Celebrity tour riders: The 9 most ridiculous demands

J. Lo prefers all-white decor, Mary J. Blige demands a fresh toilet seat... and M.I.A. would like 3 young women dancing in full-body burqas, thank you

M.I.A.'s tour demands, which included dancing, burka-clad women, rank up there among the most extreme rider requests.
(Image credit: Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

During a 1982 world tour, Van Halen made the now-legendary stipulation that all brown M&Ms be removed from candy dishes in the rockers' dressing rooms. Ever since, fans and critics have made a hobby of perusing celebrities' often outlandish demands — called riders — for what venues must provide them during appearances. This week, "Paper Planes" singer/Super Bowl bird-flipper M.I.A.'s tour rider leaked — and it's a doozy. Buried among requests for Vitamin Water and European cheeses is the demand for "three women between the ages of 20 and 25 to dance on stage wearing full-body burqas." As heads spin from that peculiar request, here's a look back at eight of the most ridiculous items on other celebrity riders:

1. Kanye West

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up