Heads Up, Concert Goers: SM Tickets Will Now Be SM Ticketmaster
It's an effort to improve ticketing services in the country.
Published on May 22, 2026
(SPOT.ph) Avid concert goers are no stranger to SM Tickets and Ticketmaster. If there's a big show in the Philippines, buying tickets is likely done through SM Prime's ticketing service, while catching a show abroad usually means learning all about Ticketmaster, the leading global ticketing platform. From this day on, buying tickets in the Philippines will be done on SM Ticketmaster, a partnership between the local and global ticket selling services.
SM Tickets will now be SM Ticketmaster
SM Prime Holdings, Inc. on May 22 announced a partnership with Ticketmaster to form SM Ticketmaster, a new ticketing service that will take over SM Tickets. We have an annual list and even a monthly round-up of shows and concerts to catch, so we know just how much Filipinos love a good performance, and it looks like the rest of world is catching on. More and more artists, both local and foreign, are putting up shows to perform for Filipino fans, and Ticketmaster's entry in the Philippine market is set to meet this rise in demand for live experiences.
“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,” said Jim Kotsonis, Regional Vice President, APAC, Ticketmaster. “SM Ticketmaster will give fans a simpler way to buy tickets and organisers stronger tools to manage their events.”
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According to SM Prime, SM Ticketmaster will combine Ticketmaster's global ticketing technology, product innovation, and fraud prevention expertise with SM Prime's strong local operating experience and knowledge of the Philippine market to level up the ticket-buying experience of Filipinos.
“Our goal is to make the ticket-buying experience more reliable, secure and convenient for customers,” said Jeffrey C. Lim, President of SM Prime. “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.”
Even a global pandemic couldn't slow down the buzzing concert scene in the Philippines. Artists like Laufey, ITZY, Kodaline, Charlie Puth, LANY, Jason Mraz, 5 Seconds of Summer, EXO are set to perform in SM venues later this year, and that's only the tip of the iceberg.
“We have a strong pipeline of concerts, events and experiences scheduled across our venues, with more announcements to come,” added Lim.
What is Ticketmaster anyway?
SM Tickets is the country's largest ticketing service, with an online website and more than 100 outlets nationwide, including SM Cinemas and select partner establishment. It's hard to believe it launched only in 2011 with all the concert tickets we've had to buy through SM Tickets over the years, but it's been serving fans, crowds, and audiences for 15 years.
SM Tickets might be familiar, but Ticketmaster less so, especially for those who keep their concert and show attendance local. For the uninitiated, Ticketmaster is the global market leader in live event ticketing products and services. It's part of Live Nation Entertainment, which we're sure you've heard of thanks to all the big artists, shows, and events they have under their belt.
If you follow acts that tour the U.S., U.K., Canada, and other North American and European countries, it's usually Ticketmaster handling ticket selling, or Live Nation is in charge of producing the actual event.
Why the SM Ticketmaster partnership matters to fans and audiences
More than just being a ticketing service, Ticketmaster has official partnerships with thousands of venues, artists, sports teams, festivals, theaters, and performing arts centers from across the globe. That global network is expected to enhance the Philippine concert and live experience scene.
SM Prime said SM Ticketmaster will partner with third-party venues, promoters, and other ticketed experiences across concerts, sports, and other live events, alongside SM Prime’s owned venues, including SM Mall of Asia Arena, SMDC Festival Grounds, and the soon-to-launch SM Seaside Cebu Arena.
Led by Mike Mangubat, SM Ticketmaster will provide end-to-end ticketing services for promoters, organizers and venues, including event operations, marketing, and comprehensive customer service. As a fan and watcher, this means knowing how SM Ticketmaster works will be crucial in securing a ticket, and making the most out of a show.
And we're not saying it will happen, but with a global and local service coming together, it could mean more international artists and more immersive stages for the Philippines, while catering to Filipino expectations and sensibilities. Our fingers are crossed this means more and better shows for us, and an improved ticket-buying experience across the board.
How to sign up for a SM Ticketmaster account
SM Tickets will transition from its existing ticket reservation and sales services to SM Ticketmaster over the coming weeks. Everyone hoping to catch a show this year and beyond is encouraged to sign up on the new site ASAP to get uninterrupted access to upcoming events.
SM Ticketmaster is now up and running online, and it comes as no surprise that the boys of BTS are the welcoming committee on the website. So yes, ticketing for the Arirang World Tour will be done via SM Ticketmaster. Skip the stress later and sign up for an account now. Just visit the Ticketmaster PH website, click on register, and supply details. Standard info is required: name, password, and email addresses and phone numbers for verification. Once verified, your SM Ticketmaster account will be created.
Clara is fond of dissecting song lyrics and finding out how films are made. She also likes astrology, green tea, and dogs.