Procon-SP, the São Paulo consumer protection watchdog, announced Tuesday that it had fined Time For Fun, the company responsible for organizing a recent tour of Taylor Swift concerts in Brazil.
The fine was set at BRL 600,000 (USD 120,810) because, according to Procon-SP, Time For Fun violated consumer rights when selling tickets for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, and the 2020 and 2023 editions of the Lollapalooza Brazil music festival.
These violations include, but are not limited to, “abusive terms and conditions” that limited what fans could bring into concert venues, and the imposition of service charges for both in-person purchases and ticket returns.
After waiting in line for days, hundreds of Swifties reported violent encounters with scalpers — and many were left empty-handed as tickets sold out within 40 minutes.
The situation prompted one congresswoman to propose legislation to increase penalties for scalpers — dubbed the “Taylor Swift Bill.”
Time For Fun, which can appeal the decision, says it has not yet been formally notified of the decision.
Negligence
Time For Fun was heavily criticized for restricting what concertgoers could take into the arena. The audience was not allowed to take water bottles into the Nílton Santos Olympic Stadium on the first Taylor Swift concert in Rio de Janeiro, and one fan died during the event, seemingly due to the effects of extreme heat. Tuesday’s decision, however, only applies to events that took place in the state of São Paulo.
In response to the Taylor Swift debacle in Rio, the Justice Ministry issued an ordinance stating that event organizers can no longer prevent attendees from bringing their own water bottles inside the venue — and that they must provide adequate drinking stations for the public.
As The Brazilian Report has shown, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, the world’s largest this year, served as a magnifying glass for the problems created by the draconian relationship between event organizers and fans.
This relationship is the object of scrutiny by policymakers in multiple countries. Last week, the U.S. Senate introduced a bill promising consumer protections for tickets to live entertainment events. The so-called Fans First Act aims to tackle high fees, out-of-control prices, and deceptive selling practices in the entertainment realm.
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