The headliner is the reason the tickets sold, and the whole deal is built around that. Longest set, best slot, most production, largest share of the money.
What comes with the slot
- The last set of the night, with the rig set up for it
- First choice of soundcheck, dressing room and stage layout
- Approval over the support acts, in most tour contracts
- A guarantee, a share of the door, or both
What is expected in return
The headliner sells the room: announcing the show, pushing the on-sale, and playing 75 to 90 minutes that hold an audience to curfew. At club level the headliner's engineer often mixes the whole bill, and the headliner's backline is what everyone else borrows.
How it is written down
Poster Billing states it in type size, and the contract states it in words. At festivals the headline slot is per stage and per day, so check which stage and which night before repeating the claim anywhere.