Ticketmaster and SM Prime Partner to Bring Ticketing Services to the Philippines

Ticketmaster expands into the Philippines through SM Prime partnership

May 26, 2026 By Mandy Dalugdug

Live Nation -owned ticketing giant Ticketmaster has entered the Philippines through a partnership with property developer SM Prime Holdings .

The two companies announced on Friday (May 22) the launch of SM Ticketmaster , a new ticketing service for fans, promoters, organizers and venues across the country.

SM Ticketmaster will provide ticketing services currently offered through SM Tickets , supporting the Philippines’ live entertainment market across concerts, sports and other live events.

The new service combines Ticketmaster ‘s ticketing technology, product innovation and fraud prevention tools with SM Prime ‘s local operating experience and knowledge of the Philippine market.

Jeffrey C. Lim , President of SM Prime , said: “Our goal is to make the ticket-buying experience more reliable, secure and convenient for customers.”

> “Through this partnership, we are combining Ticketmaster’s global ticketing technology with our local operating expertise to support the next phase of live entertainment in the Philippines.” Jeffrey C. Lim , SM Prime

Added Lim : “Through this partnership, we are combining Ticketmaster’s global ticketing technology with our local operating expertise to support the next phase of live entertainment in the Philippines.”

SM Ticketmaster will partner with third-party venues, promoters and other ticketed experiences across concerts, sports and live events.

It will also support SM Prime ‘s owned venues, including SM Mall of Asia Arena , SMDC Festival Grounds and the soon-to-launch SM Seaside Cebu Arena .

The SM Mall of Asia Arena has hosted a packed calendar of concerts in 2026 , with acts including Bryan Adams , DAY6 , ONE OK ROCK and RIIZE all performing at the venue in the first quarter alone.

Upcoming shows at the arena through the rest of the year include EXO , ITZY , Mitski , Laufey , XG , Charlie Puth , Kodaline , Jason Mraz and 5 Seconds of Summer , according to the venue’s event listings.

Jim Kotsonis , Regional Vice President, APAC, Ticketmaster , said: “Fans in the Philippines are showing strong and growing demand for live experiences, from major international tours to sports and local shows.”

“For Ticketmaster, this is an important new market and a natural next step in our international expansion.

“SM Ticketmaster will give fans a simpler way to buy tickets and organizers stronger tools to manage their events.”

> “Fans in the Philippines are showing strong and growing demand for live experiences, from major international tours to sports and local shows.” Jim Kotsonis , Ticketmaster

Led by Mike Mangubat , SM Ticketmaster will provide end-to-end ticketing services for promoters, organizers and venues, including event operations, marketing and customer service.

The Philippines launch is the latest move in Ticketmaster ‘s long-running international expansion strategy.

In 2020, the Live Nation -owned company expanded into Asia by acquiring Tixcraft in Taiwan and launching a Singapore office , increasing its presence to 32 countries at the time.

In 2024, Ticketmaster acquired pan-African ticketing platform Quicket , further extending its reach across the continent.

Ticketmaster says it processes 500 million tickets per year across more than 30 countries.

Elsewhere in the world, over a month ago, a federal jury found that Live Nation and Ticketmaster illegally monopolized the US ticketing and amphitheater markets, handing a victory to a coalition of 33 states and the District of Columbia.

Earlier this month, Ticketmaster cut around 350 employees across 25 countries – representing 8% of its workforce – in a restructuring of its engineering, product and design divisions.

SM Prime Holdings (PSE: SMPH) is one of the largest integrated property developers in Southeast Asia, with 90 malls in the Philippines and operations across China.

The company reported revenues of 141.1 billion Philippine pesos (approximately USD $2.45 billion , based on the 2025 yearly average exchange rate) in 2025. Music Business Worldwide

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_Originally reported by [Music Business Worldwide](https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/ticketmaster-expands-into-the-philippines-through-sm-prime-partnership/)._