Minnesota enacts Taylor Swift law to protect consumers

“We will make sure ticket resellers don’t sell tickets to Taylor Swift’s concert at $35,000.”

On Tuesday, Minnesota enacted a new law, commonly called the Taylor Swift Bill, to prevent ticket sellers from monopolizing event tickets and reselling them at exorbitant prices. Starting January 1, 2025, this legislation will prohibit purchasing large quantities of tickets for concerts, sports events, and other live shows, only to resell them at inflated prices.

The Associated Press reported that Governor Tim Walz signed House File 1989 into law, which mandates that ticket sellers must disclose all fees upfront and restricts resellers from selling more than one copy of a ticket. The bill's name pays homage to Taylor Swift's birth year and an album title.

Governor Walz emphasized that this law intends to protect consumers from purchasing fraudulent or substandard tickets and ensure that genuine fans have a fair chance to obtain tickets at face value.

The inspiration for this legislation stemmed from the frustration experienced by Kelly Moller, a Democratic Representative and the bill's primary sponsor, who was unable to purchase tickets to Taylor Swift's 2023 concert in Minneapolis. The ticket sales, managed by Ticketmaster, were plagued by technical issues and overwhelmed by bot attacks, resulting in tickets being scooped up and resold at outrageously inflated prices. What should have been reasonably priced tickets ranging from $49 to $499 were instead being sold for over $35,000, sparking significant public outcry.


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