Grammys Seat Filler Reveals Behind-the-Scenes Secrets of ‘Surreal’ Awards Show Experience
What’s it like to be in the audience on music’s biggest night?
Most people will never get the chance to experience the Grammy Awards in person. To nab a ticket to the exclusive, star-studded event, you typically need to be a nominee, performer, member of the Recording Academy, or a VIP. But there’s another, lesser-known way to watch the ceremony as it happens: as seat filler.
TikToker Deon Lillo – aka “Side Quest Deon” – has perfected the art of seat-filling at event like the 2025 Grammy Awards and the 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. He recently spoke with Casino.org about his experience finding gigs as a seat-filler through the company Seat Fillers and More.
Grammys seat filler opens up about seeing Taylor Swift dance
Lillo applied and was selected to attend the 2025 Grammys. He called the experience of walking into the Crypto.com arena in Los Angeles on the day of the event “absolutely surreal.”
“Right when we walked in, we walked right by Chappell Roan and I’m like ‘what the f*ck?’ Like Chappell Roan is right there!” he said.
“Me and my friend ended up getting amazing seats near the front row of the stage where they did the opening performance,” Lillo shared. “We got up and started dancing, and you can see Taylor Swift dancing.”
“If you know anything about Taylor Swift and how she approaches these award shows, she loves to dance, even if no one is dancing,” he continued. “That’s exactly what happened. No was dancing except me, my friend, maybe some other people, and Taylor Swift. So it was like ‘no f*cking way! I’m dancing with Taylor Swift right now!’”
Rules for Grammy Awards seat fillers
Lillo said he was stunned that he and the other seat fillers had mostly “free rein” at the awards show.
“I could get up and just walk to the tables with these A-list celebrities and just roam,” he said. “I could walk around. I could sit down. Of course, there’s limits, but as long as you’re doing your job and looking for open seats, then you can truly just walk around amongst these celebrities.”
While the seat fillers had a lot of freedom at the Grammys, they still had to follow certain rules, Lillo said. For one, he had to wear a tuxedo jacket and tie to the event. And it’s also critical to understand that you’re there to serve a purpose, not just watch the show or gawk at celebs.
“When we’re live, you have to be in a seat, or go to the seat filler holding area. Once it’s commercial breaks, you can get up and find a new seat,” he explained.
“Number one rule is if you get told to get up, you get up. If you say no, that is a huge no-no and you’ll probably get kicked out,” Lillo added.
Another tip? “Do not eat the charcuterie, and probably even more a rule, do NOT drink the alcohol,” he said.
And then there’s the number one rule.
“Don’t speak [to celebrities] unless spoken to,” he said.
The 2026 Grammy Awards air Sunday, February 1, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
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