• In short: Fans trying to get tickets to Taylor Swift's shows in Melbourne will be protected by ticket scalping laws
• What's next? People violating the laws could face fines of up to $554,760 

The Victorian government has declared Taylor Swift's Melbourne tour a major event, meaning ticket scalping laws will apply to protect fans from being ripped off.

Last week, Taylor Swift announced she would come to Melbourne in February next year for her Eras tour.

Competition for tickets is expected to be fierce, with the American singer visiting Australia for the first time since 2018.

Under scalping laws, tickets cannot be advertised or sold for more than 10 per cent above their original price.

Those selling ticket packages must be authorised by the event organiser, and individual sellers will need to provide the details of the ticket and seat position.

Fines for non-compliance will range between $925 and $554,760, depending on the severity of the offence.

Unlike Victoria, consumers in New South Wales are automatically protected by scalping laws.

The first round of tickets, reserved for American Express customers, saw the website crash amid enormous demand. All those tickets are now sold out.

On Tuesday, consumer advocacy group CHOICE called on the government to declare the tour a major event amid reports of resale tickets being sold for more than $3,000 on third party websites.

Alan Kirkland, CEO of CHOICE, said there needed to be consistent protection against ticket scalping around the country to prevent people being ripped off.

"It's pretty clear there are industrial operations here," he told ABC News Channel.

"Our advice to people would be you should really think carefully before you buy a resold ticket from sites like Viagogo, which has previously copped a big fine from the ACCC for its practices.

"If you do want to buy a ticket that's been resold, do it through an official channel to be guaranteed you've got an authentic ticket that will work on the night."

Over the two nights, 180,000 people are expected to attend the MCG for the shows.

Interstate fans are expected to travel to Victoria, with the pop star only visiting Melbourne and Sydney.