The lineup ladder
- Headliner (main stage, 60–90 min)
- Sub-headliners × 2–3
- Mid-billing acts × 4–8
- Openers, second stage, day programming
Headliner budget rule
The headliner should be 25–35% of your artist budget. Above 50% and every other slot suffers. Below 20% and ticket sales suffer. This is the fee balance that first-time promoters usually get wrong.
Offer letters go to agents
Headliners and sub-headliners are represented by booking agents (WME, CAA, Paradigm, UTA, Primary Talent, Coda). You send an offer letter with fee, date, radius clause, deposit terms and rider constraints. Never contact the artist direct — it kills the deal.
The offer letter must include
- Fee (guarantee) and any bonuses (ticket sales, merchandise)
- Date, city, venue, stage
- Set length and slot
- Radius clause (typically 100 miles, 60 days either side)
- Deposit schedule
- Cancellation ladder
- Rider limits
Radius clauses hurt smaller festivals
Headliner exclusivity restricts other festivals in the same region. Negotiate this hard — big artists' agents will push 250 miles / 120 days; 60/30 is often achievable for mid-tier acts.
"The first-year festivals that die don't die from bad weather. They die from a headliner they couldn't afford."
Source support acts on StageSide.
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