Ticketmaster Enters East Africa as Quicket Launches in Uganda and Kenya

Global ticketing company Ticketmaster is launching in Kenya and Uganda as part of a long-term investment in East Africa’s live entertainment industry.

Backed by Ticketmaster's global reach, Quicket brings a platform purpose-built for East Africa's market. Fully digital ticketing will help reduce fraud and speed up fan entry, while local payment integrations with M-Pesa, MTN Mobile Money, and Airtel Money, will make buying tickets simpler and more accessible.

At the heart of the platform is the ability to meet fans where they already are. Africa’s 1.6 billion people are the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population, with a generation of fans increasingly discovering, sharing, and buying through their phones. Through global event distribution across Spotify, Google, Meta, Bandsintown, and Apple Music, Quicket puts events directly into the places where fans discover artists, music, and live experiences — helping organisers reach new audiences and turning discovery into ticket sales.

For organisers and sponsors, Quicket will offer real-time audience insights and open smarter ways to reach and engage fans - all on a platform that meets global security standards and local compliance requirements.

That same focus on meeting fans where they are is shaping what comes next. Quicket is developing WhatsApp-based ticketing to bring event discovery and purchase closer to fans’ everyday conversations, alongside AI-powered tools that will make it easier to find and buy tickets.

John Masembe, Business Operation Director at Quicket, said: “Spend a weekend in Nairobi or Kampala and you can feel the energy immediately. Packed Afro-fusion and Afro-House nights, festival crowds singing every word back to local artists, and a new generation of creators building vibrant music and culture scenes across the region. In East Africa, live entertainment is deeply woven into everyday life, and fans are showing a huge appetite for live experiences.

“Quicket 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.”

Justin Van Wyk, Managing Director of Ticketmaster South Africa, said: “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.

“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.”

The expansion comes as the live entertainment sector continues to evolve across East Africa, supported by a young, mobile-first population and growing demand for live experiences. Major venues in Kenya and Uganda are being upgraded ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, while new festivals and events continue to emerge across the region.

The expansion formalises Quicket’s long-standing presence in East Africa. Since 2016, the company has worked with its local partners, building close to a decade of on-the-ground experience, local relationships and field-services capability across the region.

For more information about Quicket and Ticketmaster, please visit Quicket and Ticketmaster.