performer

performer · Recommended by Google

Appears in

Event

What is it?

The participants performing at an event: presenters, musicians, bands, comedians, actors, or speakers. This is distinct from the organizer (who hosts the event) and attendee (who watches). For a concert, performers are the artists on stage. For a conference, performers are the speakers or panelists.

Why this matters for AEO

When a user asks "who is playing at [festival]" or "is [artist] performing anywhere near me," AI answer engines match performer names to event listings. The performer field creates a direct entity link between a known person or group and the event, making it far more likely the AI surfaces the event in response to name-based queries.

What the specs say

Schema.org: Organization, Person. A performer at the event, for example, a presenter, musician, musical group or actor. schema.org/performer

Google: Recommended. "The participants performing at the event, such as artists and comedians." Google also recommends performer.name. Google Event docs

How to find your value

• Event page — Lineup section, "Featuring" or "Performers" heading
• Ticketing platform — Artist/speaker bios on the event listing
• Festival website — Full lineup page with stage assignments
• Conference agenda — Speaker names next to session titles

Use the performer's most recognized name. For bands, use the group name with MusicGroup type. For solo artists, comedians, or speakers, use Person.

Format and code

Single performer (Person):

{
  "@type": "Event",
  "name": "Stand-Up Night at The Comedy Store",
  "performer": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Dave Chappelle"
  }
}

Single performer (MusicGroup):

{
  "@type": "MusicEvent",
  "name": "National Symphony Orchestra at Kennedy Center",
  "performer": {
    "@type": "MusicGroup",
    "name": "National Symphony Orchestra"
  }
}

Multiple performers with sameAs links:

{
  "@type": "MusicEvent",
  "name": "Blues Night at The Apollo",
  "performer": [
    {
      "@type": "MusicGroup",
      "name": "B.B. King",
      "sameAs": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B.B._King"
    },
    {
      "@type": "MusicGroup",
      "name": "Jonathon Boogie Long",
      "sameAs": "https://jonathonboogielong.com/"
    }
  ]
}

Adding sameAs (Wikipedia, official site, social profiles) strengthens entity disambiguation and helps AI engines match the performer to their knowledge graph entry.

Webflow implementation

Static pages

Add performer to the Event JSON-LD in Page Settings > Custom Code (Before ):

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "MusicEvent",
  "name": "Jazz Night at Blue Note",
  "performer": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Robert Glasper"
  },
  "startDate": "2024-09-20T21:00:00",
  "location": {
    "@type": "Place",
    "name": "Blue Note Jazz Club, New York"
  }
}
</script>

CMS template pages

For events with a single performer, create CMS text fields for performer name and performer URL. For multi-performer events (festivals, conferences), use a CMS multi-reference field linking to a Speakers or Artists collection, and build the performer array in the embed code.

In Schema HQ

Configuration allows you to add one or more performers to an Event schema. Each performer entry includes name, type (Person or MusicGroup), and optional sameAs links. The published JSON-LD outputs the correctly nested structure.

Real examples

Schema.org (B.B. King MusicEvent example):

"performer": [
  {
    "@type": "MusicGroup",
    "name": "B.B. King",
    "sameAs": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B.B._King"
  },
  {
    "@type": "MusicGroup",
    "name": "Jonathon \"Boogie\" Long",
    "sameAs": "http://jonathonboogielong.com/"
  }
]

JamBase (Kennedy Center):

"performer": [
  {
    "@type": "MusicGroup",
    "name": "National Symphony Orchestra"
  }
]

Related fields

• organizer — who hosts the event (distinct from who performs)
• startDate — when the performance begins
• location — where the performance takes place
• eventAttendanceMode — whether the event is in person or virtual

FAQ

Should I use Person or MusicGroup for a solo musician?

Use Person for individual performers (comedians, speakers, solo artists). Use MusicGroup for bands and ensembles. Schema.org's own examples use MusicGroup even for solo artists like B.B. King, so either works for musicians. The key is that name matches how the artist is commonly known.

Can performer include conference speakers?

Yes. Schema.org defines performer as "a presenter, musician, musical group or actor." Conference speakers and panelists qualify. Use Person type with the speaker's name.

Does adding sameAs to performer help SEO?

sameAs helps search engines and AI systems disambiguate the performer. Linking to a Wikipedia page, official website, or verified social profile connects the performer name in your schema to a known entity, which strengthens the signal for entity-based queries.