UK report puts Brexit touring losses for musicians at 208 million pounds

A report commissioned by the UK government has put a number on what post-Brexit paperwork has cost British musicians touring Europe. Performances by British artists in Europe in 2024 were 21% down on 2019, the last full year before the UK left the European Union.

The knock-on runs wider than the performers. Counting crews, hauliers and the companies that work with touring acts, the report estimates the UK music and performing arts sectors lost 208 million pounds in gross value added and about 2,490 jobs between 2022 and 2024.

Since 2020 British acts have faced visa and travel permit rules that differ country by country, along with customs procedures and carnets, haulage restrictions and tax complications on merchandise sales. The report finds small and mid-scale artists, freelancers, crews and hauliers have taken the worst of it.

Emerging artists come off worst of all. The report says they have had fewer chances to build audiences, develop professional networks and sustain a career, which it frames as a problem for future export growth rather than a one-off dent.

The economic argument cuts both ways, and the report leans on that deliberately. It estimates EU host countries have lost roughly 1.04 billion pounds in gross value added because British acts tour there less, with Germany, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Ireland hit hardest.

Labour's 2024 manifesto named touring artists in its commitment to tear down trade barriers with the EU, and the industry has been pushing for action since. The Cultural Exchange Coalition, which brings together UK and EU creative bodies, called on both sides to find practical solutions at the next UK/EU summit.

The report drew on industry interviews and data from the collecting society PRS. John Mottram, PRS chief strategy, communications and public affairs officer, said songwriters and composers were being held back by costly red tape and urged ministers to deliver on the manifesto promise. The findings sit alongside other disputes over how touring money moves, including Universal Music's bid to dismiss a musicians union lawsuit and warnings about payment processors freezing merch income.