Victorian Government announces crack down on ticket scalpers

In the wake of reports that tickets for Taylor Swift's 2024 concert dates in Australia are being resold for massive markups, the Victorian Government announced that it will crack down on ticket scalpers and protect Taylor Swift fans from being ripped off.

To combat massively marked-up ticket resale prices for the pop star’s Melbourne performances next year, the Victorian Government has officially declared them a major event.

Due to the strong demand for tickets for the two dates, Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos has made a major event ticketing declaration for the MCG performances under the Major Events Act 2009.

Commenting on the move, Minister Dimopoulos stated “by protecting our major events from ticket scalpers, we’re ensuring fans have the best chance possible of seeing their music idols.

“Our message to ticket scalpers is clear - don’t sell Taylor Swift tickets at inflated prices, otherwise you will be fined.”

By making a major event ticketing declaration for the concerts, fans are protected from being ripped off by ticket scalpers, ensuring that tickets are available at a fair price. Under the legislation, tickets to a declared major event can't be advertised for resale or resold for more than 10% above their original value.

In addition to this, ticket package sellers are required to be authorised by the event organiser, and individual ticket advertisements must also include ticket and seating details.

Any ticket seller who does not comply with the above are subjected to penalties that can range from $925 up to $554,760 depending on the nature of the offence.

Given that The Eras Tour will only play in two Australian cities, it’s expected that more than 60,000 attendees will be from interstate and overseas, giving Melbourne’s economy a massive boost through spending on accommodation, retail, food, beverage and transport in the city.

Major headline acts like Taylor Swift are a major economic win for Victoria, including for Melbourne’s hotels which see a surge in bookings when fans come to town.

When Ed Sheeran played the MCG in March this year Melbourne’s hotel occupancy reached 90.1%.

Click here to learn more about declared events.

Images: Promotion for Taylor Swift's Eras tour (top, credit: Frontier Touring) and tickets for her Melbourne performances being offered at marked-up prices on resale site Viagogo (below).