Music analysis: Is opening for a stadium tour the fastest way to become a star?
When Tate McRae announced that Zara Larsson would join her 2025 arena tour, many fans were just as excited about the support act as the headline artist.
This excitement reflects a growing trend across the music industry.
From Olivia Rodrigo bringing The Last Dinner Party on tour to Taylor Swift introducing millions of fans to artists such as Gracie Abrams and Beabadoobee, support slots are increasingly becoming major career opportunities in their own right.
According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, people now spend 20.7 hours listening to music every week, using an average of seven different methods to discover and engage with artists.
In such a crowded marketplace, live touring offers something algorithms cannot: a captive audience.
As touring remains one of the music industry's most powerful promotional tools, Music News Blitz's Jessica Spilsbury explores whether opening for a major tour has become one of the fastest ways for artists to grow an audience.
More than just warming up the crowd
Traditionally, support acts existed to entertain audiences before the headline artist took the stage.
Today, the role often carries far greater significance.
A sold-out arena or stadium tour can expose an artist to hundreds, thousands, and sometimes millions of potential new listeners in a matter of months.
For emerging musicians, that level of exposure would be almost impossible to achieve through traditional promotion alone.
The impact can often be seen immediately.
Following her appearances on Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, Gracie Abrams’ monthly Spotify listeners climbed dramatically as new audiences discovered tracks such as ‘I Love You, I’m Sorry’ and ‘That’s So True’.
She has since grown into one of pop’s biggest breakthrough artists with more than 50 million monthly Spotify listeners in 2026.
Similarly, artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Phoebe Bridgers and Beabadoobee have all benefitted from high-profile support slots before achieving even greater mainstream success.
Speaking to Billboard, Sabrina Carpenter described joining the Eras Tour as a “childhood dream come true,” adding: “ Watching her in and of itself is how you learn. I admire her work ethic and her talent.”
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Why are support acts becoming more important?
Part of the answer lies in how audiences discover music.
Streaming platforms provide listeners with almost unlimited choice, making it increasingly difficult for artists to stand out.
But live music offers a major unique advantage by facilitating a direct introduction to a new audience.
Unlike discovering a song through a playlist, concertgoers experience an artist in a live environment where they already trust the recommendation.
After all, if a fan has paid to see Olivia Rodrigo, they are likely to give her chosen support act a chance.
In many ways, support slots have become the live music equivalent of an endorsement.
Social media has only amplified that effect.
A standout support performance can now spread far beyond the arena itself, with clips regularly reaching millions of views across TikTok and Instagram.
Fans who arrive unfamiliar with an opening act often leave having already added songs to their playlist before the headline artist has even taken the stage.
The headline artist is effectively telling thousands of fans: "If you like my music, you might like this too."
Taylor Swift has described selecting support acts as an opportunity to introduce fans to artists she genuinely admires.
Speaking during previous tour announcements, she said she wanted to share musicians she believed people would “fall in love with.”
From opening act to headline artist
Recent years have produced several examples of artists using support slots as a springboard to much larger careers.
Sabrina Carpenter opened for Taylor Swift during selected Eras Tour dates before going on to dominate charts with hits including ‘Espresso’ and ‘Please Please Please’.
The Last Dinner Party supported major acts before quickly building enough momentum to sell out their own headline shows and secure a UK number-one album.
The scale of modern touring has never been bigger.
Live Nation reported that 151 million fans attended 55,000 events worldwide during 2024, underlining just how many potential listeners major tours can reach.
Even artists who already possess established careers can benefit.
Zara Larsson's support slot with Tate McRae demonstrates that opening tours are no longer reserved for unknown artists.
While she already attracts more than 20 million monthly Spotify listeners, Larsson gains access to a younger demographic whose listening habits increasingly revolve around live clips and social media recommendations.
This allows established artists to refresh their audiences as well as build new ones.
Can support acts overshadow the main event?
As support artists become more popular, some fans are beginning to arrive at concerts as excited for the opening act as the headline performance.
Social media has amplified this phenomenon, with clips of support sets regularly attracting millions of views online.
In some cases, artists gain thousands of new followers after a single viral performance.
The relationship has become increasingly beneficial for both sides, as headliners can showcase artists they admire, while support acts gain exposure that would otherwise take years to achieve.
What comes next?
Opening for a major tour is unlikely to guarantee success on its own.
Artists still need strong songs, memorable performances and the ability to convert curious listeners into long-term fans.
However, in an industry where attention is increasingly difficult to capture, few opportunities offer access to such large audiences so quickly.
As stadium tours continue to grow larger and more ambitious, the support slot may no longer be viewed as simply the first act of the night.
For some artists, it could be the moment their own headline career truly begins.
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