Lewis Capaldi fans have voiced their frustration after tickets for the singer’s UK and Ireland tour appeared on resale sites within minutes of selling out.
Standard tickets for the chart-topping star’s London O2 Arena show on September 17 were originally priced from £32.25 to £111.70, while hospitality tickets on Seat Unique were priced from £199.
But within moments of going on sale, listings began surfacing on Viagogo, including one seat priced at an eye-watering £808, more than 14 times its original face value of £56.50.
Other listings included £417 for floor seats and £976 for a VIP suite.
Furious fans took to social media to slam Ticketmaster for what they described as a broken system, accusing the platform of enabling touts to snap up tickets before genuine fans had the chance. It should be noted that AXS and Ticketek also sold tickets for Capaldi’s tour.
“@TicketmasterUK @hmtreasury @AngelaRayner Lewis Capaldi concerts went on sale today prices were set for standard tickets £35-£100,” one upset fan began before claiming: “Now all sold out and already trading 10x face value.”
Another fumed: “Couldn’t get tickets for Oasis, Coldplay or Lewis Capaldi even though online in the queue @TicketmasterUK but within seconds on Viagogo selling for triple the amount.”
A third said: “Two years ago I had tickets for Lewis Capaldi and never got to go. I’ve spent an hour of my life in a hopeless queue fighting every man and his dog to get tickets yet unsuccessful.”
In response to the claims, a spokesperson for Ticketmaster told The Standard: “At Ticketmaster, we work hard to fight this kind of activity and block around 200 million bot attempts globally every single day.
“Ticketmaster has capped resale prices at the original price since 2018. We strongly support the Government’s plans for an industry-wide cap to limit touts and prevent them from taking advantage of fans. When it comes to buying tickets – we have a list of tips for fans to avoid being scammed that you can read on our blog. Among other pieces of advice, it includes never buying from unofficial platforms.”
A spokesperson for Viagogo said: “As a marketplace, viagogo doesn’t sell tickets or set prices. Sellers set the price and fans ultimately decide the ticket value that meets their budget.
“Demand for Lewis Capaldi will be at its peak when tickets hit the on-sale but it’s not a normal reflection of what tickets can and will go for. The highest prices you see on the platform, by default, have not sold yet. Wildly inflated ticket listing prices are not likely to sell at any point. Our number one tip is to give yourself time, and wait for demand to settle to find a listing that may meet your budget.”
The Standard has contacted a representative for Lewis Capaldi.
The controversy follows overwhelming demand for the singer’s September tour, which sold out in under an hour.
The Survive singer previously said that the number of fans that signed up for the tour’s pre-sale was four times as many as he’s ever seen.
In the wake of the tickets selling out, he shared a heartfelt message with fans, admitting “seeing this tour sell out faster than any tour I’ve ever played is the most incredible surreal feeling.”
He also addressed fans who were unable to secure tickets, explaining that there are no plans to add extra shows in order to prioritise his mental health.
Last month, the Government urged music fans to be cautious about last-minute tickets for sale on social media as part of its wider crackdown on scammers and online fraud.
Action Fraud data released by the Home Office show people lost more than £1.6 million in scams related to concert tickets in 2024 – more than double the total recorded the previous year.
Around 3,700 gig ticket fraud reports were made to Action Fraud in 2024, with nearly half referring to offers made on social media platforms.
People aged in their 20s were most likely to become victims of ticket fraud last year, accounting for more than a quarter (27%) of victims, the figures indicate.
The Government is urging people to follow the Stop! Think Fraud campaign advice to ensure they are protected from scams ahead of the busy summer of gigs and festivals.
