Skiddle Takes First Outside Investment in 25 Years

Skiddle, the UK ticketing platform, has taken its first outside investment in its 25-year history. Soho Square Capital bought a minority stake, meaning less than half of the company, and Skiddle announced the deal on 5 November 2026.

The two founders, Ben Sebborn and Richard Dyer, kept control of the business. Neither the amount invested nor the other financial terms were disclosed. Skiddle's announcement said the money will support its existing five-year growth plan.

That plan covers lifestyle events, technology, marketing and expansion in Europe. Skiddle already sells tickets in the Republic of Ireland and on the Spanish islands of Ibiza, Mallorca and Tenerife, as well as in Malta and Marbella. The European push would build on those markets.

Skiddle was founded in Preston in 2001 by Sebborn and Dyer. It started out as a listings guide, called What's On, that told people what was happening nearby. It began selling tickets in 2006.

The company reported £178 million in face-value ticket sales across 180,000 listed events in 2025. Face value is the price printed on the ticket, before booking fees are added. Skiddle also said 98% of the promoters who used it stayed on the platform. Promoters are the companies that organise and sell the shows.

Skiddle said its revenue has grown by an average of more than 20% a year over the past two years. Soho Square Capital described the deal as a growth investment and called Skiddle the UK's leading independent ticketing platform. Independent means the company is not owned by one of the large ticketing groups.

For anyone who has bought a ticket through Skiddle for a club night, a festival or a gig, the company's plans centre on the events it already lists and the markets it already serves. The next visible step will be the five-year plan itself, which will show up in new events, new features and new countries over the coming years.