Over 130 representatives of the live events industry have signed an open letter to EU Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath, calling for help to put an end to unauthorised ticket resale in the EU.
Signatories include iconic German bands AnnenMayKantereit, Die Ärzte, Die Toten Hosen, Einstürzende Neubauten and Rammstein. The managers of Ed Sheeran, Nick Cave, Oasis and Radiohead have also signed, together with agents representing Florence + The Machine, Fontaines D.C., Gorillaz, Harry Styles, Katy Perry, Lorde, Olivia Dean and Sam Smith.
The letter has backing from the Montreux Jazz Festival, Sunny Hill Festival, Sziget Festival and Ireland’s The Big Day Out Festival, as well as venues, theatre troupes, and orchestras – from the Czech National Theatre and the Estonian Drama Theatre to the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.
It is supported by key associations such as the Sports Rights Owners Coalition, YOUROPE – The European Festival Association (138 members from 31 countries) and the Association of Independent Music Ireland.
The letter asks that the EU expands the scope of the Digital Fairness Act (DFA) to tackle ticket resale abuse. The upcoming law aims to strengthen consumer protection against unfair online practices.
Across Europe, unauthorised platforms continue to facilitate industrial-scale ticket scalping, worth some €2.5bn annually. Each year, ticket scalpers are known to prey on tens of thousands of consumers (although the true number may be much higher), selling tickets at extortionate prices that are fake or duplicated, or that otherwise break the terms and conditions of entry. Fans are regularly turned away, in many cases having also paid significant sums for travel and overnight accommodation.
Despite the introduction of stricter rules for online platforms in the Digital Services Act, the letter expresses frustration that new mechanisms for reporting illegal ticket offers have yet to prove effective. Members of FEAT, an organisation campaigning on ticket resale, have so far reported nearly 1,000 illegally offered tickets without a single takedown. Websites such as Viagogo, StubHub International, Gigsberg and Ticombo continue to contravene EU and national laws while taking advantage of consumers and event organisers.
With the European Commission currently undertaking its impact assessment on the DFA, the letter calls for the EU to finally act on predatory ticket resale – a move that would be welcomed across the live events sector.
Sam Shemtob, MD of FEAT, said: “World-famous German metal pioneers Rammstein have joined forces with Hungary’s Mesebolt Puppet Theatre, national sports bodies and representatives of some of the biggest stars in music to tell the EU that action is needed on unauthorised ticket resale. Enforcement isn’t working, and the Digital Fairness Act offers a one-off chance to specifically address the problem. The EU risks falling behind if it misses this opportunity.”
Christof Huber, chairman of YOUROPE – The European Festival Association, added: “For years, platform operators with unfair and harmful business models have been taking advantage of our fans and customers. Yet we do not have the tools at our disposal to confront Viagogo and Co. in the way we would like to. As a representative of festivals across the continent, YOUROPE calls on the European Commission to act in the interest of those who guarantee millions in honest tax revenue and work for thousands of creative professionals and artists.”
Claire Turnham MBE, founder, Victim of Viagogo commented: “Fans deserve fairness and safety, not exploitation and harm. We urge the EU to act now to protect consumers and stop industrial-scale ticket abuse.”
Said Erica Crompton, President of The Entertainment Agents’ Association: “As representatives of trusted agencies across the UK, we strongly endorse this call for decisive EU-wide action. Unauthorised resale continues to mislead consumers and damage public confidence. The Digital Fairness Act must address resale head-on to restore fairness, trust and transparency. This is a vital opportunity to safeguard the live events economy.”
The full text of the letter is as follows:
Dear Commissioner McGrath,
We are a coalition of organisations involved with live events in Europe, from promoters – who finance and arrange all aspects of concerts and events – to venues, artists, performers, creators and non-profit organisations. Together, we form the backbone of Europe’s live events sector, with the shared goal of protecting the fan experience and supporting culture.
We are writing to ask you to specifically address the anti-consumer, fraudulent practices associated with the unauthorised marketing of event tickets, or so-called ‘resale’. E-commerce websites and platforms continue to facilitate industrial-scale illicit marketing of tickets, defrauding tens of thousands of consumers across Europe each year.
These fans are deceived by websites that offer tickets for ‘resale’, which do not guarantee entry to the event. The tickets offered might be fake, resold to multiple buyers, sold in advance of the official ticket sale, or otherwise break the promoter’s terms and conditions of entry. These websites encourage illicit operators through top broker schemes, who defraud victims that pay many times the original price. Consumers are often directed to these offers via adverts on search engines, which also profit from these illegal listings. As well as undermining trust in ticketing, these practices have caused disruption at many events.
Every week, we see a new controversy – recently, a globally renowned band touring Europe saw nearly 2,000 tickets marketed to EU consumers on an unauthorised ‘resale’ website before any had even gone on sale.
With music tourism set to double by 2032, ticket resale is becoming increasingly borderless. Some EU Member States already have rules to ban and penalise such practices, or that entitle event organisers to prevent them. But we also need a Europe-wide approach that provides tools to ensure efficient protection for the efforts of event organisers and consumers across borders. This is in line with your objectives as Commissioner to address manipulative commercial practices and protect consumers when buying services.
Despite stricter regulations for platforms under the Digital Services Act, illegal ticket offers continue unabated, with event organisers’ reports of illicit activity frequently disregarded. A recent survey of FEAT members found that they had reported 296 listings, covering nearly 1,000 tickets, to unauthorised websites – with only one response. After escalating twenty separate complaints to regulators, only a handful of responses have been received, months after the concerts took place. We need quicker, easily enforceable takedown rules; otherwise, event organisers will remain worse off than before the DSA was conceived, as they spend time and resources on fruitless bureaucracy.
The Digital Fairness Fitness Check found that 60% of respondents want tougher action on unauthorised ticket ‘resale’, concluding that more needs to be done to protect consumers from exploitative practices. To remain the gold standard in consumer protection, and to secure broad access for all individuals to cultural and sports events, the EU must act now.
Sincerely,
The undersigned
Artists/Performers
- AnnenMayKantereit – Christopher Annen, Artist (Germany)
- Die Ärzte – Chris Lippert, Manager (Germany) – on behalf of band
- Die Toten Hosen – Kiki Ressler, Manager/Agent (Germany) – on behalf of band
- Einstürzende Neubauten – Anna Szczuka, Management (Germany) – on behalf of band
- Rammstein – Birgit Fordyce, Music Manager (Germany) – on behalf of band
Festivals
- Athens Rocks Festival – Nana Trandou, Artistic Director (Greece)
- Big Day Out Festival – Paul Boland, Festival Director (Ireland)
- CODRU Festival – Victor Balaniuc, General Manager (Romania)
- ESNS – Anna van Nunen, Managing Director (Netherlands)
- Eurockéennes Festival – Jean-Paul Roland, CEO (France)
- Festival Dranouter – Bavo Vanden Broeck, Artistic Director (Belgium)
- Festivals Malta – Etienne Bonello, Director (Operations) (Malta)
- Fondazione Arezzo Wave Italia – Mauro Valenti, President (Italy)
- Goodlive – Fruzsina Szép, Festival Director (Germany)
- Gurtenfestival AG – Christoph Haller, Booker (Switzerland)
- Kessel Festival GmbH – Christian Doll, CEO (Germany)
- Montreux Jazz Festival – Michaela Maiterth, Booker (Switzerland)
- Paléo Arts & Spectacles – Dany Hassenstein, Vice President (Switzerland)
- Pohoda Festival – Michal Kaščák, Director (Slovakia)
- Provinssi Festival / Seinäjoki Festivals – Ville Koivisto, Festival Director (Finland)
- Rockwave Festival – Nikos Loris, CEO (Greece)
- Rock Werchter – Herman Schueremans, MD (Belgium)
- Sofia Live Festival – Ruth Koleva, Founder (Bulgaria)
- Sunny Hill Festival – Shpat Begolli, Managing Director (Kosovo)
- Sziget KMI Zrt. – Tamas Kadar, CEO (Hungary)
- The British Country Music Festival – Marina Blore, Promoter (UK)
- The Øyafestival – Claes Olsen, Head of Booking & Founder (Norway)
- Zomer Van Antwerpen – Jeroen Van Rensbergen, Production Manager (Belgium)
Theatres/Theatre Organisations
- Castellum Theater en Film – Marcel t Sas, Director (Netherlands)
- Chassé Theater N.V. – Ruud van Meijel, CEO (Netherlands)
- City Theatre Brno – Zdenek Helbich, Deputy Director (Czech Republic)
- Drak Theatre and the International Institute of Figurative Theatre – Tomáš Jarkovský, Executive Director (Czech Republic)
- Estonian Draama Theatre – Rein Oja, Director General (Estonia)
- Het Klooster Woerden – Natasja Heemskerk, Director (Netherlands)
- Markant Theater Maashorst Uden – Jan Wouda, Stage Director (Netherlands)
- Mesebolt Puppettheatre – Kata Csató, Director (Hungary)
- Moravian Theatre and Moravian Philharmonic – David Gerneš, General Director (Czech Republic)
- National Theater Brno – Martin Glaser, General Director (Czech Republic)
- Posttheater – Harold Oddens, Managing Director (Netherlands)
- Radnóti Miklós Theater – Kováts Adél, Director (Hungary)
- Orpheus Theatre and Conference Centre – Mirjam Barendregt, Director (Netherlands)
- Stadsschouwburg & PHIL Haarlem – Edwin van Balken, Managing Director (Netherlands)
- Stichting ‘t Mozaïek Wijchen – Henriëtte Mooren-van den Boomen, Director (Netherlands)
- Stichting Cascade – Marjet van Os, Executive Director (Netherlands)
- Stichting Theater de Omval – Jacqueline Wasser, General Director (Netherlands)
- Svanda Theater – Daniel Hrbek, Managing Director (Czech Republic)
- Teatru Manoel – Ed Zammit, CEO (Malta)
- Theater De Oranjerie Roermond – Mathijs Leenders, Theatre Director (Netherlands)
- Theater de Bussel – Charlotte Louwers, Director/Programmer (Netherlands)
- Theater de Kring Roosendaal – Jan-Hein Sloesen, Director (Netherlands)
- Theater Ins Blau – Mirjam Hensgens, Director (Netherlands)
- Volkstheater GmbH – Cay Stefan Urbanek, Director (Germany)
- Zaantheater – Angelique Finkers, Managing Director (Netherlands)
Venues
- Cactus Muziekcentrum – Tim Beuckels, Director (Belgium)
- Cultuurbedrijf Tiel – Nico Baars, Managing Director (Netherlands)
- De Singel International Arts Centre – Frederik Beernaert, Business Manager (Belgium)
- De Tamboer – Pieter-Bas Rebers, Director (Netherlands)
- Het Podium – Pieter-Bas Rebers, Director (Netherlands)
- Malta Philharmonic Orchestra – Vanessa Mangion, CEO (Malta)
- Sala Razzmatazz S.L. – Lluís Torrents, Co-director (Spain)
- Sofia Live Club – Petar Koev, General Manager (Bulgaria)
Agents, Managers and Promoters
- All Things Considered PLC – Brian Message, Co-Chair & Founder (UK)
- Ameba Production s.r.o. – Ludek Motycka, CEO (Czech Republic)
- Azimuth Productions – Bernard Batzen, Partner/Artistic Director (France)
- Colour Production, spol. s r.o. – Pavla Slivova, Booker (Czech Republic)
- Creative Artists Agency
- Beckie Sugden, Agent (UK)
- Emma Banks, Co-head Global Touring (UK)
- Mark Bennett, Agent (UK)
- Mike Greek, Talent Agent (UK)
- Paul Wilson, Agent (UK)
- Summer Marshall, Agent (UK)
- CWB.ie – Paul Boland, Director (Ireland)
- Doctor Music Concerts – Neo Sala, CEO & Founder (Spain)
- D Smack U Promotion – David Urban, CEO (Czech Republic)
- Fit The Bill Limited – Marina Blore, Director (UK)
- Fuzz Productions – John Mirabitas, General Manager (Greece)
- Gadget Entertainment Group AG – Christof Huber, Director Festivals (Switzerland)
- Get In
- Iñigo Argomaniz, CEO (Spain)
- María Argomaniz, Promoter (Spain)
- Grumpy Old Management – Stuart Camp, Manager – Ed Sheeran (UK)
- High Priority Promotions – Nana Trandou, Artistic Director (Greece)
- I-Motion GmbH Events & Communication – Oliver Vordemvenne, CEO (Germany)
- Ignition Music Ltd – Marcus Russell, Artist Management (UK)
- Karsten Jahnke Konzertdirektion GmbH – Ben Mitha, CEO (Germany)
- KKT GmbH
- Kiki Ressler, CEO (Germany)
- Melissa Lorz, Booking Assistant (Germany)
- Landstreicher Booking GmbH
- Christopher Moeller, CEO (Germany)
- Jill Schneider, Booking Agent (Germany)
- MCT Agentur GmbH – Scumeck Sabottka, CEO (Germany)
- One Fiinix Live – Jon Ollier, CEO / Agent (UK)
- P&L Live Music Promoters SL – Pascual Egea, CEO (Spain)
- PSE Belgium – Jan Vereecke, Managing Partner (Belgium)
- RBX GmbH – Alexander Schulz, CEO (Germany)
- ROAM Artists – Alex Bruford, Co-founder/Partner (UK)
- United Talent Agency – Jules de Lattre, Agent (UK)
- X-ray Touring LLP – Ian Huffam, Company Partner (UK)
- Xlalala Presents – Nikos Loris, CEO (Greece)
EU or Global Representative Organisations
- EMEE – European Music Exporters Exchange – Corinne Sadki, President of the Board
- EMMA – European Music Managers Alliance – Jessica Partridge, Executive Director
- FEAT – Sam Shemtob, MD
- IAO – International Artist Organisation – Nacho García Vega, President
- Live DMA – Audrey Guerre, Coordinator
- Liveurope – Fernando Bittencourt Hersan, General Coordinator
- Pearle* – Live Performance Europe – Anita Debaere, Director
- Sports Rights Owners Coalition – Mark Lichtenhein, Chair
- Victim of Viagogo – Claire Turnham MBE, Campaigner & Advocate (UK)
- YOUROPE – The European Festival Association – Holger Jan Schmidt, General Secretary
National Representative Organisations
- APM – Spanish Association of Music Promoters – Pascual Egea, President (Spain)
- Association of Dutch Pop Music Venues and Festivals / VNPF
- Berend Schans, Director (Netherlands)
- Li Sang Ong, Policy Adviser (Netherlands)
- Association of Independent Music Ireland – Joe Clarke, Chairperson (Ireland)
- Association of Hungarian Orchestras – György Lendvai, President (Hungary)
- Association of Professional Theatres of the Czech Republic – Zdeněk Pánek, Executive Director (Czech Republic)
- Association of Theatre and Concert Hall Directors / VSCD – Jenny Booms, Director (Netherlands)
- BDKV – German Association of Music Promoters – Johannes Everke, CEO (Germany)
- Culture Hub Poland – Tamara Kaminska, President of the Board (Poland)
- Estonian Association of Performing Arts Institutions – Liina Unt, General Manager (Estonia)
- Hungarian Federation of Amateur Theatres & Players – János Regős, Theatre Director (Hungary)
- Hungarian Theatre Association – Johanna Bodor, President (Hungary)
- La GAM – La Guilde des Artistes de la Musique – Suzanne Combo, Managing Director (France)
- LiveMusikKommission e.V. / LIVEKOMM – Christian Ordon, General Manager (Germany)
- Music Estonia – Ave Sophia Demelemester, Director (Estonia)
- Norwegian Entertainment Managers & Agents Association – Erlend Buflaten, Vice-Chair (Norway)
- Performart – Associação para as Artes Performativas – Ana Sousa, Coordinator (Portugal)
- The Association of Event Makers / VVEM – Willem Westermann, Director (Netherlands)
- The Entertainment Agents Association – Erica Crompton, President (UK)
- Theatre Dramaturgs Guild – Eszter Orbán, Co-President (Hungary)
Others
- Anneli Axon Song Company – Anneli Axelsson, CEO (Sweden)
- A Greener Future – Claire O’Neill, CEO (UK)
- ARC Research & Consultancy – Davinia Galea, Managing Director (Malta)
- Fancare – Claire Turnham MBE, Campaigner & Advocate (UK)
- Fit The Bill Limited – Martin Blore, Director (UK)
- Freelance – Angharad Cooper, Cultural Consultant (UK)
- Höme – Für Festivals GmbH – Isabel Roudsarabi, Managing Director (Germany)
- Robert Palmer Consultants – Robert Palmer, Director (UK)
- Terézvárosi Kulturális Közhasznú Nonprofit Zrt. – Szebeni Dóra, Director (Hungary)
