Spotlights are most commonly used in concerts, musicals and large-scale presentations in which highlighting a specific mobile individual is critical.
For example, they can be located to the back or rear of a theater and aimed at the stage in front of them.
This location can become problematic due to the audience being distracted by fan noise or the spot operator speaking into their headset microphone.
In circus and sports, spotlights may be arranged around the facility covering both sides and the ends.
In other places, spot locations are at the mercy of the architect who designed the space.