The Cost of Silence: How Post‑Brexit Barriers Are Reshaping UK Touring

Touring has always been the beating heart of the UK’s creative industries. It’s where artists grow, where audiences connect, and where cultural exchange becomes something tangible — a shared room, a shared moment, a shared breath. But a new government‑commissioned report has laid out, in stark economic terms, what many in the sector have been saying for years: Brexit has made touring harder, smaller, and less economically viable, and the consequences are rippling across the UK and Europe.

This isn’t a political argument. It’s a practical one. And the numbers tell a story that can’t be ignored.

Touring Has Not Recovered — Especially for Small and Mid‑Scale Artists

The report shows that UK touring activity in the EU remains 21% below 2019 levels. While major arena tours have largely bounced back — thanks to bigger budgets, dedicated logistics teams, and the ability to absorb new costs — the artists who rely on touring most for growth are the ones being squeezed out.

Small and mid‑scale performers, independent companies, emerging musicians, dancers, theatre-makers, comedians — the very people who build the future of the sector — are finding EU touring increasingly unviable.

The result? Fewer opportunities, fewer audiences, and fewer pathways to sustainable careers.

The Barriers: A Perfect Storm of Admin, Cost, and Uncertainty

Brexit didn’t create one big barrier. It created dozens of small ones — each country with its own rules, each tour with its own complications. Together, they form a system that is heavier, slower, and more expensive.

Visas & Work Permits

The UK no longer enjoys blanket visa‑free touring. Artists must navigate:

• The 90/180‑day Schengen rule

• Country‑specific work permits

• Complex timelines and inconsistent enforcement

For emerging artists, this is often the point where a tour becomes impossible.

Customs & Carnets

Equipment now requires carnets, security bonds, and detailed inventories. Border delays are common. Mistakes are costly. For small companies, this is a logistical cliff edge.

Transport & Cabotage

UK touring trucks can no longer freely operate within the EU. Many companies have had to:

• Hire EU hauliers

• Establish EU subsidiaries

• Reduce the scale of their tours

This disproportionately affects theatre, dance, and live music requiring large technical setups.

Tax & Social Security

Withholding tax, import VAT, and slow reimbursement processes tie up artists’ cashflow. Promoters sometimes withhold fees until paperwork is complete — a major blow for freelancers.

Merchandise

Merch sales — often the difference between breaking even and going home in debt — now face import VAT and country‑specific tax rules. Some artists have resorted to storing stock in the EU, adding yet more cost.

The Economic Impact: A Loss Felt on Both Sides of the Channel

The report quantifies the damage for the first time — and it’s significant.

UK Losses (2022–2024)

• £208 million GVA lost

• 2,490 full‑time equivalent jobs lost

• Music sector: £180.2 million GVA lost

• Orchestras, theatre, dance, visual arts: £27.8 million GVA lost

EU Losses

• £1.04 billion GVA lost

• 17,010 jobs lost

• Biggest impacts: Germany, Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands

This is not a one‑sided problem. Europe’s cultural economy is also suffering from reduced UK touring. Fewer UK acts mean fewer ticket sales, fewer venue hires, fewer hotel stays, fewer technicians employed, fewer local businesses supported.

Touring is an ecosystem. When one part weakens, the whole system feels it.

The Human Impact: Burnout, Lost Opportunities, and a Shifting Workforce

Beyond the numbers, the report highlights a quieter crisis.

• Emerging artists are losing the chance to build international audiences.

• Crews and administrators are burning out under increased bureaucracy.

• Some professionals are relocating to the EU to maintain their careers.

• UK-based haulage, production, and merchandise work is shifting permanently to EU companies.

This isn’t just about economics — it’s about identity, exchange, and the future of the UK’s cultural voice.

Why This Matters: Touring Is the Engine of Cultural Growth

Touring isn’t a luxury. It’s the mechanism through which artists:

• Develop their craft

• Build sustainable careers

• Reach new audiences

• Collaborate internationally

• Generate economic value

• Represent the UK on the world stage

When touring becomes harder, the entire creative sector becomes smaller.

What Needs to Happen Next

The report doesn’t prescribe political solutions, but it makes one thing clear: reducing or removing barriers would restore significant economic value.

That could mean:

• Bilateral touring agreements

• Simplified carnet processes

• Visa exemptions for cultural workers

• Cabotage flexibility

• Streamlined tax and social security systems

None of these require rejoining the EU. They require negotiation, prioritisation, and recognition that the creative industries are not a niche sector — they are a major economic and cultural force.

A Moment of Choice

The UK’s creative industries are world‑leading. But leadership requires mobility, exchange, and visibility. Right now, those foundations are under strain.

This report is not a warning — it’s a map. It shows where we are, what we’ve lost, and what we stand to regain if touring becomes viable again.

The question is whether we act on it.