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How to write a hospitality rider
Updated October 7, 2026 · 3 min read
A hospitality rider is the part of your contract that lists what the promoter provides for the band and crew on show day: dressing room, drinks, food, towels and similar. A clear, reasonable rider gets fulfilled; an extravagant one gets ignored or cut.
Free templates for this guide
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Hospitality rider template
Dressing room, drinks, food, meal buyout, towels, bus stock and dietary needs, with example quantities to adjust.
See the complete free resource library for budgets, riders, checklists and more.
What goes in a hospitality rider
- Dressing room: private, lockable, with mirror, seating, power and access to a toilet. Showers if available.
- Drinks: water (lots), soft drinks, coffee and tea, and any alcohol the deal allows.
- Food: a light snack spread at load-in, and either a hot meal for a set number of people at a set time or a buyout (cash per person instead).
- Dietary needs: vegetarian, vegan, allergies. Be specific.
- Towels: bath towels for after the show and stage towels.
- Other: a few items that really help your tour (a laundry option, Wi-Fi details, ice).
Keep it realistic
Match your rider to your draw and the size of the venue. A 300-cap club won’t fulfill a theater rider. Promoters appreciate a short, sensible rider and are more likely to provide everything on it. Mark anything essential and treat the rest as preferences.
Quantities and timing
State quantities and when you need things: "24 bottles of room-temperature water at load-in", "hot meal for 6 at 18:00 or a buyout of $X per person". This avoids ambiguity.
Customize by day
Not every day needs the full rider. A matinee doesn’t need late-night food; a festival may provide catering. Adjust what you send per show during the advance.
Example items (EXAMPLE quantities)
| Item | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bottled water (room temp) | 24 | Half for stage |
| Coffee and tea | 1 setup | At load-in |
| Veggie tray with hummus | 1 | |
| Hot meal | 6 people at 18:00 | Or buyout |
| Bath towels | 8 | Clean, dark |
Buyouts explained
A buyout is cash paid to the band instead of a meal, usually a set amount per person. Buyouts give flexibility (eat when and where you want) and are common at venues without catering. State the amount per person in the rider and confirm it during the advance. Note buyouts on the day sheet so nobody waits for a meal that isn’t coming.
Things that make riders work
- Be clear about quantities and timing.
- Be specific about dietary needs: "1 vegan, 1 gluten-free" is better than "options".
- Put essentials first: water, a clean space, towels.
- Say thank you: promoters remember bands that are easy to look after.
Hospitality rider mistakes
- Unrealistic demands for the venue size.
- Brand-specific requests that are hard to find on the road.
- Not updating the rider when the touring party changes size.
- Forgetting the crew in the head count.
How TRMNGR helps
TRMNGR keeps a master Tour Hospitality List in Production Office → Hospitality (name, notes and quantity per item, in your order). On each show day, the Hospitality box in Day View can use the Full Hospo List or Customize to pick only what that show needs, and you can add an item to the tour list or that day only. Export PDF creates the day’s rider, saved in Files › Hospitality Riders, ready to send with the advance.