Table of Contents▼
In This Article
- What Sparked This Conversation About Warm-Up DJs
- What a Warm-Up Set Actually Is
- The One Hard and Fast Rule for Warm-Up DJs
- How to Actually Structure a Good Warm-Up Set
- The Mindset Tip That Changes Everything
- Digging Deeper Into Your Crates
- You Are Part of a Team — Not Just a Filler Act
- Why Doing a Great Warm-Up Can Build Your Career
- Warm-Up DJ Summary: Key Points at a Glance
What Sparked This Conversation About Warm-Up DJs
The Swedish House Mafia and Eve's Tumor situation brought the warm-up DJ debate back into focus.
A couple of weeks ago, Swedish House Mafia asked Eve's Tumor to open for them with a DJ set at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, a 23,000 capacity venue. By all accounts, it didn't go well at all. Not by Eve Tumor's own telling of it, and certainly not according to the crowd, judging by their comments on social media.
Eves Tumor is a very experimental, challenging musical artist. They are not what I would call a working DJ by any stretch. And when you book an artist like that to open up for you in a massive stadium, chances are they are going to come across as a bit confrontational.
That shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. The audience, who were probably mostly there to sing along to Don't You Worry Child, did not take to Eve's Tumor's antics very well. They in turn only got more confrontational, and it just did not go well.
A couple of weeks ago, Swedish House Mafia asked Eve's Tumor to open for them with a DJ set at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, a 23,000 capacity venue. By all accounts, it didn't go well at all. Not by Eve Tumor's own telling of it, and certainly not according to the crowd, judging by their comments on social media.
What a Warm-Up Set Actually Is
A warm-up set is specifically a club and small event concept — not something that applies to festivals.
If every act on a lineup is a big name who could headline events on their own, then nobody is the warm-up. Tiësto is not the opening DJ for David Guetta just because he's scheduled before him at Tomorrowland.
We're talking more about clubs, really — events which run for just a few hours and at which there may just be one big headline DJ. This is something which many of you watching this might experience every single weekend.
You could be resident at a venue which regularly books big headliners. Or it might be something you only do once in a blue moon, which is when I feel it becomes more of a challenge in knowing how to approach it.
The One Hard and Fast Rule for Warm-Up DJs
Do not play the headliner's tracks — this is the rule I am standing behind 100%.
Like it or not, social media has changed the nightlife game. When audiences in 2025 pay to see a big-name DJ producer, they want to hear that person play his or her big tunes. Everyone is looking for that moment to post on their Instagram stories or their TikTok where that DJ plays either their latest banger or a timeless classic that they made.
If you as a warm-up DJ play tracks by that artist, you're absolutely throwing a spanner in the works of what the crowd is expecting. You might say that you're a techno or drum and bass DJ, not a mainstage EDM DJ, and that's not how you roll in your scene. But then why do you need to play those big hitter tracks anyway?
If you're opening for Charlotte de Witte, you shouldn't be playing her remix of Age of Love. There's a high probability she won't play it herself, sure. But deciding whether to play it or not, and to give the crowd that moment — that is her prerogative, not yours. It's her track.
The same goes for playing the bells when opening for Jeff Mills, or playing Ready to Fly before Sub Focus. To do so is rude, not just to the performer, but to the audience. It's all about delivering the best overall experience for the crowd, and not duplicating big moments is part of that.
If you as a warm-up DJ play tracks by that artist, you're absolutely throwing a spanner in the works of what the crowd is expecting. To do so is rude, not just to the performer, but to the audience. It's all about delivering the best overall experience for the crowd, and not duplicating big moments is part of that.
How to Actually Structure a Good Warm-Up Set
A warm-up set is about building anticipation in the room to the point where it's ready to peak as the headliner takes to the decks.
I'm an open format DJ and I typically play open to close, so my sets are very much about structuring an event in a certain way. Maybe a gradual buildup at the start, with various peaks and troughs as the hours pass.
I will gradually take the BPM up to a tempo which I think the guest will begin at. I might even ask he or she what that is given the chance. And if I do go beyond that tempo, I'll bring it down again before they start.
Doing a good warm-up is by no means an easy job. You want to build to that peak, but at the same time, if the guest is on three hours into the night, you still want to give the crowd a good time for that first three hours. So you can't be afraid to bring a strong energy to your set.
The Mindset Tip That Changes Everything
My biggest actionable tip is to play the opening set as if you're warming up for yourself.
Get into the mindset that you're doing the whole night. In that situation, you wouldn't hold back, but also you would not burn through all of your biggest bangers in the first couple of hours. You would save some for later on.
Get into the mindset that you're doing the whole night. In that situation, you wouldn't hold back, but also you would not burn through all of your biggest bangers in the first couple of hours. You would save some for later on.
This is one reason I think it's crucial for new DJs to try and do at least a few events where they're playing open to close. It gives you a much better perspective on how an event flows.
Digging Deeper Into Your Crates
A warm-up set is a genuine opportunity to play tracks you wouldn't normally get to play in a peak time slot.
You should welcome the opportunity to spin some of the more overlooked tracks that you love at the minute, or older stuff you wouldn't get to play at peak time. In any genre, there is always room to dig deeper.
You should welcome the opportunity to spin some of the more overlooked tracks that you love at the minute, or older stuff you wouldn't get to play at peak time. In any genre, there is always room to dig deeper.
As with all DJing, it's just about reading the room. D&B crowds don't expect a nice gentle warm-up to an event, sure. But if you spend your opening set triple dropping all the big heaters from the past year, then you're still outside the realms of what I would say is a good warm-up.
| Warm-Up Goal | What to Do | What to Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Build anticipation | Gradually raise BPM toward the headliner's starting tempo | Burning through your biggest bangers early |
| Read the room | Gauge the crowd's energy and adjust accordingly | Playing tracks that clash with the room's vibe |
| Dig deeper | Play overlooked tracks and older gems | Playing the headliner's signature tunes |
| Structure the flow | Plan peaks and troughs across your set | Peaking too early or never building at all |
You Are Part of a Team — Not Just a Filler Act
The most important mindset shift for any warm-up DJ is understanding that you are part of a team running that event.
You, the headliner, the promoters, the bar staff, the door staff — everyone is part of that team. Each member of that team has a role to play.
The headliner's role usually is to have generated the number of bodies in the room and to deliver them an unforgettable experience. Your job as a warm-up DJ, and it is a job, is to help the event flow properly, to facilitate the headliner delivering that experience.
So if that means you have to maybe dig a little deeper into your crates, or play a little slower than usual, then so be it.
You, the headliner, the promoters, the bar staff, the door staff — everyone is part of that team. Each member of that team has a role to play. The headliner's role usually is to have generated the number of bodies in the room and to deliver them an unforgettable experience. Your job as a warm-up DJ, and it is a job, is to help the event flow properly, to facilitate the headliner delivering that experience.
Why Doing a Great Warm-Up Can Build Your Career
Headliners will remember you if you do a really good or a really bad job — and that memory matters more than most DJs realise.
There are very successful DJs who have built their careers off the back of doing fantastic warm-ups for headliners, ending up going off on tour with them and then establishing themselves in their own right. Even if that doesn't happen for you, if a headliner likes what you did, they might ask for you to open for them again next time they're in town.
Or you might end up connecting over tracks that you make in the future. It's all part of the networking game, which is so crucial to this business.
And if you do a terrible job, well, the opposite will probably happen. It's unlikely you'll be booked to open for that DJ again. Word does spread — we live in a social media age.
If you're a new or up-and-coming DJ, negative exposure from a poor warm-up set can do real damage to your future prospects.
Warm-Up DJ Summary: Key Points at a Glance
| Principle | What It Means | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Never play the headliner's tracks | Their big tunes are their moment to give the crowd | Duplicating those moments is rude to both artist and audience |
| Build gradually toward the headliner | Raise BPM steadily; ask the headliner their starting tempo if possible | Ensures the room peaks at the right time |
| Warm up as if you're doing the whole night | Don't hold back, but don't burn your biggest records early | Keeps energy consistent and the crowd engaged |
| Dig deeper into your crates | Play overlooked or older tracks you love | Gives the crowd something fresh without stepping on the headliner |
| Remember you are part of a team | Your job is to help the event flow, not to make it about you | Supports the headliner in delivering the best experience |
| Headliners remember good and bad warm-ups | A great opening set can lead to tours and repeat bookings | Networking through performance is a real career builder |