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

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 refu