Have touts got stung?

Some people who bought tickets for Peter Kay’s tour hoping to make a hefty mark-up have been left trying to sell them at less than face value.

The comic’s initial announcement of his first tour in 12 years led to a feeding frenzy for tickets, with virtual queues of tens of thousands of fans.

However the initial run of 22 dates has now been extended multiple times and tickets are more freely available.

It means the cheapest tickets for Friday’s gig at the O2 in London – now the first of a monthly residency spreading into mid-2025 – are now being sold on the Viagogo resale site for £32 – £3 less than their face value.

However, it is the only date so far where bargains are available. The cheapest tickets for the Utilita Arena in Birmingham on Saturday are £57 and at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool in January, £106.

And fans wanting close-up tickets may have to pay through the nose. Touts are currently charging between £413 and £531 for central seats in the first ten rows of the O2 gig – though it’s not certain anyone will buy them at that price.

Published: 14 Dec 2022