The live entertainment arm of China-born tech giant Alibaba is making its first move into international ticketing, landing a primary ticketing role for a concert in Malaysia.
MAISEAT, the ticketing platform operated by Damai Entertainment, a subsidiary of Alibaba Group listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, will serve as the official primary ticketing partner for Chinese rapper GAI’s upcoming Malaysia show.
It marks the first time MAISEAT has held a primary ticketing role outside China, the company said.
GAI, whose real name is Zhou Yan, is among China’s most recognizable rappers, singers, and songwriters. His world tour opened in Singapore on March 7, with subsequent stops in Las Vegas and Sydney.
The concert, part of GAI’s EVOLUTION 2026 World Tour, is scheduled for May 10 at the Arena of Stars at Resorts World Genting in Kuala Lumpur.
MAISEAT is handling ticket distribution and sales channels and is also serving as a co-organizer for the Malaysia stop.
Presales on the platform began March 10, with general sales opening March 13. All presale tickets have sold out, said MAISEAT.
“Securing the primary ticketing role for GAI’s Malaysia show marks an important milestone for MAISEAT and strongly validates our capabilities in international live event ticketing.”
Walter Zheng, MAISEAT
Walter Zheng, Head of MAISEAT, said: “Securing the primary ticketing role for GAI’s Malaysia show marks an important milestone for MAISEAT and strongly validates our capabilities in international live event ticketing.
Added Zheng: “From ticket distribution to customer service, we have implemented a localized end-to-end model that meets the standards of international markets. We plan to bring this model to more markets, helping Chinese artists connect with fans worldwide, and build MAISEAT into a trusted platform for international event organizers and cross-border audiences.”
The deal for GAI’s Malaysia concert marks MAISEAT’s first major transaction since launching in November 2025. At the time, the company said: “The platform offers international users access to concerts, sporting events, music festivals, theater productions, and more at home and abroad.”
Alibaba also described MAISEAT’s launch as “a significant step in Alibaba Group’s ongoing internationalization strategy.”
Shortly after the November launch, MAISEAT launched its global app in December, at the time revealing that it secured ticketing rights for over 20 major international events. The app offers support for Chinese, English, Japanese and Korean language. It integrates with Alipay’s global payment network.
These efforts come as Alibaba rebranded Alibaba Pictures Group into Damai Entertainment Holdings in June 2025. The change came as the film subsidiary of the Chinese tech conglomerate ventured into other areas of entertainment including live concerts and events.
In the six months ended September 30, 2025, Damai’s profit attributable to owners of the company surged 54% YoY to RMB 519.5 million (USD $73 million at the average exchange rate for 2025), while revenue jumped 33% YoY in the six-month period to RMB 4 billion ($561m).
Following Damai’s transition, the company now offers content production, promotion and distribution, IP merchandizing, licensing and commercial management, cinema and entertainment event ticketing management, and internet data services for the entertainment industry.
According to Damai’s fiscal first-half report for the period ended September 30, the company has access to over 20,000 venues.
During that same period, Damai logged revenues of RMB 1.34 billion ($188m) in its live content and technology business, which spans its performance ticketing business, live entertainment content and international business. The figure was up 15% from RMB 1.17 billion ($163m) in the year-ago period.
When the interim report was released in December 2025, Damai said: “Looking ahead, the live content and technology business will continue to leverage advantages throughout the industry chain, actively explore new content categories both in ticketing and content aspects, and strengthen core competitiveness and market share.”
“At the same time, it will accelerate overseas expansion, striving to become the preeminent player in the global live entertainment market.”
Damai also hinted at plans to expand its international footprint, “tapping into Asian and global markets to achieve the integration of overseas ticketing platforms, premium overseas content and leading venue systems worldwide.”
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