Taylor Swift Inspires New Law in Brazil

First, it was Ticketmaster in the US. Then, there was chaos on the streets of Brazil. For fans of music icon Taylor Swift, purchasing tickets to her upcoming tour has been an utter nightmare. But there’s some benefit that’s come from the craziness.

Brazilian lawmakers recently introduced the “Taylor Swift Law” (Lei Taylor Swift). The proposed legislation aims to fight against ticket scalping, the practice of reselling event tickets at prices higher than those set by official organizers. While Brazil already prohibits the sale of tickets for sporting events at above face value, there’s currently no law that prevents ticket scalping at concerts.

The new law would criminalize ticket scalping generally, with penalties ranging from fines to up to four years in prison. Although the bill still requires congressional and presidential approval, it has attracted widespread support from both lawmakers and the public.

The move comes in response to the chaos that ensued during Taylor Swift’s concert ticket sales in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Fans faced technical glitches when buying tickets online, and physical altercations with scalpers were reported at various sales locations. These experiences shed light on the need for additional legislation to protect consumers.

Taylor Swift is scheduled to play six sold-out shows in Brazil later this year as part of The Eras Tour. Yet it’s unclear whether Brazil can move “swiftly” enough to pass the new anti-scalping measures by then. If not, countless “Swifties” will no doubt pay a small fortune for the opportunity to hear their idol live.