The Franklin Asia Showcase is Franklin Sports' touring pickleball exhibition. Its pros play exhibition matches, meet fans and run on-court games in cities around Southeast Asia. The third edition comes to Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, 17 October 2026, at 91 Pickleball, Hextar World @ Empire City, with world No. 1 Anna Leigh Waters as the headliner. Doors open at 4:30pm and the show runs 6pm-10pm.
The Pickle Parlour, Franklin's Malaysian event partner, sells the tickets. They come as seven packs priced RM88-RM1,999, and each one pairs entry with Franklin gear. The two earlier editions, in September 2025 and April 2026, are covered further down.
You may also see it billed as the Franklin Asia Pro Showcase or the Franklin Asia Pickleball Showcase.
Waters' October trip also takes in Manila (13-15 October) and Hong Kong, where she plays a Franklin night at Stackd on 18 October and then the Hong Kong Slam (19-25 October).
Franklin Asia Showcase 2026 at a glance
Detail | Franklin Asia Pro Showcase 3, Kuala Lumpur |
|---|---|
Date | Saturday, 17 October 2026 |
Time | Doors 4:30pm, show 6pm-10pm |
Venue | 91 Pickleball, Hextar World @ Empire City, Damansara Perdana (Petaling Jaya courts) |
Headliner | Anna Leigh Waters, world No. 1, with the Franklin Pro Team |
On the night | Exhibition matches, a meet and greet, fan games, giveaways and a new paddle launch |
Tickets | From RM159 at The Pickle Parlour (the RM88 pack has sold out) |
Organiser | Franklin Pickleball Malaysia; The Pickle Parlour handles ticketing |
Franklin Asia Showcase tickets and packages
Every ticket is a pack: an access pass plus some Franklin gear. Only the three priciest packs come with a VIP pass and a photo with Anna Leigh Waters. Availability below is as The Pickle Parlour listed it on 12 October 2026.
Pack | Price | What's included | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
X-40 Pack | RM88 | 3 Franklin X-40 official pickleballs, standing access pass | Sold out |
Shirt Pack | RM159 | Event-exclusive Franklin performance shirt, standing access pass | Available |
Bag Pack | RM699 | Franklin Pro Series Bag 2 (Anna Leigh Waters or Parris Todd edition), standing access pass | Available |
Paddle Pack | RM949 | Anna Leigh Waters signature paddle (12.7mm, 14mm or 16mm), standing access pass | Available |
VIP Pack | RM1,299 | ALW paddle, event shirt, VIP lounge with light refreshments, meet and greet with Franklin pros, photo with Anna Leigh Waters | Available |
Super Fan Pack | RM1,599 | Franklin Next-Gen paddle (exclusive pre-release), event shirt, VIP lounge, meet and greet, photo with Anna Leigh Waters | Available |
Super VIP Fan Pack | RM1,999 | Next-Gen paddle, Pro Series Bag 2, event shirt, VIP lounge, meet and greet, photo with Anna Leigh Waters | Available |
Buy them from The Pickle Parlour: Franklin Asia Pro Showcase 3 tickets. Sales are final and non-refundable. You collect your pack items at the venue on the day, and paddle colours depend on what's in stock.
Guided social play with Anna Leigh Waters (16 October)
On Friday 16 October, the night before the show, Franklin is running a guided social play session at Pickle Depot, Sentul Depot, from 8pm-10pm, for 36 players at most. The RM1,058 Open Play Experience gets you dinner at Unwind, two hours of guided open play, at least one Rally 11 game with or against Waters, games with the Franklin Malaysia Pro Team, a photo and an autograph. The RM1,588 Next-Gen Experience adds a Next-Gen paddle, a 30-minute closed coaching session, the event shirt and a VIP ticket to the 17 October show.
Both tiers had sold out by 12 October 2026.
What happens at the Franklin Asia Showcase
Waters and the Franklin Pro Team play exhibition matches, with pickleball challenges, brand activations and giveaways of Franklin products in between. VIP, Super Fan and Super VIP Fan holders get a meet and greet and a photo with Waters. Franklin is also launching its Next-Gen paddle, which the Super Fan packs include as a pre-release.
Franklin hasn't published a minute-by-minute schedule for KL. The Johor Bahru run of show from April, linked further down, gives a fair idea of the format.
We filmed this at the April edition:
Anna Leigh Waters in Kuala Lumpur
Anna Leigh Waters is the world No. 1 and the most decorated player in professional pickleball. She signed with Franklin in January 2026, aged 18, in a long-term deal widely reported as the biggest equipment contract the sport has seen. In April she played the Vietnam leg of the second edition, and on 17 October she headlines in Malaysia.
In Ho Chi Minh City, she and her mother Leigh Waters had the crowd on their side:
Franklin Asia Showcase history: every edition
Edition 1: Kuala Lumpur, September 2025
The first Franklin Asia Showcase was in Kuala Lumpur on 18 September 2025. Franklin pros Parris Todd and Hayden Patriquin played, and used the trip to debut their Franklin signature paddles.
Edition 2: Ho Chi Minh City, Penang and Johor Bahru, April 2026
The second edition went to Ho Chi Minh City on 7 April, Penang on 9 April and Johor Bahru on 11 April. Waters and her mother, who is also her doubles partner, played Vietnam only. Hayden Patriquin, Will Howells and Jimmy Liong played all three cities and ran a pro clinic in Penang and Johor Bahru. Each night had five exhibition matches, one of them men's doubles USA vs Malaysia, with crowd segments in between and a lucky draw to finish.
Malaysia No. 1 Jimmy Liong had one of the best moments of the night:
Our preview of that tour has the player profiles and the Johor Bahru run of show: Franklin Asia Showcase 2: Spreading Pickleball Fever in Asia.
Edition 3: Kuala Lumpur, October 2026
Edition three, with Waters headlining, is on 17 October 2026 at 91 Pickleball, Hextar World @ Empire City. Tickets and times are at the top of the page.
Why Franklin is bringing pickleball stars to Asia
Franklin Sports has been family-owned since 1946, and pickleball is now central to its business. Signing Waters in January 2026 put the world No. 1 on a roster that already had Hayden Patriquin, Parris Todd, Megan Fudge and Will Howells, and Jimmy Liong became its first major professional signing in Asia. Taking that roster round Malaysia is a bet that the country is one of the fastest-growing pickleball markets in the region.
Adam Franklin, the company's President and CEO, put it like this:
"What is happening with pickleball is once in a lifetime. It is not often that a new sport emerges and has retail viability and mass appeal."
Jared Franklin, Head of International, is the one running the Asia push:
Frequently asked questions
What is the Franklin Asia Showcase?
A touring pickleball exhibition run by Franklin Sports. Franklin's pros play exhibition matches, meet fans and run on-court activities in Southeast Asian cities. It is not a ranked tournament.
When is the Franklin Asia Showcase in Kuala Lumpur in 2026?
Saturday, 17 October 2026, at 91 Pickleball, Hextar World @ Empire City. Doors open at 4:30pm and the show runs 6pm-10pm.
Is Anna Leigh Waters coming to Malaysia?
Yes. The world No. 1 headlines the Franklin Asia Pro Showcase 3 in Kuala Lumpur on 17 October 2026. She also leads a guided social play session at Pickle Depot, Sentul, on 16 October.
How much are Franklin Asia Showcase tickets?
Packs cost RM88-RM1,999. The RM88 X-40 Pack has sold out, so the cheapest way in is now the RM159 Shirt Pack. VIP packs, which include a photo with Anna Leigh Waters, start at RM1,299.
Where can I buy Franklin Asia Showcase tickets?
Online from The Pickle Parlour, Franklin's Malaysian event partner, at thepickleparlour.com.
Which ticket includes a photo with Anna Leigh Waters?
The VIP Pack (RM1,299), the Super Fan Pack (RM1,599) and the Super VIP Fan Pack (RM1,999). Each one also includes a meet and greet with the Franklin pros.
Are Franklin Asia Showcase tickets refundable?
No. Every sale is final and can't be refunded or exchanged. You collect pack items at the venue on the day.
How many Franklin Asia Showcases have there been?
Three: Kuala Lumpur in September 2025; Ho Chi Minh City, Penang and Johor Bahru in April 2026; and Kuala Lumpur again on 17 October 2026.
Ticket availability as The Pickle Parlour listed it on 12 October 2026. More Franklin news.
We'll be at 91 Pickleball on the night. Follow @thepicklebase for it.