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What’s the Deal With Support Acts on Tours Today?
A growing number of major pop stars, including Ariana Grande, Rosalía and Lady Gaga, have toured without opening acts. Rising costs, fixed stage productions and fans’ limited time are making support slots harder to justify, while agents say new acts can gain prominence quickly and may prefer to headline.
Without an opener, a headliner avoids the support act’s costs reducing the tour’s profit, though promoters typically pay the opener. Agents also face uncertainty over expenses such as travel, food and hotels, and whether an artist’s popularity will change before a tour begins. For artists deciding between supporting another act and headlining, the advice is to weigh likely earnings and ticket sales against the risk of going solo; several R&B tours, including those by 6LACK, Isaiah Falls, Naomi Sharon and Ravyn Lenae, were cancelled this year.
In short
- Major pop tours are increasingly going without opening acts.
- Rising costs make support slots harder to budget.
- Fast-growing artists may prefer to headline.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Touring without an opener can make financial and practical sense: elaborate productions are costly, support brings extra expenses and planning uncertainty, and audiences may prefer a shorter bill. For newer artists with growing followings, headlining can offer more control and a chance to build their own audience, provided expected ticket sales justify the risk.
The case against
Support acts can give emerging artists valuable exposure to a headliner’s audience and offer fans a fuller evening of live music. Removing them may reduce opportunities to reach new listeners, while a carefully chosen opener could add value to the event and help make touring viable for artists who are not yet ready to sell tickets alone.
Explained simply
A support act, or opener, performs before the main artist at a concert. The slot can introduce audiences to a newer musician and give them experience playing to larger crowds, while giving the headliner’s fans more music before the main set.
Touring involves costs for travel, accommodation, food and staging, and these have to be covered by ticket income and other revenue. Promoters usually pay support acts, but the arrangements and risks can vary, and an artist’s popularity may change between booking a tour and taking the stage.
For a newer artist, supporting a bigger name can bring exposure, while headlining means relying on their own audience to sell tickets. Choosing between the two involves balancing possible earnings and audience reach against the costs and uncertainty of touring.