Radiohead have condemned ticket resale platforms and what they called “exploitative” touts.
The group hit out after more than 1,000 tickets for their upcoming tour were advertised online before being made available to the public.
Radiohead – which consists of Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Ed O’Brien and Philip Selway – announced concerts in London, Berlin, Copenhagen, Madrid and Bologna earlier this month. Management implemented strict measures aimed at stopping large-scale resales, but tickets were still listed on secondary platforms including Viagogo and Ticombo.
Julie Calland, the group’s manager, has now been quoted by The Guardian hitting out at large-scale resellers, saying: “Radiohead have always strived to protect their audience from exploitative ticket touts which, in the absence of robust government legislation, becomes increasingly challenging.”
She added: “Fans will be encouraged to stay away from secondary sites and we will work alongside venues, promoters and organisations like FanFair Alliance and FEAT (Face-value European Alliance for Ticketing), to shut down unauthorised sales at inflated prices – tickets that for the most part, don’t actually exist.”
Radiohead fans were required to apply for an unlock code earlier this week to access ticket sales.
Those who obtained one may apply for tickets from Friday (12.09.25), though access codes do not guarantee seats.
Ms Calland said: “The registration process, while not a perfect science, is an attempt to deliver tickets as fairly as possible directly to fans at the prices the band intended.”
Analysis of Ticombo listings, first reported by The Guardian, found more than 1,200 tickets advertised at prices as high as £788.
Thirty of those were for one of Radiohead’s four nights at the O2 in London, listed at a combined value of over £22,000 by a Swiss company, Worldtix AG.
Reg Walker, a ticket security expert, told The Guardian: “The tickets do not exist. It’s a clear breach of the Consumer Rights Act, which is designed to protect consumers from fraud.”
Ticombo said there was “no evidence that the listings in question are speculative or fraudulent”, later removing them after being contacted by the Guardian.
Worldtix AG said it acted as an intermediary, distributing tickets for a “network of sellers, ticket brokers and authorised agents”.
Ticombo said it “takes these matters very seriously” and described itself as a technology platform.
Adam Webb, a spokesperson for FanFair Alliance, said: “This exploitative model can be devastating for artists and audiences, and it won’t stop until the government introduces and enforces a long-promised cap on ticket resale prices.”
Viagogo, the largest resale operator in the UK, said tickets for Radiohead would be listed from Friday, claiming: “We exist to serve fans on their terms – whether they missed the onsale, are buying tickets just days before the event, or need to sell at the last minute.”
A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson told The Guardian: “The Radiohead tour is a great opportunity for fans to enjoy live music – but too often rip-off touts are ruining the gig-going experience. We are considering the evidence provided in response to our consultation earlier this year and are committed to clamping down on this activity as part of the Plan for Change.”
