Encore

An encore is the portion of a performance where the artist leaves the stage after the main setlist, the audience applauds and cheers, and the artist returns for one or more additional songs. It's one of the oldest rituals in live performance — and on modern tours, it's almost always planned.

The planned encore

Encore songs are on the setlist. The lighting cues are programmed. The FOH engineer knows what's coming. The crew knows the artist is coming back. It's theater — but effective theater. The brief pause creates anticipation and gives the performance a dramatic arc.

Encore and the schedule

The encore is factored into the set time when planning the show-day schedule. If the headliner has a 90-minute set with a 10-minute encore, the tour manager needs 100 minutes between set start and curfew. Skipping the encore is sometimes the pressure valve when the show is running late.