Ticketmaster has officially launched Quicket in Kenya and Uganda, marking its formal entry into two of East Africa’s most dynamic live entertainment markets. The expansion brings a digital ticketing platform designed around local consumer behaviour, with integrations for M-Pesa, MTN Mobile Money and Airtel Money, alongside global event distribution through Spotify, Google, Meta, Bandsintown and Apple Music.
The move comes as Nairobi and Kampala continue to establish themselves as one of the top destinations for live music, festivals and touring artists, while a young, mobile-first population is changing how audiences discover and access entertainment.
Rather than treating ticketing as a transaction that happens at the end of the discovery process, Quicket is positioning it as part of the entire journey. Its event-distribution capabilities are designed to put concerts and other live experiences directly into the digital platforms where fans are already discovering artists and music, allowing organisers to turn that discovery into ticket sales.
The integration of M-Pesa, MTN Mobile Money and Airtel Money is a significant part of the launch because mobile money has become part of everyday commerce in East Africa. A global ticketing platform may bring international infrastructure, but its success depends on whether fans can use it without having to change the way they already transact.
That local-first approach is central to Quicket’s expansion. Although the Ticketmaster launch is new, Quicket has been working with partners in East Africa since 2016, giving the company nearly a decade of experience and local relationships before formally expanding its presence under the Ticketmaster umbrella.
“Spend a weekend in Nairobi or Kampala and you can feel the energy. Quicket’s and Ticketmaster’s role is to help build the infrastructure behind that momentum, making it easier for organisers, artists, and venues to grow, connect with audiences, and scale live experiences across the region,” the business operation director at Quicket, John Masembe, said.
That infrastructure extends beyond selling tickets. Quicket will give event organisers and sponsors access to real-time audience insights, potentially giving them a clearer picture of who is attending their events and how audiences are responding to them. In a competitive live entertainment market, that kind of information influences everything from marketing and ticket pricing to venue selection and future bookings.
Digital ticketing also addresses fraud, which is one of the industry’s biggest problems. By replacing physical tickets with secure digital alternatives, the platform makes it difficult for counterfeit tickets to circulate while allowing venues to move audiences through entry points more efficiently.
The opportunity comes at an important time for East Africa’s entertainment industry. Kenya and Uganda have developed music scenes that have attracted local and international artists while nurturing festivals, concerts and other live experiences. The region is also preparing for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will jointly host, with major venues being upgraded ahead of the tournament.
For Ticketmaster, the launch is more than establishing another ticketing platform; it is an opportunity to become part of an entertainment economy that is growing alongside Africa’s broader digital transformation.
“Africa has a huge, young and fast-growing population, which is helping make East Africa one of the most exciting live entertainment markets. Quicket has the local knowledge and relationships to serve it well,” South Africa managing director of Ticketmaster, Justin Van Wyk, said.
He added, “Our role is to back that expertise with Ticketmaster’s global scale, giving event organisers, artists, and fans across Kenya and Uganda the same market-leading ticketing experience audiences expect anywhere in the world. Kenya and Uganda are just the beginning as we look forward to entering more markets across the region in the future.”
Quicket is also already looking toward what comes next. The company says it is developing WhatsApp-based ticketing, bringing event discovery and purchasing into the platform that is already central to how many Africans communicate and organise their daily lives. It is also developing AI-powered tools designed to make finding and buying tickets easier.
