Andrew ThompsonThe UK pop group Five — remembered for "Slam Dunk Da Funk", "Everybody Get Up" and their chart-topping "Keep On Movin'" — completed their long-awaited Australian reunion tour in Perth on 13 May and Sydney on 16 May 2026. Both shows were sold out within hours of tickets going on general sale, leaving thousands of fans turning to resale platforms where tickets were listed well above their original price.
For many of those buyers, what happened next came as a surprise. In most Australian states, reselling a concert ticket at more than 10% above its face value is illegal. Thousands of fans who paid significantly more without knowing this may have a consumer law claim they didn't realise existed.
What Australia's Ticket Scalping Laws Actually Say
Australia has no single federal law on ticket scalping. Instead, most states have individually passed legislation capping resale prices. Under laws that apply in New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, Queensland, and South Australia, concert tickets cannot be resold at more than 10% above the original face value. Penalties for breaching these caps can reach $610,530 for businesses, with infringement notices also issued to individuals.
The catch is that enforcement relies largely on consumer complaints and investigations by Authorized Ticketing Officers. Many buyers overpay without ever realising they have legal recourse available.
The NSW Government's ticket reselling guidance sets out exactly what resellers must disclose and what buyers can do when those rules are broken.
Two states notably lack these protections: the Northern Territory and Tasmania have no specific ticket scalping legislation, meaning buyer beware applies in full.
What Resellers Must Legally Disclose
Under Australian state laws, ticket resellers are legally required to clearly display that you are buying from a resale platform rather than the original ticket provider. They must also show the original face value of the ticket, the markup being applied as a dollar amount and a percentage, and full seating details if the venue is allocated seating.
If any of these disclosures were absent when you bought resale tickets to the Five shows in Perth or Sydney, the reseller may have already breached consumer law — regardless of whether the price cap was separately exceeded.
What Can You Do If You Were Overcharged?
If you paid more than 110% of the original face value for a Five concert ticket in NSW, Victoria, WA, Queensland, or South Australia, there are concrete steps available to you.
The first is to report the resale to your state's consumer protection authority. In NSW, this is NSW Fair Trading. In Victoria, it is Consumer Affairs Victoria. In WA, it is Consumer Protection WA. Filing a complaint creates a record and may trigger an investigation.
The second is to request a refund directly from the resale platform. Major platforms operating in Australia are bound by Australian Consumer Law, which requires that services — including ticket resale transactions — meet the standards described and operate within legal price limits.
The third is to consult a consumer law solicitor if the overcharge was significant or if the ticket itself turned out to be invalid. A solicitor can assess whether a formal claim under Australian Consumer Law is worth pursuing, and what evidence you would need to support it.
For broader context on how Australian concert-goers' legal rights are being tested by major ticketing platforms, ExpertZoom's analysis of the Live Nation consumer rights case in Australia covers the wider systemic issues in the ticketing industry.
Fake Tickets: The Risk Behind the Resale
High-demand reunion tours attract not just scalpers but outright ticket fraud. Fraudsters list counterfeit or already-used tickets on social media, messaging apps, and unofficial platforms. Unlike overpriced resale tickets, fake tickets carry no refund obligation from any platform — the concert venue will deny entry and the seller has often disappeared.
Warning signs that a resale ticket may be fraudulent include: the seller insisting on bank transfer rather than a tracked payment method, no formal invoice or booking confirmation being provided, a price that seems unusually low given the event is sold out, and any reluctance to complete the transaction through a secure, verified platform.
Under Australian Consumer Law, paying for goods that turn out to be fraudulent does give you the right to pursue a refund from the seller. The practical difficulty is tracing and recovering from a fraudulent individual seller. A consumer law solicitor can advise on whether pursuing such a claim is viable and how to document the case.
The Broader Lesson From the Five Sellout
The speed at which Five's Australian shows sold out — and the subsequent resale market activity — has renewed attention on the gap between state-level ticket laws and actual enforcement. Australian Consumer Law provides meaningful protections, but only for buyers who know they exist and take steps to use them.
The Five reunion tour is part of a broader wave of nostalgia acts returning to Australia in 2026. Each major sellout creates the same pattern: high demand, rapid resale activity, and buyers who don't realise they have legal rights until it is too late.
Before purchasing resale tickets for any major upcoming Australian show, a quick consultation with a consumer law solicitor can confirm whether the resale price is legal in your state, whether required disclosures were made, and whether you have a claim worth pursuing if something goes wrong.
ExpertZoom connects Australians with consumer law solicitors who can provide fast, practical advice. For Five fans or anyone who overpaid for a resale concert ticket, understanding your rights costs far less than the premium you may have already paid.
This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a qualified Australian solicitor for advice specific to your situation.
