Private Events

Private events let you collect RSVPs from a controlled guest list — without the event showing up in public search, the discovery feed, or anywhere on Show My Stage that strangers can find it.

Everything else works exactly the same as a public event: guests RSVP with their name and phone number, you see the attendee list, you can broadcast a message to everyone’s in-app inbox (with a push notification — not SMS), and capacity / waitlist management is automatic. To manage your event's to-do list, see Event Tasks. For how performer roles work, see Performer Roles & Open Calls.

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Setting up invitations

When you open a confirmed private event you own, you'll see an Invitations panel on the Overview tab. You choose one of two methods — you can switch between them later, but only one is active at a time.

Option A — Shareable link

Generate a secret URL that you paste into a WhatsApp group, Instagram story, email, or anywhere else. Anyone who opens that link can see the event and RSVP. No account required to RSVP.

What you can do with the link:

• Copy — paste it wherever you're sharing the event
• Pause — temporarily stop accepting RSVPs without deleting the link. The same link works again when you resume.
• Replace — generate a brand-new link. The old link stops working immediately. Use this if the link spread further than you intended.
• Disable — turn off RSVPs entirely without rotating the link

Best for: casual gatherings, parties shared on social media, events where you trust everyone in the group chat.

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Option B — Phone guest list

Add phone numbers manually (one per line) or upload a CSV file. Only the numbers on your list can RSVP, even if someone tries to share their link. When "Send SMS invite" is checked, each new number gets a personal SMS with their own RSVP link. You can also add numbers without sending SMS (for example, if you’ll share links another way) — leave that box unchecked.

Adding numbers:

• Type or paste numbers in E.164 format (e.g. +14155550101), one per line or comma-separated
• Or upload a CSV — Show My Stage will find and extract phone numbers from the file automatically
• To text invites: check "I have permission to text these people" and "Send SMS invite" before clicking Add
• Numbers that don't work (wrong format, already invited) are reported in the summary after you submit
• You can add more numbers at any time — each new batch gets its own SMS only if sending is on for that batch

SMS limit: Up to 200 numbers per upload, and 500 SMS per event per day. Numbers saved above the daily limit are added to your guest list but not texted until the next day.

Best for: curated guest lists, ticketed private shows, corporate or client events, situations where you need to know exactly who can get in.

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Inviting performers

A private event's audience RSVP is invite-only, but your lineup works separately, and you have two ways to build it:

Direct invitation

Invite specific artists from Show My Stage's directory, the same way you would on a public event. You set their role (e.g. "Headliner") and they can view the event details before accepting.

Open a role, without going public

If you'd rather let artists apply than hand-pick them, you can open specific roles (e.g. "2 Vocalists") and share an unlisted apply link — without making your event publicly discoverable or opening audience RSVPs to strangers. Set this up per role from your event's Artists → ⚙ Casting settings.

Applicants who use that link see only the role details (event name, date, metro area, event type, organizer name if you choose to show it, the role's requirements, compensation, and deadline) — never your venue address, guest list, or RSVP count. This link is completely separate from your audience RSVP link above; sharing one never grants access to the other.

See Performer Roles & Open Calls for the full setup and how artists apply.

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Managing your guest list

Attendees panel

Once RSVPs come in, an Attendees panel appears below Invitations. It shows each person's name, party size, and RSVP status (Going / Waitlist). You can:

• Export CSV — download names and party sizes (phone numbers are never included)
• Message attendees — send a broadcast to everyone's in-app inbox with a push notification (e.g. parking updates, schedule changes)

Removing someone

There are two levels of removal, and the right one depends on your situation:

The person always gets an in-app notification when their RSVP is cancelled.

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What guests experience

Via shareable link

1. Guest opens the link (no login required)
2. They see a slim event page — event name, date, location, and an RSVP button
3. They enter their name, party size, and phone number, then verify with a one-time code sent by SMS (message and data rates may apply; reply STOP anytime to opt out)
4. Done — they're on the attendee list and get a confirmation

Private venue addresses are not shown until after RSVP is confirmed.

Via phone list (SMS invite)

1. Guest receives an SMS: "You have a private invitation on Show My Stage. RSVP: [link] Reply STOP to opt out."
2. Their personal link takes them directly to the same RSVP flow (including the verification SMS above)
3. Only their phone number can complete the RSVP — the link doesn't work for other numbers

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Privacy

• Not discoverable: Private events never appear in search results, the public events feed, or any listing on Show My Stage. The only way to find the event is with a valid invite link.
• Not indexed by search engines: Invite pages are marked so Google and other search engines won't index them.
• The invite link is not shown to performers: Artists on your event lineup cannot see or copy the audience invite link. Only you (the organizer) can access it from the Invitations panel.
• Phone numbers stay private: The attendee list shows names and party sizes only — phone numbers are never displayed in the organizer dashboard.
• Reply STOP: All SMS invites include a STOP opt-out in line with messaging regulations. Show My Stage honours opt-outs platform-wide.

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Switching between link and phone list

You can switch modes at any time from the Invitations panel. When you switch:

• If switching from link to phone list: the existing link stops working immediately. Anyone who hasn't RSVP'd yet will need a phone invite.
• If switching from phone list to link: the phone list is no longer used for gating. Anyone with the new link can RSVP, regardless of whether their number was on the list.

You'll always be shown a confirmation step before a switch takes effect.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I use both a shareable link and a phone list at the same time? No — only one method is active at a time. This is intentional: running both simultaneously would mean the phone list can't actually restrict access (anyone with the link could bypass it). If you want both flexibility and control, use the phone list and share the personal SMS links.

What happens if my link gets shared too widely? Replace it. The old link stops working the moment you generate a new one. Everyone who already RSVP'd keeps their spot — only future RSVPs are affected.

Can I set a capacity limit on a private event? Yes — the same capacity and waitlist settings available on public events apply to private events. Set a capacity in your event settings; once it's full, late arrivals go on a waitlist automatically.

Can someone RSVP on behalf of a friend? The RSVP owner can enter a party size (e.g. "going + 2 guests"), but each RSVP is tied to one verified phone number. For separate RSVPs, each person needs their own invite.

I removed someone — will they know? Yes. They receive an in-app notification that their RSVP was cancelled. The message doesn't say who removed them or why.

My event is private but I also want performers to be able to see it. Is that okay? Yes — artists you invite to perform can always view their own event details. They see the event page and their roster slot, but not the audience invite link or the attendee list.