Hospitality Rider Guide: What to Ask For (Without Being a Diva)

A hospitality rider is a short list of the food, drinks and comforts your band would like at a show. It covers things like water, meals, dietary needs, a room to wait in and towels.

It's separate from your tech rider, which covers gear and sound. The hospitality rider is about keeping people fed, watered and ready to play.

What to include

Keep it to what actually helps you play a good show. Here are the usual parts.

Water

Water is the one thing every band should ask for. Ask for water on stage for each player and some in the green room. Many venues now prefer jugs or refill stations to plastic bottles, so a line like "water on stage for each player" lets them choose how.

Meals or a buyout

If you're at the venue from load in to load out, you'll need to eat. Venues usually handle this one of two ways:

• A meal. The venue kitchen, or a place nearby, feeds the band and crew.
• A buyout. The venue or promoter gives cash instead, so you can buy your own food.

Both are fine. Which one you get, and how much, varies a lot by venue, show size and deal. Ask the promoter what's normal for the room, and don't assume either will be offered. At some small shows food isn't part of the deal at all, and that's okay.

Dietary needs

List any dietary needs clearly: vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, allergies. For serious allergies, say so plainly and name the person. For example: "Riley – serious nut allergy. Please label food." Put this near the top of the page. It matters more than anything else on the list.

Green room

A green room is a private space where the band can wait, change and store bags. Some venues have a proper room. Some have a corner behind the bar. Some have nothing at all.

Ask for "a lockable space for bags and a place to change, if available". That covers most needs without asking for too much.

Towels

Stage towels are a small thing that makes a big difference, especially for drummers and singers under hot lights. Ask for a few clean towels on stage. Many bands just bring their own, which is simple and reliable.

Drinks

If you'd like a few drinks after the show, you can ask. Keep it modest and flexible. We cover this in more detail in our drinks rider guide.

Guests

It's not really hospitality, but it often lives here. If you'd like spots on the guest list, ask how many the venue allows and send names early. Don't assume you'll get any.

Small shows vs bigger shows

What's reasonable depends on the show. There's no fixed rule, but here's a rough guide.

Small shows. Local support slots, small rooms and early tours. Keep your ask short: water on stage, somewhere safe to leave bags, and dietary needs if you're being fed. Anything else is a bonus. Many rooms at this level run on tight budgets and small teams, and they'll be glad to see a band that doesn't ask for much.

Bigger shows. Headline sets in larger rooms, festivals, or shows with a proper production team. Here it's fair to ask for a meal or buyout, a green room, towels and some drinks. The promoter may already have a standard offer. Ask what it is before you write your list.

The key is to match your ask to the show. A long list for a small room can come across badly. A thoughtful list for a bigger show helps the promoter look after you well.

How to phrase it politely

Tone matters. The same request can sound reasonable or demanding, depending on how you write it.

Compare these:

A few simple habits help:

• Use "please" and "if available"
• Offer a choice, like meal or buyout
• Put the most important things first, like allergies and water
• Keep it short, as one page is plenty
• Thank them at the end

Venue staff talk to each other. A band that's known for being easy to look after gets asked back.

What to do when the venue can't meet it

Sometimes the venue says no, or just doesn't deliver. Don't take it personally. Budgets, kitchens and staffing all vary.

Here's how to handle it:

1. Find out early. Ask the venue to confirm what they can provide as part of your advance. Then nothing is a surprise on the day.
2. Plan around it. If there's no food, eat before load in or set aside money for a meal. If there's no green room, keep bags locked in the van.
3. Bring the basics. Some water, your own towels and a few snacks cover most gaps.
4. Stay polite on the night. If something that was promised isn't there, ask your venue contact calmly. Mistakes happen, and a calm word fixes more than a sharp one.
5. Note it for next time. If a room never provides food, write that down for future shows.

Dietary safety is the one area to be firm about. If you've flagged a serious allergy and the food doesn't look safe, don't eat it. Speak to your venue contact and find something else.

Share the details with the band

Once the details are confirmed, add them to your day sheet: meal time, buyout details, where the green room is, and who to ask. That way the whole band knows what to expect, and no one has to ask the same question again and again.

If you want to put a clean list together fast, the RoadCase hospitality rider builder gives you a simple, polite template you can adjust for each show.

A good hospitality rider is short, kind and realistic. Ask for what helps you play well, stay flexible, and thank the people who look after you.