headliner
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of headliner
Explanation
A headliner is the main act. At a rock concert, you usually have to sit through an opening band or two before the headliner comes on stage. The headliner is the biggest star or the main event. The headliner at a jazz festival is the most popular performer, the one most audience members came to see, and the headliner of a musical theater review is the star of the show. In the early 1890's, a headliner worked for a newspaper — the word originally meant "one who writes headlines." By the end of that decade, it had come to also mean "one who stars in a performance."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Details for the halftime performance have not officially been announced, but Jay-Z is rumored to be the headliner.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
Its success propelled the L.A. group from an emerging heavy rock act into an international headliner capable of filling stadiums.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
She read about the Sheeran-Macklemore controversy recently, but wasn’t too upset about the openers leaving the tour: She was there for the headliner.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Swift was announced as a headliner for Glastonbury's 50th anniversary in 2020.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
The headliner in the 5,000 meters— three miles and 188 yards—was Norman Bright, a twenty-six-year-old schoolteacher.
From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand
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