More than a quarter of UK musicians lost all EU work since 2021, report finds

EU customs documents for equipment can cost orchestras up to £5,000 per tour, the report said. Photograph: Dimitris Legakis/The Guardian View image in fullscreen EU customs documents for equipment can cost orchestras up to £5,000 per tour, the report said. Photograph: Dimitris Legakis/The Guardian More than a quarter of UK musicians 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 work in the European Union 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 British musicians had experienced a reduced amount of work in the EU since 2021, while more than a quarter had stopped working there altogether. Average tour earnings had fallen by 45%, with 59% of musicians saying touring in Europe was 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 bureauc