Vladyslav Skrypka, who claims to be based in Harlow, Essex, has advertised more than 2,000 tickets for U2's 2027 tour on StubHub; if all sold for the listed sums, he would stand to make more than £1 million. The listings have raised questions about possible bot use and come amid calls for the government to move forward with plans to ban resale for profit.
The tickets are for the four-night London leg of the Irish band's The Greatest Show on Earth tour at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which sold out last week. According to an investigation by The Guardian, Skrypka listed more than 1,800 tickets for one night alone, with some priced at more than four times face value.
A snapshot of StubHub's listings showed a total of 7,819 U2 tickets for resale. Of those, more than 2,000 were held by Skrypka, with thousands more belonging to other professional "traders", a term for touts who sell more than 100 tickets a year. Only 562 tickets were listed by private sellers.
The findings come amid calls for the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, to move forward with plans she outlined a year ago to “shut down the touts' racket”. A bill that would outlaw ticket resale for profit is due to be published in the current parliamentary session, which may not end until well into 2027.
In an interview with the BBC last week, StubHub International's chief executive, Bob Kupbens, said: "We don't support bots and we'd love for both the government and primary to do a better job of policing that to make sure those kinds of things don't happen." A company spokesperson added that StubHub "does not allow speculative selling, and sellers must confirm they own, or have a right to, the tickets they list". They also said: "We are firmly against the use of bots. They are used at the point of primary sale, before tickets reach any resale marketplace, which is why we have called for stronger enforcement at source." StubHub did not address specific questions about Skrypka's listings or possible bot use.
Adam Webb of the music industry-backed campaign group FanFair Alliance said the sheer volume of tickets indicated either bot use or “speculative selling”, where touts agree a sale first, then hope to procure tickets later. Both are illegal. “StubHub claims all their orders come 100% guaranteed but have they seen evidence of Vladyslav's receipts?” he asked. “Are they not concerned that these tickets may have been acquired by the kind of technology that Mr Kupbens so publicly deplores?”
Ticketmaster disputed the suggestion that it and other primary agents were responsible for bots, saying it blocks 20 billion bots a month and spends millions on doing so. The company said resale sites such as StubHub and Viagogo created the incentive for bot use.
A spokesperson for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: “We are fully committed to stamping out ticket touting for good. For too long, fans have been ripped off and we're determined to right that wrong. We are bringing forward legislation in this parliament and will ensure that our measures are truly effective, enforceable and future-proof.”
The Guardian approached U2 for comment. Messages to social media pages believed to belong to Skrypka went unanswered.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Ticket touting on major platforms remains a multi-million pound industry despite existing laws against bots and speculative selling, leaving fans paying inflated prices.
- The case highlights the difficulty of enforcing anti-tout laws when resale marketplaces claim they are not responsible for bot use at the point of primary sale.
- The gap between political pledges and legislative action could deepen public cynicism, especially if high-profile tours sell out to professional buyers.
Background
U2's 2027 tour, The Greatest Show on Earth, sold out its four-night London leg within a week of going on sale. The government, led by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, has promised to outlaw ticket resale for profit and is due to publish a bill in the current parliamentary session, which may last into 2027. The Guardian's investigation identified one tout advertising more than 2,000 tickets on StubHub, a platform owned by US investment group Digital Fuel Capital.
Key Perspectives
StubHub International CEO Bob Kupbens: says his company does not support bots and wants stronger enforcement by government and primary ticket sellers.
StubHub company spokesperson: says the firm does not allow speculative selling and calls for stronger enforcement at source, where bots are used.
Adam Webb (FanFair Alliance): argues the volume of tickets suggests either bot use or speculative selling, and questions whether StubHub has adequate checks on ticket provenance.
Ticketmaster: says it blocks 20 billion bots a month and blames resale platforms like StubHub for creating the incentive for bot use.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport: says it is bringing forward legislation that is "truly effective, enforceable and future-proof" to stop touting.
What to Watch
- The progress of the ticket tout ban bill in parliament and whether it passes before the next general election.
- Whether StubHub and other platforms take action against sellers with large volumes, especially those without apparent evidence of ticket ownership.
- How primary sellers and resale sites clarify responsibility for bot use and enforcement.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedA tout offered about £1m of U2 tickets on StubHub, as stated in the headline.World news | The Guardian: “One tout is advertising £1m of tickets for U2’s long-awaited 2027 tour through StubHub”
- SupportedOne seller had more than 2,000 tickets for U2’s London tour dates, raising questions about StubHub’s stance on professional traders who use bots.World news | The Guardian: “StubHub listings for U2’s gigs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London show more than 2,000 tickets listed by a single tout”
- SupportedVladyslav Skrypka claims to be based in Harlow, Essex.World news | The Guardian: “Vladyslav Skrypka, who claims to be based in Harlow, Essex”
- SupportedIf all his tickets sold for the listed sums, Skrypka would make more than £1m.World news | The Guardian: “If all of his tickets were to sell for the sums listed, Skrypka would stand to make more than £1m.”
- SupportedSkrypka listed more than 1,800 tickets for one night.World news | The Guardian: “advertised more than 1,800 tickets for one of the nights alone”
- SupportedSome of Skrypka’s tickets were priced at more than four times face value.World news | The Guardian: “with some on sale for more than four times face value.”
- SupportedA snapshot showed 7,819 U2 tickets advertised for resale on StubHub.World news | The Guardian: “A snapshot of StubHub’s listings, taken this week, showed 7,819 U2 tickets advertised for resale.”
- SupportedOnly 562 tickets were listed by private sellers.World news | The Guardian: “Only 562 were from private sellers, such as fans who can no longer attend or use all of the tickets they bought.”
- SupportedStubHub International CEO Bob Kupbens said, “We don't support bots and we'd love for both the government and primary to do a better job of policing that to make sure those kinds of things don't happen.”World news | The Guardian: ““We don’t support bots and we’d love for both the government and primary to do a better job of policing that to make sure those kinds of things don’t happen.””
- SupportedAdam Webb said the volume of tickets indicated bot use or speculative selling, which he said is illegal.World news | The Guardian: “Adam Webb of the music industry-backed campaign group FanFair Alliance said that the sheer volume of U2 tickets on StubHub indicated either bot use or a practice known as “speculative selling”, where touts agree a sale first, then hope to procure tickets later. Like the use of bots, “spec” selling is illegal.”
- Partly supportedTicketmaster said it blocks 20 billion bots a month and spends millions doing so.World news | The Guardian: “Ticketmaster disputed the suggestion that it and other primary agents were responsible for bots, saying it blocked 20bn bots a month and spent millions on doing so.”
- SupportedThe bill to outlaw ticket resale for profit is due during the current parliamentary session, which might run well into 2027.World news | The Guardian: “A ticket tout ban bill is due to be published during the current parliamentary session, which might not end until well into 2027.”