Industry insiders have urged the UK government to find a solution to post-Brexit restrictions on live music touring, after EU documents suggested Brussels was “not prepared” to change regulations.
In Labour’s manifesto, Keir Starmer pledged to improve trade and investment relations with the EU to “help our touring artists” . Since Brexit, musicians touring the EU have faced barriers introduced in the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). They can work up to 90 out of every 180 days, which causes problems for longer tours, musicians who work in multiple bands or orchestras, and crew required on site before and after performances.
Customs documents for instruments, transportation issues and limits on merchandise sales have also made touring in the EU more time-consuming and less profitable. Visa and work permit requirements differ across EU member states.
The FT reported last week that Brussels has said the prime minister’s desired deal is unrealistic, as it requires rewriting the TCA. Internal briefing documents said the European Commission was “not prepared to consider” many of the changes the industry says are necessary.
Industry insiders said this was an urgent issue. Tom Kiehl, chief executive of the umbrella body UK Music, said: “The new UK government’s welcome resolve in tackling these issues must not be diminished.”
Deborah Annetts, chief executive of the Independent Society of Musicians (ISM), said: “Post-Brexit regulations make touring in Europe expensive, complicated and sometimes impossible for musicians. Removing the barriers could not be more important for our sector.”
A 2023 survey by the ISM showed that, since Brexit, almost half of UK musicians and music industry workers have had less work in the EU, and more than a quarter had none at all.
“The UK’s exit from the EU has created significant barriers that have made live music touring more expensive, bureaucratic and confusing for musicians, artists and crew,” said Kiehl. “This is hampering our £6.7bn music industry’s ability to grow. The number of British artists booked for EU-based festivals is down by a third on pre-Brexit levels.”
The Featured Artists Coalition (FAC), a trade body, was instrumental in the Let the Music Move campaign, which argued against post-Brexit red tape. “It’s a really fundamental issue,” said David Martin, the chief executive of FAC, . “To put it into context, in 2019, the EU was the biggest touring market for British musicians. The next biggest was the US and that was a quarter of the size.”
The costs and time added by post-Brexit restrictions have meant a loss of work, an erosion of “cultural exchange” between the EU and UK, and reduced opportunities for UK musicians to get experience on the road and build their fanbase, Martin said.
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Labour’s manifesto pledge sparked hope in the industry. “With the previous government, it felt like we were having to convince them of the importance of this issue. This is something the current government recognises as a priority,” said Martin. “So that is different, but it doesn’t mean we can take our foot off the gas in terms of highlighting the importance of it.”
The EU briefing documents have not come as a complete surprise. “We weren’t under any illusion that this would be as simple as this is done on day one,” said Martin. “I don’t think it’s a complete deflation moment, but it brings forward the reality of the complexity of the government negotiating with the EU on this It underlines the need to get around the table. It’s not great news, but perhaps it drives home that it won’t be as straightforward as people thought.”
Kiehl suggested a separate “cultural touring agreement” could be a potential solution that wouldn’t require changes to the TCA.
Martin said: “The FAC and the wider music industry will certainly hold government to account on this.”
