The British Council of Music Makers (CMM) – a group that includes Featured Arts Coalition, Music Managers Forum, Musicians’ Union and others –  is seeking Government support in implementing funds to subsidise post-Brexit touring costs. This request gained importance recently, as it seems more and more unlikely that the Government will grant such funds, nor provide a visa-free for musicians touring outside of the UK, a proposal presented by MP Harriet Harman.

With the lifting of COVID restrictions, musicians seem to be able to get back to gigging and touring soon. However, without Government support or some kind of agreement between the UK and the European Union, artists will have to face some touring costs that could make touring outside of the UK very close to impossible.

A case study was released by the Musicians’ Union, one of the most influential group within the creative industries, stating the following: ‘British artists played over 20,000 dates touring Europe (in 2019, pre-COVID), in turn employing more than 30,000 people (including musicians and crew), cementing our international reputation as leading the world in creating great music. Not only does live performance create critical revenue for performers and their teams, it also acts to fuel the creation of the music that sits at the core of our recorded industry. We need urgent help now to ensure British talent is not blocked from growing their audiences internationally in the short term which brings long term implications on loss of future revenue.’

It’s impressive to think about the UK as the forever home of musical talents while knowing about the inexplicable fight happening as we speak. For most musicians, touring is a sacrifice in terms of money, time and resources, but it is also their only solid source of income. With the UK ministers acknowledging the problem without facing it, there is a general concern for many that the UK’s leading stand on its music is at risk.