For those of you who are working in creative industries, Brexit is probably something you are trying to avoid thinking about too much. With Coronavirus currently overshadowing it, it’s imperative to remember how Britain leaving the EU is something that will influence touring from now into the future. The impact that Brexit will have on the music industry is not very clear, but evidently present. For touring specifically, how will it affect musicians?
For some musicians, touring is a way to expand fanbases, engage with audiences and above all, it is a main source of income. It requires moving around, organising accommodation, travel and luggage. With the live music industry already struggling because of the pandemic, it is crucial for musicians to recover financially by touring.
Touring is generally artists’ largest source of revenue, next to merchandise, streaming and music publishing. If artists are unable to tour, it clearly will result in a large financial loss. With this in mind, the United Kingdom and the European Union are currently in a strange situation. British artists may have to consider to pay for costly visas and equipment carnets when considering to tour.
Since leaving the EU on January 1st 2021, businesses and companies in the UK are already making changes, such as looking into sponsorships for EU employees. For musicians, one major change will be having a visa. Earlier this year, over 280,000 people signed a petition which suggested that musicians crew should be allowed to travel around Europe without a visa. With Brexit trade deals going back and forth, and so many aspects needing to be considered, the concept of visa-free travel for musicians in the UK was not included. This ultimately left everyone in the UK’s music industry outraged, because of the apparent lack of thought for our sector. Musicians and touring crew will now have to pay for a visa or work permit, adding more costs to the live touring industry. This lack of consideration on the behalf of the government has created a huge obstacle for rising artists, as they are likely unable to afford these fees.
Every country in the European Union has particular regulations that are enforced, in regards to musicians from the UK who want to tour there. France’s ruling states that artists from the United Kingdom are allowed to travel specifically there without a visa, for up to 90 days.
Musicians are probably most concerned as to how rules over equipment and luggage will change. There will most likely be more excess paperwork and a slight fee. For example, for classical musicians hired to perform in orchestras in Europe, you may have to consider an ATA. This is a travel document which is needed when travelling with equipment and instruments. UK artists will be expected to obtain a carnet document, which essentially works as a passport for your gear and can be used to clear customs without having to pay duties taxes on equipment. The cost of this does vary, but the Musician’s Union has been looking at getting discounted rates on these pieces of documentation. They have suggested that an ATA carnet for £10,000 worth of instruments travelling to and from the EU for two months will typically cost the discounted amount of £180 + VAT (total £216) for an issuing fee, and £56 + VAT (total £67.20) for the security fee.
Now onto EU musicians touring in the UK, what does Brexit mean for them? European artists may have to consider getting a Permitted Paid Engagement visa, which costs £95. This allows individuals to stay up to 30 days in the UK, but they have to be ‘invited by a UK organisation or client‘ and meet other eligibility criteria. Although, not everything is set in stone.
There has been some talk of a permit-free festival scheme arising. For example, this scheme would mean that a DJ from Europe could play at a festival in the United Kingdom without a visa. These festivals include Glastonbury, Camp Bestival and Boomtown. Another route that EU musicians going on tour could take into consideration, is getting a T5 (Temporary Worker Government Authorised Exchange visa). This generally is a sponsorship from another employer or contractor in the UK, which is a lot to take on board!
For those travelling on widescale tours that have a team of roadies, technicians, bus drivers, festival directors and so forth, you will need a lot more preparation and thinking to do. For festival directors or tour managers, there may be some dilemmas based on employing outside of the UK. Directors may decide to take on roadies from the United Kingdom, rather than the EU, to avoid additional paperwork. Will this put more UK crew members in work, and EU workers out of great touring opportunities? The same could be argued in vice versa too, with musician Elles Bailey telling The BBC that she fears that she will be priced out of the European touring market.
Ultimately, the future of touring post Brexit means an increase in expenses, more time-consuming paperwork and a lot of preparation. The idea of touring in Europe has become a lot more daunting for smaller musicians, especially when it isn’t a cost-effective option to start touring. With the whole music industry facing the limitations of the COVID 19 pandemic, Brexit seems like yet another hurdle to try and jump over. It appears that ministers are trying to reassure musicians that performers from the UK are still welcome to perform in the EU however, just with certain new requirements and extra charges.
These changes are pretty drastic for both EU and UK citizens, so the first few years for musicians planning on touring will clearly be hard and unusual. The dust is yet to settle, and decisions still appear to be in the works, when it comes to government rulings and new petitions popping up in favour of musicians’ rights to travel. We are currently in the transition period, so nothing is 100% confirmed or set in stone. The best thing that you can do as an artist is to plan ahead, and research as much as you can. This will ensure that you are able to avoid any future predicaments, and fully understand the range of visas and documents that different countries require you to have.
On a personal note, it will be hard for touring artists and members of their crew, as their work is based on lifelong friendships that are built through touring on both sides of The English Channel. Touring in Europe is a way to embrace new cultures, languages and develop long-lasting relationships.
The UK will now be working with the old rules and regulations that we had, before joining the European Union in 1973. It will likely be a struggle to remain optimistic, but supporting each other through these new rules is the best way to get through both Brexit and the COVID 19 pandemic. It is, more than ever, the UK government’s responsibility to ensure that the music and touring industry is kept alive.
