Asia News: Ticketmaster Partially Acquires Thai Ticket Major; Singapore F1 Grand Prix Announces Lineup & More

THAILAND

Ticketmaster Partially Acquires Thai Ticket Major

On July 21, Ticketmaster announced that it had partly acquired Thai Ticket Major (TTM), which is based in Bangkok, Thailand. 

The acquisition, which is scheduled to be completed during the third quarter of this year, continues Ticketmaster’s expansion in Asia for the purpose of bringing its live events ticketing platform to more world markets. The acquisition of TTM is significant given that Thailand has become a vital live music, sports, musical theater and family events market. 

About 90 percent of Western artists who tour Asia also play Bangkok, the country’s capital. 

Thailand is also an especially important market for K-pop and Japanese talent, offering world class venues and growing fan demand for live entertainment, according to a statement released by Ticketmaster and Live Nation. Consequently, event promoters and artists will now be able to take advantage of Ticketmaster’s industry leading products and digital ticketing tools. 

In the statement, Ticketmaster President Mark Yovich said, “Thailand’s live entertainment industry has seen immense growth over the past few years. As we join with Thai Ticket Major, Ticketmaster will enhance the nation’s ticketing experience, bringing event organizers, venues and fans across the country an unrivalled level of service and experience.”

The current managing director of Thai Ticket Major, Komkrit Sirirat, will continue to lead the company after the acquisition

TTM was founded in 1999 by Tero Entertainment and is now the leading full-service ticketing company in Thailand with operations in other parts of the region. 

Brian Marcar, managing director of Tero Entertainment, said in a statement, “Delivering a market leading ticketing solution has been at the heart of TTM for the last 23 years, so it was the natural next step for us to join the world’s leading ticketing company, Ticketmaster.

Marcar added, “Being part of Ticketmaster gives us the opportunity to elevate our ticketing solutions for Thailand’s premier venues and event creators as this market grows into one of the world’s premier live entertainment destinations.”

The acquisition follows other recent moves in Asia, including the establishment of Ticketmaster Taiwan and Ticketmaster Singapore in 2020. 

SINGAPORE

Singapore F1 Grand Prix Announces Lineup

The Singapore F1 Grand Prix has announced the final group of artists who will perform at
the concert portion of the international sporting event on Oct. 1-2. Black Eyed Peas, TLC, the Kid Laroi and Suede will now join Green Day, Westlife, Marshmello and other previously announced acts on the various main stages of the Singapore F1 Grand Prix concert series. 

JAPAN

Increasing COVID-19 Cases Lead To Tokyo Cancellations

The sudden, intense increase in COVID infections that has hit Japan in recent weeks made its biggest impact on live entertainment last week, when the current kabuki production at the Kabuki-za Theater in Tokyo was canceled for the rest of the month after it was discovered that 48 actors and staff members had tested positive for the virus. 

The announcement was made by kabuki producer Shochiku Co. on July 22, after the two main stars of the July program at the theater, had to go into isolation following positive test results. The July program was to run until July 29.  The morning performance was canceled following a production member’s positive test results. The following day all performances were canceled and the entire cast and staff underwent PCR tests. 

  In other cancellation news, Yoasobi, one of the top Japanese acts set to appear at the Fuji Rock Festival the weekend of July 29, pulled out of the festival when lead vocalist Ikura tested positive for COVID. The international act Black Pumas also canceled their appearance at the festival.

HONG KONG

Founder Of Live Limited, Colleen Ironside Dies

It was announced on July 22 that Colleen Ironside, the founder of the Hong Kong-based live events promoter Live Limited, has died. The South China Morning Post reported that she was 69, and that she died in her sleep at her home in Hua Hin, Thailand.

Ironside founded Live Limited in the late 1990s in Hong Kong and left it for five years to work for Live Nation and AEG before returning to the company in 2010. Among Ironside’s many accomplishments during her time in the industry as described by those who knew her was her work to bring Bob Dylan to Vietnam, the Rolling Stones to Asia, and Elton John to the entire region. 

She started out as an agent for Harbour Premier Agency of Australia and set up the APA Booking Agency, where she worked for acts like INXS. She then moved to Frontier Asia where she organized Asia-Pacific tours for artists like R.E.M., Pearl Jam and Tom Jones. After forming Live Limited, she brought The Rolling Stones, Elton John, David Bowie, Coldplay, No Doubt, Sting and many others to the region. When she worked for Live Nation starting in 2005 she managed the company’s joint ventures in Beijing and Shanghai, while booking tours for the likes of Gwen Stefani and Christina Aguilera. 

 Plans are being made to honor Ironside’s legacy at the upcoming Music Matters convention held in Singapore in September. Her funeral will be held in Bangkok sometime in August.