Live Events Industry Calls on EU to Stop Predatory Ticket Resale + Why U.S. is paying attention
Europe’s live events industry is intensifying its push against ticket scalping. They are calling on regulators to enact strong ticket resale regulation and end “industrial-scale ticket resale abuse.”
Live Events Industry Calls For Strong EU Ticket Resale Regulation
In an open letter sent to EU Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath, more than 130 artists, managers, promoters, festivals, venues, and trade organizations from 23 countries urge the European Union to expand the scope of the Digital Fairness Act (DFA). They want to use the DFA to explicitly address unauthorized ticket resale.
The signatories span popular and classical music, theatre, dance, and sports. They unite some of Europe’s most influential cultural institutions with globally recognized artists.
Their central argument is that existing enforcement mechanisms have failed to protect fans and event organizers from resale fraud. This is true despite tighter platform rules introduced under the Digital Services Act.
According to the letter, unauthorized resale platforms facilitate an estimated €2.5B/$2.5B USD by selling tickets at inflated prices. These may be fake, duplicated, or invalid under event terms and conditions. Fans are frequently denied entry at the door, often after incurring significant travel and accommodation costs.
Industry group FEAT (Face Value European Alliance For Ticketing) reports that nearly 1,000 illegally listed tickets have been flagged by its members. Yet, there have been virtually no takedowns. This underscores what the coalition calls a systemic enforcement failure. Platforms such as Viagogo, StubHub, Gigsberg, and Ticombo are accused of continuing to operate in violation of EU and national laws. They are alleged to be profiting from misleading consumers.
The letter emphasizes that the Digital Fairness Act represents a “one-off” opportunity to address resale abuse at the source. It suggests imposing faster takedown obligations and clearer accountability for online platforms.
With music tourism projected to double by 2032, the coalition argues that resale fraud is increasingly cross-border. Therefore, it cannot be effectively addressed by individual countries acting alone.
Why This Matters In The U.S.
Although the appeal is directed at EU lawmakers, its implications for ticket resale regulation are global.
The UK is in the midst of enacting strong ticket resale caps. But the U.S. continues to wrestle with ticket resale reform through state-level laws and federal proposals. Meanwhile, artists and fans raise similar concerns about fraud, deceptive listings, and inflated prices.
If the EU successfully incorporates ticket resale protections into the Digital Fairness Act, it could establish a new international benchmark for consumer protection. This benchmark would put pressure on U.S. regulators to strengthen oversight of secondary ticket marketplaces. Conversely, failure to act may reinforce a status quo. In this scenario, resale platforms face limited consequences on either side of the Atlantic.
For artists, venues, promoters, and fans, the message from Europe is clear: unchecked ticket resale is no longer a marginal problem. It is a structural threat to trust, access, and fairness in the live events economy.
Find the full letter and list of signatories here.
Bruce Houghton is Founder & Editor of Hypebot, Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, a Berklee College Of Music professor and founder of Skyline Artists.
