SM Prime live venues top 1 million visitors as event demand surges

Insider Spotlight

• SM Prime’s major live entertainment venues welcomed more than 1 million visitors as of August 2026, up 52 percent year on year
• SM MOA Arena staged more than 110 shows from January to August, up as much as 20 percent from the same period in 2025
• SM Prime is already building its 2027 calendar with Westlife, The Script, Maroon 5, BIGBANG and the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup
  
  
  
  

SM Prime Holdings Inc. is seeing stronger demand across its live entertainment portfolio as concerts, sporting events and family shows draw larger crowds and its new Cebu arena expands capacity.

The SM Mall of Asia Arena, SM Seaside Cebu Arena and SMDC Festival Grounds welcomed more than one million visitors as of August, a 52-percent jump from about 710,000 visitors in the same period last year.

Complete experience

The growth points to sustained appetite for live entertainment in the Philippines, while the July opening of SM Seaside Cebu Arena gives SM Prime another major venue for concerts and sporting events.

“Our venues provide Filipino audiences with a complete experience before, during and after a live event,” SM Prime president Jeffrey C. Lim said in a press statement. “With dining, retail, entertainment and other amenities within easy reach, we are able to extend the experience beyond the event itself while creating more value across our properties,” he added. 

More than 110 shows

SM MOA Arena staged more than 110 shows from January through August, representing an increase of up to 20 percent from the comparable 2025 period. Meanwhile, SM Seaside Cebu Arena opened with sold-out concerts by Filipino acts BINI and IV of Spades.

Momentum is expected to continue through year-end. Sold-out SM MOA Arena shows include Regine Velasquez, Silent Sanctuary and 5 Seconds of Summer, while tickets are on sale for Jason Mraz, Wave to Earth and LE SSERAFIM.

What’s next

Disney On Ice presents Let’s Dance! is scheduled for 34 performances at SM MOA Arena. The Cebu venue’s lineup includes Bida Sa Arena, Premier Volleyball League and Spikers’ Turf events, East Asia Super League, LANY and 14 Disney On Ice performances.

SM Prime is also filling its 2027 calendar. Announced events include Westlife’s anniversary tour, The Script’s sold-out three-show run, Maroon 5’s Asia tour and BIGBANG at the SMDC Festival Grounds in Manila, alongside the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup in Cebu. —Vanessa Hidalgo | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma