Ticket sales for events are now subject to clear duties for promoters, platforms and resellers.
Decree No. 13,108/2026, published on 1 September, created new rules for the sale of tickets to concerts, festivals, plays and other events. Platforms and promoters must block bulk purchases, display the final price from the outset and refund the amounts paid in the event of cancellation. Some of the obligations apply as from publication, while others take effect twenty days later.
How ticket sales change for promoters and platforms
The decree implements Law No. 8,078/1990, the Consumer Protection Code. It covers box offices, websites and applications, in relation to both in-person events and events held by other means.
The primary seller is the supplier engaged by the promoter to sell to the public. It must adopt mechanisms against abusive or speculative purchases, including those made by bots. It must also link each ticket to an individual and prevent counterfeiting. In addition, it must offer transfer of ownership free of charge.
Those who resell tickets, referred to as secondary intermediaries, have their own duties. They must state when the price exceeds the face value and warn that they are not the official channel. They must also remove abusive listings. Both are liable under the sole paragraph of article 7 of the Consumer Protection Code.
Total price, fees and refunds: what consumers gain
The total price, with ancillary fees itemised, must appear from the very first contact. A fee charged twice or without a corresponding service is abusive. Companies must therefore retain the documentation explaining each charge.
During pre-purchase, the amount and the fees remain unchanged throughout the entire reservation, even where dynamic pricing applies. In practice, consumers know how much they will pay while they are entering their details.
If the event is cancelled, postponed or materially altered, the refund must be full, including ancillary fees. Consumers may choose between using the ticket on the new date, receiving a credit or requesting a refund. Penalties and withholdings are prohibited where the consumer did not give cause for the change. In electronic purchases, the right of withdrawal also remains guaranteed.
A twenty-day period and two exceptions that narrow the scope
Articles 4, 5, 13 and 15 to 18 come into force twenty days after publication. They deal with anti-fraud mechanisms, ticket reservation, retention of data for two years and transfer of ownership. The remaining provisions apply as from publication.
Sporting events are excluded, since they are governed by Law No. 14,597/2023. Those who sell only at a physical box office are likewise exempt from the obligations that require a technological solution.
Non-compliance subjects those responsible to the penalties set out in the Consumer Protection Code. In addition, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security may issue supplementary rules.
Our view: anyone selling through a contracted platform should promptly check whether the system complies with the new rules, since the decree does not remove the liability of the seller. The next step is to review contracts and systems before the twenty-day period expires.
Read other legal news commented on by the firm and the articles by Moraes de Freitas Advogados.