MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota is in its ticket regulation era after passing a bill inspired by Taylor Swift to increase transparency in the sales process
Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed into law the “Taylor Swift Bill” on Tuesday at the historic Minneapolis music venue First Avenue. The legislation was introduced after chaos ensued in 2022 when thousands attempted to get tickets to the highly anticipated Eras Tour and were met with deceptive pricing, long wait times and loss of tickets.
“This is about fairness,” he said at the press conference. “I’m really proud of Minnesota, once again, standing up for consumer rights.”
Minnesota joins a growing number of states to enact laws in the aftermath of the debacle across the country.
Here’s what you need to know.
House File 1989, cleverly named after one of Swift’s hit albums and birth year, doesn’t just protect the star’s super fans, but every live entertainment or sporting event in the state. The law enacts a number of consumer protections and transparency practices for ticket sellers, including giants like Ticketmaster and SeatGeek
Democratic State Rep. Kelly Moller, Shoreview, was like thousands of people across the country when she wasn’t able to get tickets to the Eras Tour. Swift performed two sold-out shows in June last year at U.S. Bank Stadium to crowds of over 70,000 each night.
Some buyers experienced prices gouged up to 70 times the posted ticket value once they reached checkout or purchased from secondary sites. Others experienced hours long wait times, like Moller, and were knocked off their spots, losing their tickets to other buyers.
The legislation will work to curb these barriers for Minnesota consumers and accessing live events and goes into effect Jan. 2025.
Moller said that they were in their “Midnight Era” as the clock ticks down with less than two weeks left of the legislative session and expects a swath of more bills to reach the governor’s desk.
— Sam Woodward is the Minnesota elections reporting fellow for USA Today. You can reach her at[email protected].
