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Special Guests Become A Concert Expectation
A little treat // Illustration by Kate Walker
Artists are increasingly bringing out special guests at almost every tour stop, and fans are starting to expect it, often leaving disappointed if none appear.
Why It Hits: With ticket prices at record highs, artists are under pressure to deliver unique experiences once reserved for festivals like Coachella or Glastonbury. Surprise cameos from fellow musicians or celebrities have become a reliable way of getting people talking… and going viral online.
Behind The Surprises: Is a concert worth it if you’re not getting two artists for the price of one?
Rising artists are bringing out legacy acts as a way to boost credibility, such as Olivia Rodrigo bringing out Cure frontman Robert Smith, Zach Bryan tapping Bruce Springsteen, and Sabrina Carpenter performing with Earth, Wind & Fire.
Others are recruiting Hollywood celebrities to add drama to their shows: Bad Bunny enlisted Penélope Cruz for an intro, while Role Model brought Kate Hudson and Natalie Portman onstage to dance during his hit single “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out.”
The trend has fueled online speculation, with fans predicting who might show up at certain dates or building wish lists for dream guests.
Encore: These appearances are proving to be powerful conversation starters — especially when clips of the guests take off online, the currency of today’s attention economy. “Everybody’s trying to find the virality,” says Jonathan Eshak, manager of The Marías and Leon Bridges. After all, that attention often translates directly into ticket sales and streaming boosts — the true currency in an artist’s pocket.
Prediction: Special guests aren’t going anywhere anytime soon — so expect some artists to feature them not just for a song or two, but as recurring characters in a tour’s overall narrative.
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Today’s email was written by David Vendrell.
Edited by Nick Comney. Polled and Copy-edited by Kait Cunniff.
Published by Darline Salazar.