Most of us perform and/or produce shows because we love the art form, but unfortunately, one truth remains: a brilliant show can only dazzle if people know about it. Promotion is the not-so-glamorous but totally essential side of burlesque that turns good shows into sold-out successes. In this post, we’re diving deep into how to promote your burlesque events like a pro: boosting your visibility, selling tickets, and building long-term audience loyalty.
Know Your Audience
The first rule of event promotion? Know who you’re promoting to.
Burlesque audiences are wonderfully diverse, ranging from die-hard vintage lovers and cabaret aficionados to casual event-goers looking for a fun night out. Your promotion should reflect the tone, theme, and style of your show. A campy Y2K-themed revue will call for a very different vibe than a sultry noir-style speakeasy show.
Ask yourself:
- Is this a show for burlesque insiders, newcomers, or a mix?
- Is the tone sexy, comedic, political, classic, or experimental?
- What kind of people came to your past shows (if any)? What did they love?
Once you identify your ideal audience, tailor your visuals, captions, hashtags, and language to speak directly to them.
Build Hype on Social Media
Social media is your best friend when it comes to burlesque show promotion. But to really move the needle, it’s not enough to just post a flyer once and call it a day.
Step 1: Start Early
Start teasing the event at least 4-6 weeks out. Drop hints or behind-the-scenes peeks before the official flyer drops. Generate curiosity first, and then deliver.
Step 2: Vary Your Content
People scroll past static flyers every day. Mix up your content with:
- Performer spotlights: bios, photos, rehearsal clips
- Countdown posts: “2 weeks away!” or “Last chance for early bird tickets!”
- Behind-the-scenes footage: costume making, choreography rehearsals
- Audience testimonials: clips from past shows or quote graphics
Step 3: Use Reels and Stories
Short-form video content gets priority in most algorithms. Instagram Reels, Facebook Stories, and TikTok can all boost visibility, especially with hashtags like #burlesque, #cabaretlife, #showgirl, #nightout, or local tags like #nycevents or #atlantalife.
Create a Killer Event Page
Whether you’re selling tickets on Eventbrite, Facebook Events, or a custom site, your event page needs to do three things: Clearly explain what the show is, make it easy-peasy to buy tickets, and get people excited!
Start by crafting a compelling show description. It’s more than just listing the time and place. Your show description should give people a reason to care… and buy those tickets! Paint a picture of what they can expect, set the mood, and let your event’s unique vibe shine through. Pair that with high-quality photos or teaser videos to help potential guests see what kind of experience they’re in for.
It’s also helpful to include the cast list that highlights your show’s talent. People want to know if you have special guests, or if their favorites are returning. Hype the performers and let guests know who they’ll get to see.
Of course, you’ll also need to include the essentials. Don’t forget details like when doors open, what time the show starts, any age restrictions or dress code, and ticket costs.
Pro tip: Create urgency with limited VIP tickets, early bird pricing, or a “first 25 guests get a free treat” incentive.
Use Email Marketing
If you have a mailing list, even a small one, you should use it. Email consistently outperforms social media when it comes to converting views to ticket sales. That’s because you’re speaking directly to people who already want to hear from you. Instead of a social media post in a crowded feed that’s bogged down by algorithms you can’t control, your email lands straight into the inbox of people who asked for it.
First and foremost, you can use your mailing list to announce the show. Make it feel exciting and personal, like you’re letting them in on something special before the rest of the world knows. This can help build anticipation, and spark that first wave of ticket sales.
Mailing lists are also good for dropping something special. Sweeten the deal by offering exclusive discount codes just for your subscribers. Not only does this reward your most loyal fans, but it also gives them a reason to open your emails and keep engaging with your content.
As the event gets closer, don’t be shy about sending reminders. People get busy, and a gentle nudge about early bird deadlines or low-ticket warnings can be just the thing to motivate them to click that “buy now” button before it’s too late.
Finally, keep the buzz alive by sharing sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes content in your emails. Maybe it’s a glimpse of what’s going on during the planning stage, like the new stickers you ordered for the show. Perhaps you want to share a short interview with one of the performers that will be hitting the stage. Whatever you choose, these little moments can help your audience feel connected to the show, and that connection often translates into ticket sales.
Tools like Mailchimp, MailerLite, or Flodesk make it easy to create beautiful, on-brand emails with embedded ticket links.
Partner with Local Businesses & Influencers
Collaborating with local businesses and influencers can help boost your visibility, and it will also create lasting relationships across many different communities and industries.
Local Partners to Consider:
- Vintage or lingerie boutiques – cross-promote events or offer ticket giveaways
- Queer-friendly bars or nightclubs – hang flyers or do pre-show meetups
- Makeup artists, costumers, or hairstylists – tag each other on social media
Work with Micro-Influencers:
You don’t need people with 100k+ followers. Find local creators with an engaged audience, especially those into fashion, nightlife, performance, or LGBTQ+ content. Offer comp tickets in exchange for a post or story shoutout.
Those local micro-influencers are already tapped into your market. Extremely popular influencers might have tons of eyes on their content, but the majority of their audience isn’t likely from your area — which means they’re not going to buy show tickets!
Leverage Local Press and Event Calendars
Many cities have arts and culture websites, blogs, and weekly newsletters that list local events. These are goldmines for new audience discovery, especially folks who wouldn’t otherwise know about burlesque.
Submit your show to:
- Event aggregators like Eventbrite, DoStuff, or Eventful
- Local alt-weeklies (think: The Portland Mercury, the Queen City Nerve)
- Tourism boards or city-specific guides
- Queer or feminist publications
You can also send a press release to local reporters or bloggers who cover nightlife, drag, burlesque, or theater.
Use High-Quality Visuals
The quality of your visuals creates the first impression your audience gets. Make it count. After all, a polished, eye-catching design signals that your event is something special and worth attending, while blurry photos or cluttered graphics can do the opposite.
Invest in a polished, striking flyer design. Hiring a professional is always a solid choice, but if you’re working with a tighter budget, there are plenty of design tools like Canva that can help you put together something sleek and stylish on your own. Just steer clear of AI-generated art. It often misses the mark and can cheapen your brand.
High-quality cast photos or branded imagery are also a must. Show off the performers with photos that are crisp, well-lit, and visually engaging. Pixelated or blurry shots can make your whole production feel less polished or professional, even if the talent is top-tier.
And don’t forget to keep things visually consistent. Using the same color palette, fonts, and logos across all your promotional materials creates a cohesive look that feels professional and trustworthy. When everything ties together visually, your audience is more likely to recognize and remember your show.
Pro tip: Avoid overloading your flyer with too much text, and choose fonts that are easy to read. Think visual storytelling with a pop of info: title, date, location, ticket link.
Equip Your Cast
Your performers aren’t just talent. They’re also invested in getting an audience to show up, and should be promoting, as well. Make it easy for them! Give them the tools to hype the show.
First things first: they need shareable flyers. If you want them to promote, they’ve got to have something to post, right? At the very minimum, have a version of the show flyer that has been optimized for social media. Without the correct dimensions, parts of the flyer are likely to get cut off when the platform crops it to fit their standard aspect ratio.
These are some of the most common sizes you’ll need:
 |  |  | |
| Square | 1080×1080 px | 1080×1080 px | 640×640 px |
| Portrait | 1080×1350 px | 1080×1359 px | 1080×1920 px |
| Landscape | 1080×566 px | 1080×566 px | 1920×1080 px |
| Reels & Stories | 1080×1920 px | 1080×1920 px | 1080×1920 px |
For more social media platforms, including Bluesky, Threads, and more, here’s a comprehensive list.
If you want to take it one step further, you can also provide performers with shareable flyers that feature each performer individually. Having their own face and name on a flyer gives them an even stronger incentive to post it, and it allows them to speak to their own followers in their own personal way.
I also like to offer suggested captions, phrases, ideas, and hashtags to performers. It definitely takes the pressure off your cast to come up with the “perfect” post, and it can also maintain consistency across everyone’s promo. I do encourage them to create their own, though, or at least add to what I’ve offered, to make it feel more personal to them. When everyone is working from the same inspiration, it can create a more polished and unified promotion across platforms.
Run a Countdown Strategy
In the 10–14 days before your show, intensify your promo game. Use a countdown approach, ramping up promo the closer you get to the show date. During this time is when you’re likely to sell the majority of tickets, so make sure you’re getting seen and reminding people to buy those tickets!
Two Weeks Out:
- Share audience reviews
- Post throwbacks to past shows
- Promote individual cast spotlights
- Share behind-the-scenes content
One Week Out:
- Run a giveaway for free tickets or merch
- Drop last-minute ticket reminders or “only X seats left”
- Remind your audience that buying advance tickets will save them money!
48 Hours Out:
- Post final reminders
- Re-share every story tag from your performers
- Ask friends and fans to repost or tag friends
Create an Experience Worth Talking About
Word of mouth is still the most powerful promo tool. Want your audience to tell everyone about your show? Make them feel like they have to! When people have an amazing time, they talk. And that’s promotion you can’t buy.
Add unique touches like:
Custom photo backdrops, a step and repeat, or props for selfies at the show
Add fun, photo-worthy elements to your event. Custom photo backdrops, a step-and-repeat banner, or even a few playful props can transform a simple corner of your venue into a selfie hotspot. When guests snap photos and share them online, they’re not just preserving the memory — they’re also promoting your show to their followers in a way that feels organic and exciting.
VIP seats with exclusive perks
VIP seating is another great way to level up the experience. Offering premium seats with exclusive perks, like a great view, more attention from performers, a glass of bubbly, or a little gift bag, makes the night feel extra special for those guests. And when people feel pampered, they’re more likely to talk about it.
Burlesque bingo cards, inside jokes, or cheeky themed cocktails
Interactive or thematic elements can also make your show feel more personal and memorable. Think burlesque bingo cards filled with fun little moments to spot throughout the night, cheeky cocktails that match the show’s theme, or inside jokes that regulars will love. These little details give your audience something to engage with beyond just sitting and watching. (and the next time you come to a Flamingo Revue show, keep an ear out for Franky’s “Dear Friend!”)
Interactive elements like costume contests
If you’re doing a show that encourages the audience to dress up — like a Halloween show, a Roaring ’20s show, or even just a fancy and formal NYE show — consider holding a costume contest. Encouraging people to dress up, get involved, and maybe even win a prize adds a playful energy to the event and makes for some great social media moments, too.
Encourage audience members to meet their favorite performers after the show
Don’t underestimate the power of performer interaction. When audience members get the chance to meet their favorite performers after the show to snap a photo, share a compliment, or simply say hi, it creates a personal connection that makes the whole night more memorable. That kind of connection is what turns casual attendees into loyal fans, and loyal fans into your best promoters!
Review, Reflect, Repeat
After your show, don’t just collapse in a glitter-covered heap (okay, do that first). The glitter crash is very real. Then review:
- What worked and what didn’t?
- What posts got the most engagement?
- Where did your ticket sales come from?
- Which performers drove the most traffic?
Use that data to improve your next round of promo. Better yet, create a promo playbook that you can refine show after show. Let your promo game evolve and become better over time.
Final Thoughts!
Promoting a burlesque show doesn’t have to feel overwhelming or awkward. With some planning, creativity, and community, you can turn your event from “one night only” into “the night everyone’s talking about.”
Keep experimenting, stay authentic, and don’t be afraid to sparkle. 💖✨
