Tout selling £1million of U2 tickets has raised questions about clampdown on bot use for bulk-buying

Um revendedor de ingressos anunciou mais de £1 milhão em ingressos para os próximos shows do U2 em Londres, levantando novas questões sobre o uso de bots automatizados para comprar ingressos em massa e revendê-los a preços inflacionados.

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The Irish band’s four nights at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in June 2027, part of their ‘The Greatest Show On Earth’ world tour, sold out shortly after tickets went on sale last week.

However, a new investigation by The Guardian has revealed that one seller listed more than 2,000 tickets for the concerts on resale site StubHub, despite strict limits on the number that any individual buyer can purchase.

The seller, identified as Vladyslav Skrypka and claiming to be based in Harlow, Essex, advertised over 1,800 tickets for one night alone, some at more than four times their original price.

If all of the tickets were sold at their advertised prices, they would generate more than £1million in sales.

The findings have raised concerns about how such large quantities of tickets can be obtained, given that the use of automated software to bypass ticket-buying limits has been outlawed in the UK since 2018.

Adam Webb of the music industry campaign group FanFair Alliance suggested that the listings could indicate either the use of bots or ‘speculative selling’ – where touts advertise tickets they do not yet possess, hoping to acquire them after a buyer has paid.

Webb questioned whether StubHub had verified the seller’s tickets, asking: “Have they seen evidence of Vladyslav’s receipts?”.

Não há confirmação de que qualquer uma das práticas tenha sido usada para obter os ingressos em questão.

StubHub International afirmou que não permite venda especulativa e exige que os vendedores confirmem que possuem, ou têm o direito de vender, os ingressos que anunciam.

Ticketmaster contestou a sugestão de que as empresas de bilheteria primária eram responsáveis pelo problema, dizendo que bloqueia 20 bilhões de bots todo mês e que os marketplaces secundários criam o incentivo para seu uso.

The controversy comes amid continued pressure on the UK government to introduce its long-promised ban on reselling tickets for profit.

Em novembro de 2025, a Secretária de Cultura Lisa Nandy confirmou planos de proibir a revenda de ingressos acima do valor nominal, dizendo ao NME: “Prometemos, quando fomos eleitos, que era hora de acabar com os revendedores de ingressos.”.

She also explained that the proposed legislation would give the Competition and Markets Authority powers to fine resale platforms up to 10 per cent of their annual turnover for breaches.

However, the plans have yet to become law. In May this year, the music industry expressed widespread disappointment when the government included only a draft Ticket Tout Ban Bill in the King’s Speech.

A decisão despertou temores de que consultas adicionais e a fiscalização parlamentar poderiam atrasar a introdução de proteções mais rígidas para os torcedores.

At the time, Webb told NME: “Why take the long road when you could protect music fans today?”.

The issue has affected several other major artists in recent weeks. In October, RAYE revealed that her Royal Albert Hall ticket registration system had been overwhelmed by scalpers using AI bots, after receiving 1.

8 milhões de inscrições por apenas 5. 000 assentos.

Later that month, Sam Fender was forced to delay the pre-sale for his Newcastle stadium shows following what he described as a “sophisticated bot attack” on ticketing website Gigantic.

A turnê de estádios de 2027 do U2 contará com a Wolf Alice como apoio em todo o Reino Unido e Europa, após o lançamento do seu novo álbum “Carnaval De Luz” na sexta‑feira (13 de novembro).

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• Um revendedor de ingressos anunciou mais de £1 milhão em ingressos para os próximos shows do U2 em Lond