Quarter of UK musicians have lost all EU work since 2021, report finds

Average tour earnings down 45%, with nearly three-fifths of musicians saying touring in Europe is no longer viable

More than a quarter of British musicians have lost all their EU work since 2021, according to new research.

The report by European Movement UK, a cross-party campaign group advocating closer UK-EU relations, found that nearly half of UK musicians have seen their EU work reduced since 2021, while more than a quarter have lost it entirely.

Average tour earnings have fallen by 45%, with 59% of musicians saying touring in Europe is no longer viable.

Tom Kiehl, the chief executive of UK Music, said the findings reflected a wider crisis across the creative economy, despite commitments to support exchanges.

“This research covers the experiences of our £8bn music sector and the 220,000 jobs it supports, but the issues highlighted – notably on mobility and on obstacles to British and EU professionals working in each other’s jurisdictions – are highly relevant also to other creative industries, including film, TV and video,” he said.

Under the UK-EU “common understanding” agreed in 2025, both sides committed to supporting travel and cultural exchange, he added.

But, said Kiehl, “touring the EU remains financially unviable post-Brexit for many musicians and performers, hindering our efforts to grow our respective creative sectors. We need to sweep away these barriers and build on the work that is already under way.”

Mig Schallache owns The Louisiana in Bristol, a music venue that has hosted acts including Coldplay and Amy Winehouse.

“Because of Brexit, we’re getting less and less artists from Europe,” he said. “But the problem that creates is that there aren’t enough artists in the UK to fill diaries.”

He also spoke of the consequences being felt in cancelled tours, lost work, reduced exports, weakened collaboration and fewer opportunities for audiences on both sides of the Channel.

“Pre-Brexit, it was so much easier for UK bands to go to Europe, but now it’s pretty much impossible,” he said “UK bands used to do a UK tour, then go to Europe and play European shows. But now that just not feasible because it’s not cost effective.”

UK creatives now face different visa systems in each EU member state, alongside new work permit requirements and the Schengen 90-days-in-180 rule limiting time spent working across the bloc.

These combined restrictions, the report argued, make extended touring and cross-border collaboration increasingly difficult to plan.

For emerging artists and smaller operators, the added costs and bureaucracy can remove the financial viability of international touring altogether.

The study also highlights that EU artists and cultural professionals face barriers when working in the UK, restricting the flow of talent in both directions.

The report sets out a series of direct costs affecting touring artists. Temporary Admission (ATA) carnets – customs documents allowing instruments and equipment to move across borders – can cost more than £400, with security deposits of up to 40% of equipment value. For orchestras, this can amount to between £2,000 and £5,000 per EU tour.

It also highlights cabotage rules limiting the number of stops UK hauliers can make within the EU, increasing costs for touring productions, small acts and exhibitions. EU hauliers face similar restrictions in the UK.

The loss of Creative Europe funding is also cited as a major blow. Between 2014 and 2020, the programme invested €111m in 376 UK organisations, supporting research and development, co-productions, trade fairs and European networks. Its absence, the report says, has been felt most acutely by independent producers and SMEs.

Music alone contributed £8bn in 2024, including nearly £5bn in exports, while the performing arts sector contributed more than £11bn.

The report concludes that unless barriers to mobility are addressed, the UK risks further weakening a sector central not only to employment and growth, but to its cultural reach abroad.