Public Events

Public events are discoverable by anyone on Show My Stage — they appear in search results and the public events feed, and confirmed public events can also appear in Google and other search engines. Anyone can RSVP without an invitation. Use public events for shows, showcases, markets, festivals, or any event where you want the broadest possible audience.

For events where RSVPs are by invitation only, see Private Events. For how performer roles and open calls work, see Performer Roles & Open Calls. To manage your event's to-do list, see Event Tasks.

---

Creating a public event

Events are created through the Event Planner on your organizer dashboard. Describe what you're looking for — venue type, vibe, date, genre — and the planner suggests artists and helps you build out the event.

What you can set on a public event:

---

RSVPs

Once your event is confirmed, a public RSVP button appears on the event page. Guests tap RSVP, enter their name and party size, then verify their phone number with a one-time code sent by SMS. No account creation required. Message and data rates may apply. By continuing, guests agree to receive that verification text plus event reminders; they can reply STOP anytime to opt out of SMS.

Capacity and waitlist

If you set a capacity, RSVPs fill seats on a first-come, first-served basis. When capacity is reached:

• New RSVPs automatically go onto the waitlist
• If a Going attendee cancels, the first person on the waitlist is promoted to Going automatically — no manual action needed
• Guests on the waitlist are notified when they move up (in-app and push; SMS as well if they have SMS alerts enabled)

If you leave capacity blank, RSVPs are unlimited and there is no waitlist.

You can update the capacity at any time. Raising it immediately promotes waitlisted guests to Going (oldest waitlist entry first). Lowering it does not automatically cancel existing RSVPs.

Reminders

For confirmed public events, Show My Stage can send reminders to guests who are Going — typically the day before, and again shortly before start time when a start time is set. Reminders appear in the guest’s in-app inbox (and as a push when available). Guests who consented to SMS during RSVP — or who later turn on SMS Alerts in Settings — may also receive those reminders by text. Reply STOP to opt out of SMS at any time.

What guests see

The event page shows:

• Venue name and area (full address shown after RSVP for events with a private address)
• Artist lineup (names and roles)
• RSVP button with current going count and capacity, if set
• Ticket link and info if provided

Guests can cancel their own RSVP from their profile at any time.

---

Artist lineup

You have two ways to build your performer lineup:

Private invitations (default)

Invite specific artists from Show My Stage's artist directory. Each artist receives an invitation to their inbox and has a deadline to accept or decline. You set the role (e.g. "Headliner", "DJ", "Live band") and any notes for the artist.

• Artists can see event details before accepting
• Declined invites free up the slot for someone else
• Accepted artists appear on the public event page

Open call

Open one or more roles for applications — for example "2 Vocalists" or "1 DJ" — and any artist on Show My Stage can apply. Open roles on a public event appear in artist discovery feeds alongside regular event listings.

• You set the role, how many you need, and optional requirements, compensation, and an application deadline
• Artists apply to a specific role, or to "Any available role" if they're flexible
• You review applications and accept or decline from your event's Applications tab
• Accepted artists move to the confirmed lineup

See Performer Roles & Open Calls for the full setup and application flow, including how to keep a role's application link unlisted instead of publicly discoverable.

You can open or close individual roles, or add direct invitations, at any time before the event is confirmed. Once the lineup is confirmed, invitations and applications are closed.

---

Messaging attendees

From the Attendees panel on your event's Overview tab, you can send a broadcast message to everyone who has RSVP'd (Going and Waitlist). The message goes to their Show My Stage inbox and triggers a push notification.

Use this for:

• Venue or schedule changes
• Parking and logistics updates
• Last-minute information ("Doors open at 7:30, not 8")
• Post-event follow-ups

Phone numbers are never shared — you're messaging through Show My Stage, not via SMS.

---

Attendee list

The Attendees panel shows:

• Going count — number of confirmed RSVPs
• Seats taken — total seats reserved (Going × party size)
• Capacity and percentage reserved (if set)
• Waitlist count
• Each attendee's display name, party size, and when they RSVP'd

You can Export CSV at any time — the download includes names and party sizes only. Phone numbers and emails are never included.

---

Editing your event

You can edit most event details after publishing:

• Name, description, date, time, location, cover image, ticket info — all editable
• Capacity — editable; changes take effect immediately (see above)
• Artist lineup — you can add or remove artists up to the event date
• Switching open call on or off — available before the lineup is confirmed

Changes to event name, date, or location are good opportunities to use Message attendees to notify everyone who has already RSVP'd.

---

Cancelling an event

Cancelling an event from your dashboard:

• Marks the event cancelled immediately — it's removed from public search and the feed
• All RSVPs are cancelled
• Attendees receive an in-app notification
• Artists on the lineup are notified

Cancellation is permanent. If you're not sure yet, you can instead update the event date or disable RSVPs temporarily via capacity settings.

---

Frequently asked questions

Does Show My Stage charge a fee for RSVPs? No. RSVP through Show My Stage is free for guests. If you're using an external ticketing link (Eventbrite, etc.), that platform's fees apply separately.

Can I limit RSVPs to one per person? Each RSVP is tied to one verified phone number, so one phone = one RSVP owner. The RSVP owner can include a party size (e.g. "going + 2 guests"), but cannot hold multiple separate RSVPs.

What happens to the waitlist if I increase capacity? Waitlisted guests are promoted to Going automatically, oldest waitlist entry first, until capacity is filled or the waitlist is empty.

Can guests see who else is attending? No. The attendee list is visible to the organizer only. Guests can see the going count and capacity but not names.

Can I prevent people from RSVPing without deleting the event? Set the capacity to the current number of Going RSVPs. New RSVPs will go to the waitlist instead of confirming. Alternatively, contact us to temporarily close RSVPs.

My event is sold out. Should I turn it private? No — switching to private removes the event from public search. If you're sold out, set your capacity to the current number of confirmed seats. Guests will land on the waitlist, and the event stays discoverable for future attendees if anyone cancels.

Can artists see RSVP numbers? No. Confirmed artists on the lineup can see the event details, but not the attendee count or list. That's organizer-only.

What's the difference between "Going" and "seats taken"? Going = number of individual RSVPs. Seats taken = total people including guests (e.g. 1 RSVP with party of 3 = 1 Going, 3 seats taken). Capacity counts against seats taken.

Can I run both RSVPs and external ticketing? Yes — set a ticket link to your external ticketing page and also enable RSVPs. They're independent. RSVPs are for tracking interest and messaging attendees; ticketing handles payment. Just make sure your capacity settings match what your ticketing platform allows.

Will my public event show up on Google? It can, once the event is confirmed and public. Search engines may list the event name, description, date, place, and lineup — the same facts guests see on the public event page. Private events and invite-only links are not indexed; see Private Events.