Justin Bieber is headed to Indianapolis as part of his Justice World Tour, and fans are eager to find out who the opening acts will be. In today’s music landscape, the opening act at a concert can be just as exciting as the headliner. Concertgoers arrive early to catch a glimpse of up-and-coming talents or sing along to their favorite opening band. So who will open the show for Justin Bieber’s upcoming Indianapolis tour stop?
Why Do Artists Have Opening Acts?
There are a few key reasons why huge artists like Justin Bieber bring opening acts on tour with them:
- It allows lesser known artists a chance to play in front of large crowds and gain new fans. An established artist can give a major boost to a smaller act’s career.
- It allows concertgoers to get more for their money. Fans can discover new music and be entertained for longer.
- It takes pressure off the headliner. Opening acts help energize the crowd so the main act doesn’t have to spend as much time getting the audience hyped up.
So while Justin Bieber certainly doesn’t need any help commanding the stage, having an opener or two allows him to preserve his voice and energy while also showcasing other talents.
What Makes a Good Opening Act?
When choosing an opening act, there are a few key factors that come into play:
- Up-and-coming status: The act shouldn’t overshadow the headliner, but still be gaining steam and exposure.
- Stage presence: Captivating live performance skills are critical.
- Crowd engagement: Can the opener get the crowd excited and ready for the main event?
- Music style: Some genre/style overlap usually works better than radically different sounds.
- Draw: An act with a local or regional following may help boost ticket sales.
The ideal opening act compliments the headliner, gets the crowd energized, and exposes audience members to new music they may enjoy.
Recent Justin Bieber Openers
So based on his past tours, who might Justin bring along as an opening act on his Indianapolis show? Let’s take a look at some recent opening artists on Bieber’s tours:
- Purpose World Tour (2016-2017) – Bieber’s last solo tour featured artists like Moxie Raia, Post Malone, Travis Scott, and Martin Garrix as openers on various dates.
- Changes Tour (2020) – This abbreviated tour had Kehlani and Jaden Smith providing support for Bieber before dates were cancelled due to COVID-19.
- Justin Bieber & Friends (2021) – Kid LAROI, Jaden, Tory Lanez, and Eddie Benjamin were among the “friends” who filled opening slots at these special shows.
Based on these recent examples, we can expect Bieber to choose one or two rising contemporary R&B, hip hop, or pop artists to kick off the show in Indianapolis.
Jaden Smith
One strong contender is Jaden Smith, who opened for several Bieber shows on the Changes Tour and Justin Bieber & Friends event. The son of Will Smith, Jaden has gained recognition for songs like “Icon” and “Ghost” and has collaborated with Bieber before. With his youthful energy and stylistic overlap with Bieber’s music, Jaden would be a sensible choice. He could perform hits like:
- “Icon”
- “Ghost”
- “Batman”
- “Cabin Fever”
Kehlani
Kehlani seems like another likely option, as she was tapped as an opener for Bieber’s Changes Tour before it was cut short. She gained notoriety for her 2015 mixtape You Should Be Here and has since released hit albums and songs like “Distraction” and “Up at Night” with Justin Bieber. Her R&B sound and experience sharing the stage with Bieber before make her a prime candidate. Some songs she could perform include:
- “Distraction”
- “Up at Night”
- “CRZY”
- “Can I”
The Kid LAROI
Bieber has recently taken Australian artist The Kid LAROI under his wing, and their collaboration “Stay” topped the charts for 7 weeks. After performing together at the Justin Bieber & Friends concert, LAROI seems poised to open for Bieber on tour. The 18-year-old brings youthful energy and raw talent, along with a musical style that complements Bieber’s. He could wow the crowd with hits like:
- “Stay”
- “Without You”
- “Tell Me Why”
- “Not Sober”
Why LAROI is a Strong Choice
Here are a few reasons why The Kid LAROI may be the best bet for the Indianapolis opening slot:
- He’s gaining rapid momentum, but doesn’t yet have the star power of Bieber.
- His collaboration with Bieber was a huge chart success.
- His style meshes well with Bieber’s music.
- He’s already proven he works well as an opener on Bieber’s shows.
The two have great on-stage chemistry, and LAROI’s music will feel familiar and exciting to the crowd. Seeing these two perform “Stay” live together would be a huge highlight.
How Long Do Openers Perform?
Most opening acts will get 30-45 minutes of stage time. This gives them a chance to play around 5-8 songs and put their talents on display without taking the spotlight too much from the headliner. Depending on the city and venue, Bieber may have one longer opener like Jaden Smith get 45 mins, or have 2 shorter 30 minute opener sets, like one each for Kehlani and The Kid LAROI. But in general, we can expect approximately a half hour set from the main supporting act.
Will There Be Any Special Guests?
Sometimes headliners will bring out surprise guest performers during their own set, but this is less common at larger arena shows like Bieber’s upcoming Indianapolis date. However, he could potentially have his opener like Jaden Smith or Kid LAROI come back out briefly midway through his set for a quick collaboration on one of their joint hits. But for the most part, Bieber will likely just have the one main opener perform a solo 30-45 minute set before his headlining performance.
How Early Should I Arrive?
To catch the opening act in its entirety, you will want to make sure to arrive at least 30-45 minutes before the printed start time on your Bieber ticket. This will get you through the doors and to your seat with enough time to see the opener’s full set. If you want the chance to snag merch from the opener, you may want to come a bit earlier and scope out those tables shortly after doors open.
Here is an example timeline for a Bieber concert with a start time of 8pm:
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 6:00 pm | Doors Open |
| 7:00 pm | Opener Set Starts |
| 7:30 pm | Opener Set Ends |
| 8:00 pm | Justin Bieber Set Starts |
Arriving by 7:15pm at the very latest will ensure you don’t miss a moment of the opening act!
How Long Will Bieber Perform?
Justin Bieber headlining sets typically run between 90 minutes and 2 hours. He has a deep discography of hits to draw from over his decade-plus career, along with plenty of covers and collaborations he may mix in. Some recent set lengths have included:
- Purpose World Tour: Shows averaged around 1 hour 50 minutes
- Changes Tour: Unfinished shows were around 1 hour 30 minutes
- Justin Bieber & Friends: These festival sets ran about 1 hour 15 minutes
Based on these, you can expect Bieber’s time on stage to be somewhere between 1 hour 30 minutes and 1 hour 45 minutes for his Indianapolis show on the Justice Tour. It will be a high energy performance packed with his chart-topping songs!
What are Justin Bieber’s Most Popular Songs?
Justin Bieber has amassed an incredible amount of hit songs and albums, especially for someone who is still just 28 years old. He broke onto the scene in 2009 with his debut EP My World, followed by the massively successful full length My World 2.0 featuring “Baby.” He’s continued releasing #1 hits for over a decade. Here are some of his most popular songs that fans are most eager to hear live:
- “Sorry”
- “Love Yourself”
- “What Do You Mean?”
- “Baby”
- “Boyfriend”
- “Let Me Love You”
- “Where Are Ü Now”
- “Yummy”
- “Peaches”
- “Stay”
Notable collaborations like “Cold Water,” “I Don’t Care,” and “STUCK WITH U” are also fan favorites. Beliebers will be thrilled if he brings out opening act The Kid LAROI for their hit duet “Stay” as well!
Will He Sing Songs From His Latest Album?
The Justice World Tour is named after Justin Bieber’s most recent studio album, Justice, which released in March 2021. The record debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and spun off hits like:
- “Peaches”
- “Holy”
- “Lonely”
- “Anyone”
Since this tour is specifically promoting the Justice album, he’ll absolutely be performing many of the songs from it! Fans can count on getting a heavy dose of new material, as well as old classics and features throughout the night.
How Can I Get Tickets?
If you don’t already have tickets to the Indianapolis Justin Bieber concert, there are still ways to get them – but you’ll need to act fast!
Here are some tips for getting last minute Bieber tickets:
- Check the official box office at the venue. They may release last minute tickets or have production holds get released at the last moment.
- Try fan-to-fan resale sites like StubHub or VividSeats. Plenty of beliebers resell extra tickets here.
- Look on Craigslist Indianapolis for resellers, but beware scams.
- Track prices and availability leading up to the show. More tickets tend to get posted last minute.
- Arrive early and ask around outside the venue. You may get lucky on a last minute deal.
Act fast though – Indianapolis is one of the most in-demand stops on the tour and tickets are scarce!
Conclusion
Justin Bieber’s Justice World Tour stop in Indianapolis is shaping up to be one of the hottest tickets in town this year. Although his opening act has yet to officially be announced, smart money is on breakout star The Kid LAROI getting the supporting slot for his local date. Other contenders like Jaden Smith and Kehlani shouldn’t be counted out either. Whichever act gets the coveted role is bound to turn in an energetic 30-45 minute set filled with their hits while getting the crowd hyped up for Bieber.
Once the headliner himself takes the stage, beliebers can expect a 90+ minute set packed with old classics, recent hits from his Justice album like “Peaches,” and maybe even some special collaborations with his opener. Arrive early to catch every moment, and sing and dance along as Bieber delivers a spectacular live performance!
