The next time you visit a mall, it might be for more than just errands. As these spaces evolve into places where Filipinos can spend a full day discovering new hobbies, trying new restaurants, catching a show, or simply spending time with their communities, SM Supermalls is reimagining what the modern mall experience can look like.
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Beyond Shopping
Following the opening of its 90th mall in Zamboanga, SM is preparing to open its 91st, SM Nuvali, which will feature the country’s first LED cinema screen experience. The development is shaping up as an eat-and-play destination in South Luzon, bringing together dining, entertainment, and leisure in one space.
Further south, the newly opened SM Seaside Cebu Arena is giving the Visayas a new venue for major concerts and entertainment events, with a 25,000-seat capacity.
These developments point to a larger shift: malls are no longer being designed solely around shopping. Increasingly, they are becoming destinations where people can spend more of their day doing the things they already enjoy.
Where Community Thrives
That shift is also visible in the way SM is creating spaces around Filipino interests and communities. As more mallgoers look for ways to stay active, social, and connected, the mall has become a venue for everything from running to pickleball.
In 2026, more than 40,000 runners participated in the Galaxy Manila Marathon and SM2SM Cebu events, while pickleball continues to grow across the country, with 102 courts now open across 32 SM malls nationwide.
The experience extends beyond fitness. Initiatives such as Museo del Galeon, Art for Everyone, and AweSM Festivals bring local art, culture, and heritage into spaces that Filipinos already visit regularly.
Meanwhile, experiential programs like Gala to the Max demonstrate how even an ordinary mall visit can become an interactive experience shared with friends and family.
Together, these initiatives form part of My SM, a movement centered on the evolving ways Filipinos gather, play, discover, and spend time together. Whether it’s furparents, fandoms, fitness communities, or families, the idea is to create spaces where different interests and communities can find their place.
More to Discover
As mall spaces continue to expand into lifestyle and leisure, they are also making room for more local and international brands. With more than 23,000 tenants nationwide, SM Supermalls is continually curating its mix around how Filipinos shop, dine, and spend their free time.
“Food, leisure, and lifestyle concepts are leading the demand right now,” said Hanna Carinna T. Sy, Senior Assistant Vice President for Marketing and Leasing at SM Supermalls. “We’re actively curating a mix that keeps shoppers staying longer, discovering new brands, and coming back more often.”
The result is a mall experience that encourages discovery—whether that means stumbling upon a new restaurant, finding a new favorite brand, or spending an afternoon doing something entirely outside the original plan.
SM SuperMakers
And discovery doesn’t stop at the mall itself. One of SM’s newest initiatives, SM SuperMakers, brings together creators on TikTok who want to discover, experience, and share what’s happening across SM.
Creators can participate by making original SM-related content, sharing it on their own TikTok accounts using #MySMSupermakers, and tagging the official SuperMakers TikTok account as a collaborator. Selected creators and content may also be reposted, featured, or invited to future events and creator briefs.
As My SM centers on personal experiences, SuperMakers gives creators the freedom to experience SM in their own way and tell those stories through their own voices and communities.
In many ways, it reflects the larger evolution of the mall itself: the experience is no longer something to simply consume, but something to participate in, share, and make your own.
Making Room for More
Beyond shopping, dining, and leisure, SM continues to invest in the communities around its malls through partnerships with small businesses, trade fairs for local entrepreneurs, and sustainability initiatives, including nationwide plastic collection programs and solar power integration.
At the end of the day, the evolution of the mall isn’t simply about building bigger spaces or adding more things to do. It’s about creating places that reflect how Filipinos actually want to spend their time—with opportunities to discover, connect, celebrate, and create memories together.
“Our goal is to keep evolving alongside our shoppers, making sure SM remains a space where communities can connect, celebrate, and create memories together, showing our purpose in every experience we deliver,” said Steven T. Tan, President of SM Supermalls.
Featured Image and Photos: SM AURA, SM SUPERMALLS
Frequently Asked Questions
SM Nuvali will be SM’s 91st mall and will feature the country’s first LED cinema screen experience, positioned as an eat-and-play destination combining dining, entertainment, and leisure in South Luzon.
The SM Seaside Cebu Arena is a newly opened 25,000-seat venue in the Visayas designed to host major concerts and entertainment events, expanding SM’s offerings beyond retail.
SM Supermalls has 102 pickleball courts open across 32 malls nationwide, part of a broader push to make malls venues for fitness and community activities like running and marathons.
My SM is a movement centered on the evolving ways Filipinos gather, play, discover, and spend time together at SM malls, encompassing fitness, fandoms, families, and local culture initiatives.
SM SuperMakers is an SM initiative bringing together TikTok creators who make original SM-related content, tagging the official SuperMakers account and using #MySMSupermakers, with select creators featured or invited to future events.
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