The Craziest Artist Rider Requests of All Time

When artists go on tour or perform at a festival, their agent, tour manager or management submit a rider—a list of specific requests that must be fulfilled by the venue or promoter. Hospitality riders usually include food, drinks, dressing room setups, and sometimes bizarre personal preferences. Some artists keep it simple, asking for bottled water and snacks, while others take it to an extreme with outrageous or highly specific demands.

So without further ado, here are some of the craziest artist rider requests of all time:

1. Van Halen – No Brown M&Ms

This is a classic. Van Halen's contract specified a bowl of M&Ms with all brown ones removed. But it wasn’t just rockstar arrogance—this was actually a test. If the venue didn’t pay attention to this small detail, the band assumed they might have overlooked more important things like stage safety.

2. Beyoncé – Titanium Straws & Hand-Carved Ice Balls

Queen Bey reportedly requires titanium drinking straws that cost hundreds of dollars each and hand-carved ice balls to chill her drinks to perfection.

3. Kanye West – CYLINDRICAL VASES Only

Kanye's rider specifies cylindrical vases for his flowers. No squares, no ovals—just cylinders. He also allegedly demanded cotton towels that never existed before (meaning they should be brand new).

4. Rihanna – A Plush Animal Print Rug

Rihanna demands that her dressing room include a large, plush animal-print rug, insisting that she must walk on something soft and luxurious at all times. No cheap carpets allowed!

5. Drake – Always a Dozen Incense Sticks Burning

Drake demands that at least a dozen incense sticks be burning before he arrives, and if the smell isn’t right, someone’s getting fired.

6. Adele – The Marlboro & Gum Rule

Adele’s tour rider includes Marlboro Lights and a lighter, plus chewing gum (presumably to balance out the smoking). She also reportedly bans honey from being served backstage.

7. Justin Timberlake – Door Handles Disinfected Every 2 Hours

Justin is a germaphobe. His rider requires every doorknob he might touch to be disinfected every two hours.

8. Paul McCartney – No Animal-Based Furniture

The legendary Paul McCartney requires that no leather or animal-based materials be anywhere in his dressing room.

9. Foo Fighters – The Hilarious Coloring Book Rider

Instead of making weird demands, Foo Fighters send venues a funny, illustrated coloring book that explains their needs. It includes diagrams on how to make the perfect sandwich and inside jokes about their favourite snacks.

10. Prince – A Physician to Give Him a Vitamin B12 Shot

Prince allegedly requested that a doctor be available to give him a Vitamin B12 shot before he performed.