backstage

American  

[bak-steyj] / ˈbækˈsteɪdʒ /

adverb

1. behind the proscenium in a theater, especially in the wings or dressing rooms.

2. toward the rear of the stage; upstage.

3. out of view of the public; in private; behind the scenes.

   Many of the deals were made backstage at the convention.

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adjective

1. located or occurring backstage.

2. of or relating to activities unknown to the public.

3. of or relating to the private lives of people in the entertainment industry.

   backstage gossip.

noun

1. Theater. a backstage area.

backstage British  

/ ˌbækˈsteɪdʒ /

adverb

1. behind the part of the theatre in view of the audience; in the dressing rooms, wings, etc

2. towards the rear of the stage

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adjective

1. situated backstage

2. informal away from public view

Etymology

Origin of backstage

First recorded in 1895–1900; back ² + stage

Explanation

Backstage is the area of a theater where the actors wait until it's time to walk onstage and play their parts. The audience can't see what's going on backstage. If you get a backstage pass at a rock concert, it means you'll get to go behind the scenes once the show is over, and possibly meet the musicians in person. Many people who are involved in a show, performance, or play stay backstage the whole time: costume designers, makeup directors, and set painters, for example. The word is also sometimes used in a figurative way to mean "secret" or "behind the scenes."

Example Sentences

Moments earlier, US singer Alicia Keys, his special guest for the show, had walked past backstage.

From BBC • May 23, 2026

Four decades after the band broke out with albums like “Mommy’s Little Monster” and “Prison Bound,” the scene backstage can be pretty boring, Ness admits.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

Speaking to reporters backstage, De Pear said it was "the commissioners at the BBC who had the problem engaging with the material, not the doctors who lost their families or the viewers".

From BBC • May 10, 2026

“What we would frequently talk about backstage is, people laugh when they’re uncomfortable or when it’s a really hard subject matter,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

When all the bowing and waving goodbye was over and pop songs blared through the speakers again, Natalie found Patience and Akira backstage.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz