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

Radio 1's Big Weekend: Calls to urgently bring in ticket tout ban37 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GooglePeter Gillibrand and Polly BayfieldBBC NewsbeatGetty ImagesBRITs and MOBOs winner Olivia Dean is proving hugely popular as the Sunday night headlinerBBC 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 seller...