Radio 1's Big Weekend: Calls to urgently bring in ticket tout ban

BBC Radio 1 has warned fans not to purchase tickets for its upcoming Big Weekend from touts or unauthorised sellers.

Saturday and Sunday entry to the three-day live music event, being held in Sunderland this year, starts at £45 but tickets have been seen online for more than 12 times face value.

Music industry group Fan Fair Alliance says it's further evidence of music lovers being exploited and called for a new law capping resale prices to be brought in urgently.

The government told BBC Newsbeat it was "committed" to delivering the ban, but resellers StubHub.co.uk and Viagogo said a cap could drive people to unregulated websites, increase the risk of fraud and drive prices even higher.

Big Weekend's official seller Ticketmaster limits customers to purchasing two tickets per day, and its terms state resales should only take place on its own dedicated site.

They also warn any tickets bought via third-party sites will be rejected.

Despite this, the FanFair Alliance said it had found unofficial listings at up to twelve times face value.

It said tickets for Big Weekend's sold-out Sunday, when Brit and MOBO award-winner Olivia Dean is performing, were all listed above face-value, with one priced at £622.

The alliance said its research showed two-thirds of tickets were being sold by traders rather than individuals.

Despite the two-ticket limit, it said, it found some sellers offering up to 30 tickets in one listing.

BBC Newsbeat's own checks found similar results.

Two listings on StubHub.co.uk offered pairs of VIP tickets, normally £109 each, for £421 and £530, while Viagogo carried a listing for a £45 general admission ticket inflated to £363.

FanFair also raised concerns about many sellers being based abroad, when Big Weekend is supposed to provide a venue for big artists in towns and cities they might normally skip.

FanFair says it's concerned the ban won't be in the King's Speech on 13 May, when the monarch reads out a list of the government's plans for the year ahead.

It would also need to be discussed and voted on by politicians and members of the House of Lords in order to make it a law - a process that can take some time.

The Culture Select Committee - a group of MPs from different political parties - produced a fan-led review this week recommending the introduction of the ban "without delay".

Newsbeat's been told the government is exploring the best way of making the measure a law as soon as possible.

Adam Webb, from the FanFair Alliance, said the government deserved credit for recognising the issue, but that he was disappointed at the pace of its response.

"There's such unanimous support for this legislation," he told Newsbeat.

"We're just scratching our heads about why we're being left hanging here."

What do resale sites say?

StubHub.co.uk told Newsbeat it supported the "focus on improving the ticketing experience for fans" and said it was "committed to working with government".

But it raised concerns a cap on reselling would lead to fraud, pointing to analysis suggesting the proposed ban could cost customers £1.2bn each year if they turn to unregulated resellers.

Viagogo said 84% of its UK event tickets were sold for less than £100, and that "fans ultimately determine value based on what they're willing to pay".

It argued that only 6% of tickets were bought via resale market and a price cap was "unlikely to help fans".

Instead, it said, the ban and would "reinforce Ticketmaster's dominance, driving up prices".

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.