Radio 1 warns against buying Big Weekend tickets from touts

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

Entry to the three-day live music event starts at £45 for Saturday and Sunday, but tickets have been seen online for more than 12 times face value.

Music industry group FanFair Alliance said it was 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.

Radio 1 has said if people do buy tickets through touts, they may be refused entry to the festival - which is being held in Sunderland this year.

The station said the event was "primarily for people in Sunderland with 90% of tickets allocated to those living in the city and surrounding areas".

"The only place to buy a ticket is via the BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend 2026 website and Ticketmaster.

"We urge the public not to purchase tickets through touts or unauthorised sellers as those tickets will be void and the holder may be refused entry to the event."

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

Despite this, FanFair Alliance said it had found unofficial listings being sold for as much as £622.

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.

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

And despite the two-ticket limit, it also found some sellers offering up to 30 tickets in one listing.

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 at £363.

FanFair also raised concerns about many sellers being based abroad, when Big Weekend is supposed to draw big artists to towns or cities they might normally skip.

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

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.

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

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

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

"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 would "reinforce Ticketmaster's dominance, driving up prices".

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