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What is a hospitality rider?
A hospitality rider describes the non-technical provisions requested for an artist and touring party. It can cover meals, drinks, dressing rooms and other backstage needs. These arrangements should be agreed with the presenter rather than assumed.
MusicNSW's hospitality guidance treats the document as practical support for performers, including dietary requirements, seating, towels and backstage facilities.
Write quantities and times
A useful request tells the host how many people it covers, what is needed and when it must be ready. Separate essential dietary or access needs from preferences, and give the host a contact for questions.
Touring-party count and which meals are covered.
Meal service time and location, checked against the working schedule.
Dietary requirements communicated with the affected person's consent and only to those who need them.
Dressing-room access, seating, drinking water and agreed backstage supplies.
Who can approve substitutions or a meal buyout.
A fictional five-person hospitality request
Example: 'Dinner for five people at 17:00. Two vegetarian meals and three unrestricted meals. Please confirm the menu and service location with the tour contact before show day. Drinking water available at arrival. A private dressing area with five seats requested from load-in until departure.'
If someone has a food allergy, discuss the actual handling requirements with the caterer through the appropriate contact. A label on the rider is not proof that a meal can be prepared safely.
Confirm a buyout before relying on it
If the parties choose money in place of a provided meal, record the amount, currency, eligible headcount and payment time. Also check whether the schedule leaves a realistic opportunity to obtain food.
For example, an agreed $25 dinner buyout for five people totals $125. That arithmetic says nothing about whether the amount is suitable locally; the parties must make that decision.
Give the host one current version
Update headcounts when the touring party changes. Record accepted substitutions and share the final arrangements with the people receiving them. Keep sensitive personal details out of broadly distributed day sheets.
Examples and sample wording on this page are original, fictional teaching aids, not records of actual shows or agreements.
Related guides: Per diem vs. meal buyout on tour; What Is a Show Advance? A Practical Checklist; What Is a Day Sheet? A Show-Day Example.