What to include in a hospitality rider

Have you ever wondered what an artist may rightfully request for their refreshment and comfort at a show? And whether you can simply say no to certain demands?

We chatted to an artist manager, booking agent, and festival booker to find out.

Having a hospitality component in your artist rider ensures that the people behind the performance are fed, rested, and mentally prepared to entertain a crowd. The hospitality rider is arguably the most human document in the music industry, while the technical rider handles the production side of the performance.

To understand exactly what goes into this document—and what gets crossed out—we spoke with three music industry professionals with skin in the game: Max Mäder is a founder and artist manager at 1182 (eleveneightytwo), Niels van Loo is the founder and booking manager at Parachute Booking, and Anna Breitenfeld is a festival booker at Open Beatz.

Artist comfort & well-being

The hospitality rider is fundamentally about maintaining the artist's well-being while on the road. This includes the environment they step into before and after each show. According to Max, who manages both touring bands and solo acts, this document is distinct from technical specs or general logistics.

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Food, drinks & dietary restrictions

The most recognizable part of any hospitality rider is the catering list. This section details everything from hot meals to specific brands of alcohol.

Niels notes that this is where personal health and preferences take center stage. When compiling a hospitality rider, he lists the artists' dietary restrictions and the drinks they would like at the event.

But this is also the section most subject to scrutiny by promoters and venue bookers. Anna, who books around 170 artists per event for Open Beatz, personally reviews these lists. Her rule of thumb is simple: is it reasonable?

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On the other hand, leverage matters. Anna noted that if it is a “ticket seller” or a major headliner that brings in a lot of sales, she weighs up the reasonableness of their requests and is happy to provide them with what they need on the rider.

Anna also applies a strict "edible or drinkable" filter to hospitality requests.

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But even with a signed document, hospitality is never guaranteed. “Of course you're never 100% sure whether your rider has been attended to and you only know when you get there at the venue,” Niels says.

Accommodation & travel logistics

While travel logistics are often handled in a separate "general rider" or deal memo, specific preferences often bleed into hospitality requests. Niels mentions that he includes details such as preferred plane seats directly in the rider documentation.

A common point of friction in arranging artist accommodation is when the hospitality rider contradicts the actual signed contract. Anna warns that managers often copy-paste templates that don't match the specific deal for that event.

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You can keep your contract and artist riders aligned with SystemOne’s dynamic templates. These docs pull through each deal’s relevant information to make sure the documents are fully customized and correct.

Bus stock & post-show refreshment

For touring bands, the hospitality rider goes beyond the show venue itself: the tour bus. Max emphasizes that for his acts, who are mostly touring heavy metal bands, the rider must account for the time spent traveling to the next city.

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This section of the hospitality rider should also cover after-show food, to ensure your artist and team eat a healthy meal. Gigs often last way past most local restaurants’ closing times, and sometimes your artist needs to leave right after a show to get to the next city. Having after-show food ready at the venue or in the tour bus saves your team time.

And let’s face it, you can only eat so much McDonald’s before craving a proper meal.

Enforcing a hospitality rider: The power of the signature

A rider is only a wishlist until all parties agree and sign the documents. Niels advises that the best way to ensure hospitality needs are met is to integrate the rider directly into the signing process.

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Psychologically, this creates a stronger commitment from the promoter. Even the most basic riders run the risk of not being met simply because they were overlooked or somebody just didn’t place the orders in time.

Niels feels that it always feels like more of a commitment for promoters to come through with the rider when it’s signed with the contract.

You can automatically merge artist riders and contracts in SystemOne using our powerful eSign feature. Book a demo with our team to learn more or request a 14-day free trial to try it yourself.