What is a Hold in Concert Booking?

A hold is a tentative claim on a date in a venue's diary while a promoter confirms a show, ranked first, second and so on when several promoters want the same date. Holds are how venues and promoters keep several options open while tours are routed and deals agreed.

How holds work

Holds in concert booking follow a ranked system:

  1. Request: a promoter or agent asks the venue to hold a date, often several dates across a tour's routing.
  2. Ranking: the first request usually becomes the first hold. Later requests become second, third and so on.
  3. Waiting: the first hold has priority while the promoter confirms the artist and deal. Lower holds wait in line.
  4. Challenge: if a lower hold is ready to confirm, it can ask the venue to challenge the hold above. The higher hold must then confirm or release within a set time.
  5. Confirm or release: once confirmed, the date is booked. If released, the next hold moves up.

Venues can carry dozens of holds at once, so ranking and challenge deadlines need careful tracking. Many venues manage holds in a booking calendar in Crescat.

Hold in concert booking vs date hold in venue hire

In concert booking, holds are ranked across several promoters and released through challenges. In venue hire, a date hold is usually a single provisional booking with a fixed expiry date. Both mean the date is not yet confirmed.

Example holds on one date

  • Saturday 7 March:
  • 1st hold: Promoter A, artist on tour, waiting for routing
  • 2nd hold: Promoter B, ready to confirm
  • 3rd hold: Promoter C, club night
  • Promoter B challenges, and Promoter A has 48 hours to confirm or release

Frequently asked questions

How long does a promoter have to respond to a challenge?

It varies by venue, but 24 to 72 hours is common. If the first hold doesn't confirm in that time, they lose the date and the challenger moves up.

Is a hold the same as a pencil?

Mostly, yes. Both mean a tentative booking. Some venues use pencil for an early, softer enquiry and hold for a more serious one, but many use the words interchangeably.

Do holds cost anything?

Usually not. Holds are free, which is why promoters place many at once. A deposit is normally only paid once the show is confirmed and contracted.

Related terms

  • Date Holds: provisional bookings in venue hire
  • Pencils: another word for a tentative booking
  • Avails: the open dates holds are placed on
  • Booking: what a confirmed hold becomes
  • TBC: how unconfirmed dates are shown