Not-for-profit ticketing platform Humanitix now has a superhero by its side with actor and philanthropist Hugh Jackman signing on as its first Head of Impact of the Australian social enterprise startup.
While the Thanos of ticketing, Live Nation, is in a world of pain a landmark US antitrust ruling that found the company and Ticketmaster ran an illegal monopoly, Humanitix gives 100% of its profits to charities spanning Indigenous education and literacy projects, health, sustainability.
It has donated nearly $21 million – that figure doubling in just two years for the Sydney social impact startup
Cofounded by Josh Ross and Adam McCurdie eight years ago to challenge high ticketing fees, Humanitix sold more than 20.8 million tickets in 2025, growing 23.5% year-on-year, and is now on track to overtake Ticketek this year.
Humanitix is used by Startup Daily, LaunchVic, Stone & Chalk, Tank Stream Labs and many other Australian startups as their preferred ticketing platform for events.
$100m donation target
Humanitix processed around $453 million in ticket sales over the past 12 months, and expects to exceed $535 million in 2026. Globally, the platform has now facilitated more than A$1.6 billion in ticket sales, as it expands across the US, UK and New Zealand. In the first quarter of 2026, more than 86,000 events were created on the platform. The company is now targeting A$100 million in total donations by 2031.
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Joshua Ross said Jackman will play a key role in amplifying Humanitix’s impact mission globally, as the company scales its model of turning booking fees into funding for high-impact charities across education, healthcare and poverty alleviation.
“Adding Hugh will help us reach even more organisers and accelerate our mission to disrupt the ticketing industry – for good,” Ross said.
“This isn’t a typical celebrity role – it’s about helping scale a model that can change how entire industries operate.”
Jackman, about the star in the comedy crime thriller The Sheep Detective, said most people don’t think twice about ticketing fees or where the profits go.
“Humanitix flips that on its head by turning those fees into real impact for real people. It’s such a simple shift, but it has already changed tens of thousands of lives and has the potential to change millions more.”
McCurdie said the appointment signals a shift in how the company is perceived, both locally and globally.
“For a long time, people saw Humanitix as a great idea – a charity alternative to ticketing. What we’ve now proven is that you can build a world-class platform that competes on product and experience, while also creating meaningful impact,” he said.
“Most people believe you have to choose between social good and a quality experience but we’ve shown that the opposite can be true. Hugh’s involvement reflects where this is heading: global, mainstream and high-impact.”
If you’re keen to use Humantix, go to humanitix.com/au to find out more.
