Set time is two numbers: when you walk on and how many minutes you have. Both are agreed during advancing and printed on the day sheet.
Typical lengths
- Support act in a club: 25 to 35 minutes
- Headliner in a club: 60 to 90 minutes
- Festival slot: 40 to 60 minutes, cut to the minute
- Club DJ: 90 minutes to three hours
Why the minutes are strict
Every set sits between a changeover and a curfew. An artist that plays five minutes over pushes the changeover, the next artist and the venue's licence. Festivals with stage clashes cut power rather than let a set run long.
Getting it right
Time the set in rehearsal with the talking left in. Keep one song you can drop and one you can add. Ask during advancing whether the time includes the encore, because against a tight Curfew it always does.