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How to advance a festival show
Updated October 7, 2026 · 3 min read
A festival advance covers the same ground as a club show (schedule, production, hospitality, settlement), but with more people, tighter timing and less flexibility. Festivals run to the minute, and the advance is how you fit into their system without surprises.
Free templates for this guide
Download and edit these for your own tour. No sign-up, no email required.
Advance sheet template
Every question to answer before show day: contacts, schedule, production, power, hospitality, parking, settlement and guest list policy.
Stage plot template (printable PDF)
A blank stage outline with a grid, audience edge and symbol key, plus a filled-in example for a four-piece band.
Input list template
A 16-channel input list with mic or DI, stand, 48V and monitor mix columns, ready to edit for your band.
See the complete free resource library for budgets, riders, checklists and more.
Start early and follow their process
Festivals usually send an advance pack or use an online portal with deadlines for each form. Find out who your artist liaison and stage manager are, read everything they send, and meet every deadline. Late forms mean wrong credentials, missing hospitality or no parking.
Changeovers and line checks
Most festival sets don’t get a soundcheck. You get a changeover (the gap between acts) and a line check. Confirm:
- Your changeover time and set length.
- Whether gear can be pre-built on rolling risers.
- Where your gear waits before and after your set.
- Whether you can use your own console or in-ear rig.
Practice your changeover. A tight one protects your set time.
Shared backline
Festivals often provide shared drums, amps and keyboards. Ask for the backline list early, then send exactly what you need and what you’re bringing. Bring your own cymbals, snare, breakables and pedals unless told otherwise.
Documents to send
- Stage plot that fits their stage size and shows risers.
- Input list with channel count, mics and stands. Many festivals want a specific format; adapt yours.
- Tech rider with only what you truly need. Festival production will tell you what they can’t provide.
- Touring party list for credentials, with correct names.
- Vehicle details for parking passes.
Credentials and check-in
Confirm how many artist, crew and guest passes you get, where to pick them up, and the check-in time. Bring IDs. Know the route to the artist entrance; it is often different from the public one.
Hospitality and dressing rooms
Festivals may provide a shared artist catering area instead of a rider, or a reduced rider. Confirm dressing room or trailer allocation, timing, and meal times.
Schedule on the day
Your day sheet should include arrival, check-in, credential pickup, gear drop, changeover, set time, curfew, gear off-stage, and departure. Leave buffer for traffic and site transport.
Settlement
Festival payment is often by bank transfer, sometimes with paperwork due in advance (tax forms, invoices). Confirm what you need to send and when payment will arrive.
Festival advance checklist
- Advance forms submitted by each deadline.
- Stage plot and input list in the festival’s format.
- Backline request confirmed.
- Changeover and set times confirmed.
- Touring party and vehicle list submitted for credentials and parking.
- Artist check-in time and location known.
- Hospitality and dressing room allocation known.
- Payment paperwork sent.
Common festival problems
- Late forms leading to missing credentials or no parking.
- Bringing gear the shared backline already covers, or missing gear you thought they had.
- Underestimating site transport time from parking to stage.
- Running over set time, which can mean being cut off.
How TRMNGR helps
Set the festival date as a Show day in TRMNGR, add the arrival-to-departure schedule as Day Sheet items, and attach the festival’s tech pack or your tech rider under Tech Rider. Tag the artist liaison with the Advance contact type so they appear on the Advance page (Production Office → Advance). Export your Stage Plot and Input List as PDFs from the Stage tab to send with the advance forms.