SOLT & UK Theatre Call for Ticketing Legislation to be Included in King's Speech

SOLT & UK Theatre have joined Which? in calling for legislation introducing a cap on ticket resale prices to be included in the upcoming King’s Speech. 

SOLT & UK Theatre Co-CEO Hannah Essex said: 

“The Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre are proud to support this joint call for action to protect audiences. 

“Theatres across the UK strive to offer accessible pricing but uncapped resale prices are misleading consumers and distorting the ticketing market. That is why the Government’s announcement last year that it would crack down on ticket touting by introducing a ticket resale price cap was so widely welcomed across the sector. 

“Fair access to live culture matters. We urge the Government to include the Ticketing Bill in the King’s Speech and deliver these long-promised protections without further delay.”

Which?s joint letter reads:

Dear Prime Minister,

We welcome action taken by the Government to crack down on ticket touts and the secondary ticketing market. Which? and leading organisations from the live events sector representing artists, venues and industry professionals, urge you to deliver on your Manifesto commitment to protect fans before it’s too late by including a Ticketing Bill in the King’s Speech to cap ticket resale prices for good.

Tickets continue to be sold on secondary sites at eye-watering markups that shut fans out of accessing the live music, sport, and theatre they love. Which?’s recent analysis of secondary listings for 66 artists’ 2026 tours estimates that resellers could make almost £24 million from those concerts alone with professional resellers accounting for most of that total. The Government’s own research estimates fans could save £112 million annually as a result of a price cap.

The predatory tactics used by touts, often operating overseas, are distorting the live events sector and causing significant harm to UK fans who are consistently excluded from attending shows due to exorbitant prices. Culture should be accessible to all. The shared joy of live music and sport should be a lifeline for hard working families during this current cost of living crisis, not reserved for the few who can afford it.

Major artists and organisations from the live events sector have joined Which? to call for urgent action, signing a joint statement in November 2025, backing a price cap. The Culture Media and Sport (CMS) Committee has since urged you to introduce this legislation ‘without delay’.

When plans for legislation were announced, they were framed as part of your Government’s drive for “national renewal by creating fairer systems and giving hard-working people the respect they deserve”. Ticketing is one of the clearest examples of an unfair market where consumers feel the system is rigged against them - that’s why it’s so important for the Government to deliver on its promises.

Fans now need a parliamentary timetable that guarantees delivery of these important protections. Including the Bill in the King’s Speech is the only way to do so. Without this formal commitment, the public will see this as yet another Government U-turn.

If the Bill is not included in the next King’s Speech, this important plank of consumer protection is at risk of never being delivered. Venues and performers need certainty now so the industry can plan for the implementation of this legislation and fans can be protected ahead of future tours. By failing to act, fans will continue to be fleeced out of hundreds of millions of pounds every year by merciless touts.

Which?
AEG Presents
ATC Management (Radiohead, Nick Cave)
AXS Europe
Everybody's (Keane)
Featured Artist Coalition
Fan Fair Alliance
Grumpy Old Management (Ed SHeeran)
Kilimanjaro Live
LIVE
Live Nation
Music Manager's Forum
Music Venue Trust
National Arenas Association
O2
ROAM
Save Our Scene
Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre
Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers
The O2
Ticketmaster
UK Music
Wildlife Entertainment (Arctic Monkeys, Fontaines DC)