Featured image by Veld Music Festival
Post-Brexit, British musicians looking to tour in EU countries could now face extra fees that, for many, could see European touring become unviable.
For a time, there was a call to let musicians tour Europe visa-free and a petition to this effect garnered 285,000 signatures. Whilst visa-free touring post-Brexit may have been something of a pipe dream, there are reports that the culture secretary is considering opening a new office to deal with the new issues caused by Brexit. The additional fees and admin may encourage touring artists to hire crew based in EU countries, which would put an already flailing UK music industry under extra pressure.
Perhaps this potential new office could go some way to help revitalise the industry in a post-COVID, post-Brexit world. But it’s not likely to be easy, as nothing is these days. Culture minister Caroline Dinenage stated recently that it may be better to agree individual deals with EU countries to make touring a viable option for British musicians in the future. If only we could become part of some economic union which deals with all of that for us…
Harry Fenn