes the disclosure that “We're the world's largest secondary marketplace for tickets to live events. Prices are set by sellers and may be below or above face value”

“We also include disclosures, as required, to highlight all primary event restrictions which are made clear to the buyer before purchase, even if those restrictions are never enforced.viagogo takes its obligations under the law seriously and is fully compliant in the UK. viagogo are fully compliant with the CMA order. 

“Resale is highly regulated in the UK and we follow all governing legislation. Fans who purchase tickets on regulated resale marketplaces should not be punished for choosing to bypass the often confusing and lengthy on-sale process mandated by original ticket sellers. 

“We will continue to advocate for access, transparency and open marketplaces for event lovers. We oppose anti-competitive actions taken by event organisers to restrict purchasing and resale options to certain platforms in a transparent attempt to control the market as they ultimately harm fans by limiting their choice, flexibility, and access.”

StubHub International said: “We are committed to bringing the joy of live events to fans through a safe, trusted, and transparent marketplace, which is already highly regulated in the UK. As a marketplace, we do not set ticket prices - sellers list at their preferred price, and buyers decide whether to purchase based on what they believe is worthwhile. We ensure complete ticket and price transparency by displaying all relevant information, including restrictions and face value price, from the earliest stage of the purchase journey. In our experience, tickets listed at exceptionally high prices rarely, if ever, sell.

 “We also enforce strict measures to protect consumers. Speculative listings are not allowed on our platform - any tickets listed before general sale come from pre-sale purchases, and fans can choose to resell them if they wish. If primary tickets are still available, buyers have the choice of where to purchase. Our verification process ensures ticket validity, and in the rare instance of an issue, our FanProtect™ guarantee provides a replacement or a full refund. During Taylor Swift's UK Eras Tour last year, 99.84% of ticket orders on our platform were used successfully by fans attending the event. 

“We look forward to working with the Government to ensure any policy changes continue to protect fans and provide access to the events they love.”