Our top tips for
buying tickets safely
Check artists’ socials and sites
Artists will always link to official ticket sellers in posts on their social media and official websites – these should be the first places you try. We often rely on search engines and trust the first results we see, but the website at the top of the results isn’t necessarily an official ticket seller. This just means the website pays a lot of money to companies like Google.
If you find tickets on a website like Viagogo, or social media, it’s important to know that they aren’t being sold directly by the artist or promoter, but by another person who’s decided the price themselves.
Know the risks of buying second-hand
It’s often the only option for music fans when shows are sold out, but buying a second-hand ticket always comes with risks. In fact, 60% of gig-goers buying tickets from the resale market are worried about being sold fake ones – and for good reason.
Platforms like Viagogo might offer fans a full refund if they get scammed, but they can’t guarantee entry to the show. FOMO isn’t fun, and neither is being out of pocket for other plans you’ve made around the event, like travel and hotels.
Sell through fan-to-fan platforms with price caps in place
Many music fans have a real need to resell a ticket when they can no longer make a show – after all, life happens. But how they resell it matters. There are fan-to-fan platforms, like Twickets and Ticketmaster’s resale marketplace, where tickets can be resold for no more than the price originally paid (plus fees).
Other platforms like AXS have a cap in place of 10% above face value, to protect fans from exploitative touts. This helps to keep a fairer playing field for genuine fans and stops the prices of second-hand tickets from spiralling way beyond their face value
What do we know today?
£145 million
one in five
Almost 50%
72%
How O2 and the government are fighting for fairer ticketing, together
Our history
O2 officially joined the fight for fairer ticketing back in 2017 when it became a part of the FanFair Alliance – the UK-based campaign against industrial-scale online ticket touting, supported by managers and teams for artists including Arctic Monkeys, Ed Sheeran, Biffy Clyro, Pixies, Iron Maiden, George Ezra, Keane, PJ Harvey and Niall Horan.
Through our Priority platform, we sell over 1.5 million tickets a year to O2 and Virgin Media customers for some of the country’s biggest shows – including Dua Lipa, Beyoncé and many more. We also sponsor 21 of the UK’s best music venues.
But despite blocking thousands of bots from the platform, we still see tickets taken away from true fans and resold by greedy touts at extortionate prices. We’re committed to campaigning until there’s better protection in place for our customers and gig-goers everywhere.
What are we calling for?
We believe three things are needed to combat confusion in the market:
- Tougher legislation against the sale of concert tickets for significant profits
According to our research, 72% of those who have attended live music events believe there should be rules in place around ticket resale – we fully support government plans to bring in new laws to protect fans - Clearer information during the sale process on ticket resale platforms
For example, a pop-up notification that fully explains who the ticket is being bought from and the potential risks involved - Better identification of ticket resale platforms on search engines
Resale websites can currently buy their way to the top of search results, without having to mention their tickets are second-hand
Bastille’s frontman, Dan Smith, talks about why he’s supporting Stamp It Tout.
Frequently asked questions
What is a government consultation?
A government consultation is a process in which people and businesses are asked for their opinions, feedback or ideas on a proposed policy, law or project.
It helps make sure decisions are made with input from the public, experts and different groups that might be affected.
What is this ticket resale consultation about?
It’s all about making the UK’s resale ticketing market fairer for fans.
The government is looking for views on improving resale practices, protecting gig-goers and addressing the challenges created by ticket touting.
Why does this matter?
Professional touts are taking advantage of music fans by exploiting the resale market. Virgin Media O2 and YouGov research found that touts are costing music fans an extra £145 million a year, with around one in five tickets ending up on a resale platform.
We need a fairer market that stamps out touting and protects fans and artists – which is what the government’s working towards through this consultation.
Surely this is just aimed at people in the music business?
The government wants to hear from a wide range of people on how it can create a more fair, honest and open ticketing market. This includes the live music sector, of course, but also fans.
So, whether you’re a regular gig-goer or someone hoping to experience more live music, this consultation is for you.
How can I take part?
Access the online survey here, email ticketing@businessandtrade.gov.uk or write to:
Consumer Protection Team
Department for Business and Trade
Old Admiralty Building
Admiralty Place
London
SW1A 2DY
Some of these questions feel really technical – do I need to respond to every one?
No, you don’t. The government wants a full picture of the resale ticketing market, which is why there are plenty of questions to answer – some more technical.
But you can respond to just one or a couple if you want to. However many you answer, they’ll all be reviewed and considered.
When’s the deadline for submission?
The deadline for online responses is 11:59pm on 4 April 2025.
How long does the consultation take to respond to?
It depends on how many questions you respond to, but it can be done in just a few minutes if you’re short on time.
How will my response be used?
Your feedback will help shape what the government does next. They might change proposed policies, laws or practices based on what they receive.
That’s why it’s really important that music fans like you are a part of this consultation – your voice deserves to be heard.
What happens after the consultation closes?
The government will review all the responses and then publish a summary and next steps, which could include introducing changes to the law.
This might take a little while, but the government must respond to every consultation – so sit tight.
How can I stay up-to-date on what happens next?
People who’ve submitted responses can sign up for updates through the consultation website. You can also subscribe to newsletters or notifications offered by the government or the agency leading the consultation.
We’ll keep this page updated, too, so feel free to check back in. But remember, it could take several months for us to hear anything.
FAQs about O2 and our involvement
Why does O2 care about this issue?
We sold over 1.5 million tickets on our Priority Tickets platform in 2024 – a 12% increase on the same period in 2023 – and we’re not slowing down in 2025.
It’s important to us that those tickets really do reach our customers.
How will O2 respond to the consultation?
We believe three things are needed to combat confusion in the market:
- Tougher legislation against the sale of concert tickets for significant profits
According to our research, 72% of those who have attended live music events believe there should be rules in place around ticket resale – we fully support government plans to bring in new laws to protect fans - Clearer information during the sale process on ticket resale platforms
For example, a pop-up notification that fully explains who the ticket is being bought from and the potential risks involved - Better identification of ticket resale platforms on search engines
Resale websites can currently buy their way to the top of search results, without having to mention their tickets are second-hand
Do I need to respond in the same way as O2?
No – we want people to share their own views.
We know that lots of people find consultations confusing and don’t know where to start, so we’re putting our response out there partly to help others with theirs.
What is O2 doing to fight touts?
We stopped over 50,000 suspected bots from entering our Priority platform in just six weeks last year.
But it’s still not enough – we know touts are constantly looking for ways to exploit the system to snap up tickets and resell them at inflated prices.
That’s why last year, we called for tougher legislation, clearer information during the resale process and better identification of ticket resale platforms on search engines. We’re pleased the government is on the same page.
* The figures from the YouGov survey have been weighted and represent all UK music fans aged 18+. The total sample size was 2044 adults for the July ’24 survey and 2005 for the December ’24 survey. Fieldwork for the July survey was undertaken 11–16 July ’24, and for the December survey, 29 November–5 December 2024. The survey was carried out online.
Data was weighted according to the dimensions of gender, age and geography based on an ideal weighting from Statistics UK, so that the results represent the population in relation to the aforementioned target group.
** The £145m figure was analysed independently by Virgin Media O2 and cleared by YouGov. The figure was calculated using UK Music’s Here, There and Everywhere 2023 report and YouGov survey data.
Read more about previously released research from O2 on the topic of secondary ticketing at the Virgin Media O2 newsroom: Ticket Touts Costing Music Fans an Extra £145m Per Year