How Taylor Swift fans will be protected from cruel ticket scalpers

Taylor Swift’s upcoming Melbourne tour has been declared a “major event” in a bid to crack down on cruel ticket scalpers looking to rip off young fans.

Swift will only perform in Melbourne and Sydney. Picture: Scott Legato

Taylor Swift’s upcoming Melbourne tour has officially been declared a major event in a bid to crack down on cruel ticket scalpers.

Tourism, Sport and Major Events Minister Steve Dimopoulos on Tuesday made a major event ticketing declaration for Taylor Swift’s upcoming The Eras Tour.

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 cannot be advertised for resale or resold for more than 10 per cent above their original value.

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

Swift’s upcoming Melbourne tour has officially been declared a major event. Picture: Kevin Mazur

This action was taken due to the expected huge demand for tickets to one of the two MCG shows in February next year.

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.

The musical superstar will only perform in Melbourne and Sydney, so it is expected more than 60,000 attendees will be from interstate and overseas.

Crowds are expected to reach 180,000 over two nights.

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

“As the live music capital of Australia, Melbourne is Taylor-made to host iconic events like this. By protecting our major events from ticket scalpers, we’re ensuring fans have the best chance possible of seeing their music idols,” he said.

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

The state government says major headline acts like Taylor Swift are a major economic win for Victoria. Picture: Kevin Mazur

The Eras Tour is shaping up to be one of the most lucrative in history, on track to pull in a staggering $1.5bn.

The tour, which takes in 52 shows across the US and another 54 overseas performances, will go down in the record books as the first to break the $1.5bn ($US1bn) revenue mark, entertainment industry experts say.

“It’s pretty astonishing,” Jarred Arfa, chief operating officer of Artist Group International, told the Wall Street Journal.

“What we’re seeing on this particular Taylor tour is almost like a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon.”

Music industry executives have long speculated ticket sales would break records but the iconic pop star’s team has so far been silent on what revenue has been generated.

The first pre-sale tickets hit the market in Australia on Monday with VIP packages priced at close to $1300.

But even with the huge price tag, Swifties went into a frenzy crashing the American Express website as tens of thousands of people jostled for tickets.

The next release will be on Wednesday, June 28, with pre-sale tickets and VIP packages available through promoter Frontier Touring at 10am.

General release sales open on Friday, June 30, at 2pm.

Swift will perform in Melbourne in February. Picture: Shanna Madison

The current record for ticket revenue is held by Elton John for his 5-year ongoing “Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour” which has grossed around $1.33bn (US$887m).

This is higher than Ed Sheeran’s “Divide Tour” that raked in $1.16bn (US$776m).

In Australia, Swift will play at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on February 16 and 17 and Sydney’s Accor Stadium on February 23, 24 and 25.

The MCG can hold more than 100,000 people although it is not yet known what limit will be set for the concerts.

General admission tickets start at $79.90 and range to $379.90.

At the top of the ticket ranges is the “It’s Been A Long Time Coming Package” which costs $1249.90 and will get fans a ticket, as well as VIP merchandise including art prints, a collectable fashion pin, tote bag and lanyard.

Elton John currently holds the record for ticket revenue.

While Swifts $US1bn tour revenue sound enormous, industry insiders say not all the money goes into Swift’s pocket.

There is the monstrous costs of putting on each concert.

Plus, there is also the promoters’ cut which will be paid out to companies like Messina Touring Group, which is affiliated with AEG Presents, the No. 2 concert promoter globally after Live Nation.

Even with the costs, some industry figures have speculated Swift could take home up to 60 per cent of the $15m in ticket sales each one of her shows will generate on average.

This amounts to about $9m a night in profit.