25 Unconventional Diva Demands From Real Celebrity Tour Riders
Being one of the world's elite comes with both pros and cons. On one hand, they have to deal with paparazzi invading their privacy, trolls attacking them on social media, having hardly any time for anything but work, and living out of hotels and suitcases.
But on the other, all that, plus some huge paychecks, entitles you to make some truly diva-like demands. And what's more, if you're really somebody, those demands are actually met. Nobody says no to you, and if you want twenty luxury sedans waiting for you in a new city, that's exactly what you'll get.
Many celebrity tour riders have made it to the internet over the years, allowing fans to see what stars really ask for when they're working and traveling. While some are more easily pleased than you might have thought, others have requested some bizarre, confusing, and expensive items. But if you're given exactly what you want, we guess it makes sense to demand whatever your little heart desires while you're stuck on a grueling tour schedule!
From new houses to staff employed solely to throw out used gum, here are the craziest diva demands made by some of the biggest stars in the world.
25 Prince Requested A New Five-Bedroom House Built Near The Venue
Back in 2007, the late singer Prince made one of the biggest and most demanding requests of all time.
He was due to perform at London's O2 Arena and asked the venue's owner to build him a house close to the venue.
And not just any house, but a luxury one with five bedrooms. We guess a dressing room would not suffice in this case! In 2004, when he was still using dressing rooms, his rider demanded that all items be covered by clear plastic wrap until Prince himself could remove it.
24 5 Women Had To Be Waiting For Kevin Hart In His Dressing Room
Comedian Kevin Hart's rider wasn't bizarre for the objects he requested, but rather for the humans he did. He asked to have five women waiting for him at the venue. They also had to arrive one hour ahead of time and leave one after afterward. Also, the rider indicated that clothing would be provided to the women, and the only sizes would be extra-small, small, and medium.
23 Cher Liked To Have A Room Just For Her Wigs
You know you've made it when you can request a whole room just for your many wigs!
Numerous sources reported that Cher asks venue organizers to set aside a room for her backstage where she can keep her many wigs and hair pieces.
The room must be equipped with one large table and three chairs for the wigs to sit on. Cher also asks for a separate room for her massage therapist, and a TV that shows only classic movies.
22 Britney Spears Took Her Inspiration From Princess Diana
As a known fan of Princess Diana, Britney Spears decided to incorporate the late Royal into her dressing room while she was performing in London. She requested that there be a framed photo of the Princess hanging in her room because Diana is said to have inspired her so much. Though she was keen on some British inspiration while in London, she kept it American on some level by ordering McDonald's cheeseburgers for the hotel room (without the buns, though).
21 Christina Aguilera Won't Do Traffic
Nobody likes to sit through traffic. So if you're in the position to speed through it like a true VIP, why wouldn't you? It's been reported that Christina Aguilera hates traffic so much that she requests a police escort to the venue in her rider.
It's specified on there that “under no circumstances are the vehicles allowed to encounter any delays due to traffic.”
We guess that with a demand like that in her rider, Christina is never late and her fans never have to wait for her!
20 Gaga Likes To Have Her Own Smoothie Station
Smoothies are life. According to reports, Lady Gaga included quite a few interesting requests in her 2009 tour rider, one of them being a smoothie station complete with frozen berries, whey protein, nonfat Greek yogurt, and Fuze. Additionally, the pop star requested two bottles of 'grown up' beverages. There were also rumors that she asked for a mannequin with pink hair only on particular areas of its body.
19 J.Lo Is Seriously Into Monochrome
It seems like Jennifer Lopez was into the monochrome thing before the Kardashians ever set foot on the scene! A leaked rider for the star revealed that she must only have white objects in her dressing room.
Everything, from the curtains and drapes to the candles and flowers, must be white.
We're not sure if she only eats white food while in her dressing room too? Jen has received backlash for diva-like behavior in the past but answered those rumors with her hit song Jenny from The Block.
18 Drake Loves His Incense
You might have thought that Drake couldn't get any cuter, but just wait. While other rappers request some truly questionable items on their riders, Drake asks for four dozen natural-scented incense sticks. We're not exactly sure what he does with them, but incense is commonly used to cleanse the energy in a space. Drake hasn't strayed too far from the superstar lifestyle, though, and isn't shy to order everything from the bar that his heart desires.
17 Katy Perry Doesn't Do Carnations
Madonna was once famously caught on camera saying that she loathed hydrangeas. Singer Katy Perry shares a floral pickiness with the music legend, though carnations are what rub her up the wrong way.
The singer's tour rider requested pink fresh flowers, white and purple hydrangeas, pink and white roses and peonies, and seasonal white flowers, including white orchids.
And in capitals, just in case it wasn't clear enough, there was a demand for “absolutely no carnations” for the venue organizer.
16 Lindsay Lohan Wouldn't Appear On A Russian Talk Show Without Talking To The President
It isn't just singers and concert tours that come with long lists of demands. Actress Lindsay Lohan reportedly had her own list of conditions before she appeared on a Russian talk-show. Lohan wanted to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin before doing the show, and additionally, wanted a one-year visa into the country, her own private jet and $650,000 for her appearance. In the past, Lohan has made headlines for accusations that she's difficult to work with. All the demands aside, though, she is a talented actress!
15 John Mayer Is Adamant About Dental Hygiene
If you're going to be obsessed with something, why not make it dental hygiene, right? John Mayer seems to be quite concerned about his teeth if his rider is anything to go by.
The singer requests that there are four soft-headed toothbrushes waiting for him backstage, in addition to two small tubes of mint-flavored toothpaste, a bottle of Listerine, and two packs of Altoids mints.
Then again, maybe he just wants to reverse the damage done with the Count Chocula and Cap'n Crunch cereals he also requests.
14 Justin Bieber Needed No Less Than 10 Luxury Sedans
We'd imagine that Justin Bieber travels with quite an entourage, so perhaps this request isn't so crazy after all. The Biebs reportedly asks for 10 luxury sedans on his rider, as well his own massage table and a private jet on standby in case he needs to travel at the last minute. He's certainly come a long way from the early days when his riders only included lots and lots of snack food. He truly has become a star, if his demands are anything to go by.
13 After Breaking Up With Bieber, Selena Gomez Would Not Work With Anyone Named 'Justin'
Reminders of your ex after a painful breakup are tough to handle, but most people don't get the luxury of completely avoiding them altogether. It's a different ball game when you're a VIP, though.
Selena Gomez apparently had such a bad break up with Justin Bieber that in the days afterward, she wouldn't work with anyone named Justin.
If a crew member of another member of staff happened to be called Justin, they'd be referred to by a nickname around her.
12 Kanye West Enjoys Grown Up Slushy Machines
We wouldn't expect anything less than a larger-than-life rider from Kanye West. The rapper has come up with some crazy demands in the past, including his own barber's chair. But recently, West asked for a slushy machine in his dressing room that had mixes of Coke and 'grown up' drinks. Yeezus also demanded toothpicks, hot sauce, and chewing gum. West also asked for yogurt for dipping (though we're not sure what he was dipping).
11 Mariah Carey Employed Someone Purely To Throw Out Her Gum
There's a famous meme that shows Mariah Carey being transported by her staff from her dressing room to the stage.
When you've seen that, it makes sense that the superstar would also employ someone for the sole purpose of throwing out her used gum.
With anybody else, this would be arrogant and obnoxious, but because she's Mimi, she gets a free pass from us. Carey also requests a bottle of Cristal, complete with bendy straws she can drink through.
10 Don't Mess With Beyoncé's Room Temperature
Considering she's the Queen, Beyoncé's tour riders are usually quite tame. She requests that the temperature in her dressing room remain consistently at 78 degrees. As if she wasn't hot enough! Her rider also asks for heavily seasoned chicken legs, breasts and wings that have been baked, and all are to be served with hot sauce. Because she's in a contract with Pepsi, Bey also requests that there be absolutely no Coca-Cola products near her, since that could very well result in a lawsuit.
9 Mary J. Blige Needed A New Toilet Seat, Every Time
We'll admit it: using public restrooms can be kind of gross. If we could request a brand-new toilet seat wherever we went, we probably would!
Mary J. Blige reportedly requests her own new toilet seat at every venue she visits and won't even think about using the public ones already there.
In addition to this, the singer requires her dressing room to come complete with a humidifier, a clothes rack, a phone line, flowers, extensive lighting, and a love seat.
8 It's Not One Dressing Room For Jay-Z, But 7
It's understandable that a star might need more than one dressing room. Maybe they've got a huge entourage, or they need another room for their wigs? We can understand two or even three rooms, but Jay-Z demanded no less than seven dressing rooms on his 2009 riders. As well as all that space, Jay also requested some good-quality peanut butter and good-quality jelly. Our guess is that in between sets he likes to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches… in one of his spare dressing rooms.
7 RiRi Needed Animal Fur To Walk On
Rihanna does nothing in halves, and that includes her tour rider. For her Last Girl on Earth tour in 2010, the Bajan pop princess requested one large fur rug (preferably animal printed) to be included in her dressing room. The rider explained that she was to walk on it barefoot.
Rihanna is also quite into curtains and asks that they cover any lockers or bricks visible in her dressing room.
She likes white curtains to cover the bricks but also likes blue or black curtains with chiffon.
6 Sam Smith Sometimes Has Staff Do Up His Laces
Nothing could ever make us think less of Sam Smith! Though incredibly humble, the singer has previously admitted to some rock star behavior. “But sometimes,” Smith told the BBC, “and I'm really embarrassed about this-when they're doing my make-up before I go onstage, people do up my laces for me." Smith also admitted that he went through a stage, after hanging out with too many A-listers, where we wore new pants every single day and threw out his old ones.
5 Madge Likes Her Dressing Room To Resemble Her House
Touring the world has got to be lonely sometimes, and we can't imagine how homesick some stars would feel by the end of it.
It's only natural that they'd want their dressing rooms to feel like home, and that's exactly what Madonna does when she's on tour.
The singer specifies in her rider that her dressing room must resemble her real house and also must include flower-scented fabric furniture. Mage also hauls an entourage of 200 people along with her.
4 Taylor Swift Had To Have Her Starbucks Before 11 AM
In many ways, Taylor Swift is a regular chick. Like many of us, she has to have her Starbucks before she can function. The girl could literally request anything in the world, but instead, she asks that her specific order from the coffee chain is delivered to her no later than 11 in the morning. Her order consists of one Grande Iced Caramel Latte with two Sweet-N-Lows, one Grande Iced Americano with two Sweet-N-Lows and soy milk, and one slice of pumpkin loaf.
3 Ed Sheeran Has To Keep His Fluids Up
Ed Sheeran doesn't strike us as the demanding sort, and judging from his rider, he's not.
He's not one for crazy requests and demands, but he does make sure that he can do his job as a vocalist, and that includes asking for a heck of a lot of fluids.
According to the NME, the singer asked for a bottle of a British fruit drink known as Robinsons Squash, a six-pack of Coke, a six-pack of Diet Coke, a six-pack of Fanta Orange, a six-pack of Sprite, and a jar of Manuka Honey on his Glastonbury rider.
2 Justin Timberlake Required All Germs To Be Kept At Bay
Being a celebrity, you'd have to shake hands with and hug a lot of different people and travel to a lot of different places. While that sounds like a dream to some, it's probably a nightmare for a germaphobe. Justin Timberlake is particular about what his skin comes into contact with, and reportedly has door handles sanitized before he touches them. There have also been rumors in the past that the pop star requests his own private elevator to use.
1 You Couldn't Wear A T-Shirt In Barbra Streisand's Presence
Barbra Streisand is one of the world's most iconic divas, and she has a list of demands to match her well-earned status.
It's been reported that the star asks her own members of staff and the crew surrounding her to not wear t-shirts in her presence, and instead slip into something more formal.
She also requests a police dog to quickly scan the space before she arrives. That sounds a little OTT to us, but when you've earned your own lane the way Babs has, you can afford to be OTT.
