Large events and even small ones are using private companies to manage ticket sales.

Mostly it's *one* private company, Ticketmaster, which operates all over the world under a variety of names. It's the McDonald's or Tesco of ticket sales. They're big enough and ruthless enough to stomp all over a local authority. If Sidmouth didn't give them their cut I imagine there would suddenly be intractable problems with event safety and licencing. Joan had better make sure her sheets are safe to wash in a cycle that would get horse blood off.