The Hartford doesn’t offer performers insurance online, but a local agency or Tivly may be able to help you find the coverage you need. The following content includes information from various sources and can change over time.
What Is Performers Insurance?
Performers insurance is made up of different types of business insurance coverages designed to help protect you from the unique risks that can come with life on the stage. For example, a guest could get injured during your act, your equipment might get lost or damaged while traveling, or you could be held responsible for property damage at a venue. Also known as entertainer insurance, this policy can help cover a range of acts, from fire spinners to magicians.
A performers insurance plan can include these common types of coverages:
- Business Owner’s Policy (BOP)
- Commercial property insurance
- Workers’ compensation insurance
Why Might You Need Performers Insurance?
Performers insurance is a collection of coverages designed to help protect you from a variety of challenges that could happen in the entertainment industry. Whether you're booked at a private event or a packed venue, unexpected events can stop your show in its tracks. Maybe your performance gets cut short due to a power surge that fries your equipment. Or a child trips over a prop and their parent threatens legal action. Even a last-minute venue cancellation can mean lost income.
Performers insurance can help protect your business from many potential risks, like:
- Equipment theft: Your sound system goes missing from backstage at a festival.
- Business interruption: A sudden illness forces you to cancel multiple contracted events.
- Lawsuits: A former assistant claims wrongful termination after being let go mid-tour.
Who May Need Performers Insurance?
Business insurance coverage can help protect many types of performers, such as:
- Musicians and bands
- DJs
- Actors
- Stage performers
- Santa performers
- Dance troupes
What Performers Insurance Coverages Might I Need?
When it comes to protecting your performance business, you’ll want protection that matches your potential risks. Many performers start with a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP) because of the peace of mind it can provide.
A BOP combines three types of coverage to help protect you from common risks that can come up during normal operations:
General liability insurance helps protect your entertainment business from claims that it caused bodily injury or property damage to others.
Commercial property insurance helps protect the owned or rented building you operate from, as well as the tools, equipment and supplies you rely on. These can include your:
- Microphones
- Speakers
- Lights
- Props
Business income insurance helps replace lost income if you can’t operate temporarily because of covered property damage caused by fire, wind or theft.
It’s important to know that a BOP won’t cover every kind of claim you might face as an entertainer. You’ll need other types of coverage to create a comprehensive insurance plan, including:
Workers’ compensation insurance to help protect your employees and give them benefits if they get a work-related injury or illness. For example, this coverage can help if a stagehand strains their back loading gear onto the stage or a dancer twists their ankle during rehearsal.
Commercial auto insurance to help cover the costs of an auto accident that occurs while you or one of your employees uses a company-owned vehicle for work.
How Much Does Performers Insurance Cost?
Although The Hartford doesn’t offer coverage for performers, here are the average costs our small business customers pay for common types of coverage. You can use these amounts to help estimate your insurance costs:**
- BOP: $1,687 a year, or about $141 a month
- Stand-alone general liability insurance: $810 a year, or about $68 a month
- Workers’ compensation insurance: $1,032 a year, or $86 a month
- Professional liability insurance: $744 a year, or $62 a month1
The cost of insurance for performers varies because every professional faces unique risks. Insurance companies consider several factors when determining your coverage cost, including:
- Number of employees
- Location of your business
- Type of coverage
- Your claims history
- The limits you select for your coverage
To find out your specific performers business insurance costs, get a free quote online through Tivly.
General Liability Insurance
“A patron tripped over some wiring near the stage, and he had trouble getting up. We had to call an ambulance to make sure he was OK.”
General liability insurance helps cover claims that your business caused bodily injury or property damage to someone else.
Employment Practices Liability Insurance
“An assistant accused me of wrongful termination when I ended their contract after the tour.”
Employment practices liability insurance (EPLI) helps protect your business from employment-related claims, like wrongful termination, discrimination and harassment.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
“A sound tech fell off the stage during setup and broke her ankle. She needed to take weeks off from work to recover.”
Workers’ compensation insurance gives your team benefits to help them recover from work-related injuries or illnesses. It can help pay their medical bills and replace lost wages.
Professional Liability Insurance
“The organization that hired us to perform sued us for breach of contract, claiming we ended the show early.”
Professional liability insurance helps protect your performance act from claims that it made an error. It can help pay attorney fees or other court-related costs.
Commercial Property Insurance
“Someone broke into our storage unit and stole our dynamic mics, speakers and subwoofers.”
Commercial property insurance helps protect the equipment and tools you rely on as a performer.
Commercial Auto Insurance
“We have a company truck that we use to travel to gigs. I accidentally backed into another car when trying to park at the venue.”
Commercial auto insurance can help cover property damage and bodily injury claims if an employee gets into an accident while driving a business-owned vehicle for work.
The Best Supporting Act Is Performers Insurance
Protect the career you’ve built with coverage that works as hard as you do. Get a quote for entertainment insurance through Tivly.
Last Updated: April 29, 2026
1 What you pay for professional liability insurance will vary by product, limits chosen and risk class or hazard group associated with your business.
2 The Hartford, “Water and Freezing Damage, Burglary Top The Hartford’s Top Five Small Business Claims,” viewed April 2026.
3 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses in 2023,” viewed April 2026.
4 NIOSH, "About Motor Vehicle Safety at Work,” viewed April 2026.
** Costs, premiums, and coverages mentioned are estimates and are not guaranteed. Actual cost, premium, and coverage are determined at the time of quote or issue and are specific to an individual risk. Premiums are based on information provided to The Hartford, including, but not limited to, underwriting and rating criteria. All examples included on this website or in an advertisement are intended for informational purposes only and are not an offer or a guarantee of premium or coverage. Coverage and products described are subject to the terms and conditions found in the policy contract. Any educational information provided about available coverages does not modify the policy language or imply that any claim is covered. Products are not available in all states or for all businesses.
The Hartford does not currently have a product available to provide the coverage described on this page. You are being referred to Tivly in an effort to connect you with a carrier who may provide this coverage. This link will redirect you to a third-party website, owned and operated by an independent party ("Tivly"). Any link you make to or from the Tivly website will be at your own risk. Any use of the Tivly website will be subject to and any information you provide will be governed by the terms of the Tivly website, including those relating to confidentiality, data privacy and security. The Hartford and its affiliates (collectively "The Hartford") do not endorse or approve and make no warranties, representations or undertakings relating to the content of the Tivly website. The Hartford assumes no liability for loss, damage and any other consequence resulting directly or indirectly from your access to the Tivly website or any information that you may provide on the Tivly website.
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