In the bustling city of Minneapolis, the sizzle of live concerts, heart-pounding sporting events, and other vibrant live performances will now come with a side of transparency and enhanced protection for online ticket buyers. Governor Tim Walz ushered in this refreshing change on Tuesday, signing into law the so-called Taylor Swift bill.
This piece of legislation surfaced, not from the lofty chambers of political debate, but from the humble frustration of a lawmaker who couldn’t acquire tickets to Taylor Swift’s 2023 concert in Minneapolis. Henceforth, this law imposes explicit disclosure of all fees from the get-go and restricts resellers from selling more than one identical ticket. Essentially, it establishes a playing field that’s fair for all, whether the tickets purchased stem from within the confines of Minnesota or beyond its borders, as long as they’re meant for live events taking place in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
The bill, designated as House File 1989, drew inspiration from Swift’s birth year and album with the same title. The signing ceremony etched a memorable footprint in the heart of Minnesota’s bustling entertainment scene—First Avenue, a beloved concert hub nestled in downtown Minneapolis. Amid this charged atmosphere, Representative Kelly Moller, the chief architect of the bill, shared her excitement, scarcely believing that they were standing at First Avenue for the bill signing ceremony.
The spark that ignited Moller’s legislative action flickered amidst a sea of thousands of people, stranded in Ticketmaster’s system when it buckled in 2022 under a tidal wave of demand for Swift’s concert tickets and bot attacks geared towards inflating resale prices. Despite this debacle capturing Congress’s attention, it failed to yield any federal legislation.
By introducing this law, advocates are holding Minnesota up as a shining beacon of consumer protection in the crowded ticket market, joining the ranks of Maryland as one of the select few states to weave such protections in the fabric of their legal code.
The new regulation garnered support from Adrianna Korich, the director of ticketing at First Avenue. Korich lauded the law for safeguarding fans from falling prey to deceptive websites and opportunistic resellers notorious for listing tickets they don’t even own. These practices often inflate ticket prices to tenfold their original value, she noted.
Caught in the whirlwind of this landmark event were two young girls, Mike Dean’s daughters. These girls not only brought youthful charm to the ceremony but also highlighted the pressing need for such a law. Dean vividly recalled his plight when the purchase of event tickets for them escalated from $300 to over $500 due to hidden costs, with a timer ticking away the minutes to make an abrupt buying decision. Dean’s experience amplifies the distress experienced by countless others who’ve been robbed of the opportunity to make informed choices.
Dean, along with many others, looks forward to January 1, 2025, when the law takes effect—heralding a future where transparency isn’t just a buzzword but an inherent part of the ticket buying process in Minnesota.
