Fresh analysis by Best for Britain reveals the number of UK musicians playing at music festivals in the EU is still down by 26% compared to pre-Brexit levels.

The figures published today suggest that, on average, the number of British musicians that have played, or are scheduled to play, European festivals this summer has fallen by a quarter, compared to the 2017-2019 average.

The study examined four major music festivals in four different EU nations including; Benicassim in Valencia, Spain; Lollapalooza, in Berlin, Germany; Rock en Seine, in Paris, France; and Roskilde Festival, in Roskilde, Denmark. Overall Benicassim saw the biggest drop with 58% fewer Brits taking to the stage in Spain this year.

Industry leaders and musicians are warning that post-Brexit conditions continue to make it much harder for Britain’s performing artists to tour. In particular they have highlighted the difficulties for emerging artists who have fewer resources to deal with the additional admin and costs, and who would have been more likely to benefit from last-minute opportunities.

High profile musicians including Blur drummer Dave Rowntree, Elton John and Mark Knopfler, lead guitarist and singer of Dire Straits, have highlighted the unresolved issues. In May hundreds of music industry professionals signed an open letter to Keir Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen ahead of the UK-EU reset summit organised by a group of UK and EU musical groups, and others previously backed a campaign called Let the Music Move. 

Meanwhile, venue operators in the UK have flagged the damage caused in the opposite direction, citing the reduced ability of smaller UK music venues to attract EU artists with knock-on implications for British production crews and local economies.






After a brief recovery in 2024, the findings* continue a trend which has been observed in 2022 and 2023 and come one year after the Labour government came to power with a manifesto pledge to help touring artists as part of their broader effort to reduce trade barriers with the EU. However, at the May UK-EU reset summit, no specific improvements for creative industries were agreed, aside from a brief reference to ‘explore’ how to improve arrangements for touring in Europe**.

After endorsing dozens of the proposals set out by the cross-party UK Trade and Business Commission in 2023, Best for Britain is urging the UK government to urgently examine what scope there is to work with individual EU member states to make touring easier.

Naomi Smith, Chief Executive of Best for Britain, said:

“From legends like the Beatles, Queen and David Bowie, via Britpop stars Oasis and Blur, to modern icons like Amy Winehouse, Adele and Raye, Britain is world-famous for our incredible musical legacy – with live performances the lifeblood of the industry.

“Barriers for touring artists are bad news: for acts, audiences, and ultimately hurt the UK’s vibrant £7.6bn music industry, meaning a further hit to our squeezed economy, not to mention the dimming effect on our soft power around the world. The government must urgently examine what scope there is to address these challenges – and work with our partners in Europe to implement solutions.”

Deborah Annetts, Chief Executive, Independent Society of Musicians (ISM), said: 

“Brexit is bad for UK musicians, European events and live music lovers across Europe. As this research shows, opportunities for emerging as well as much-loved acts are disappearing, which is a situation that cannot continue.

“Labour’s election manifesto committed to sorting out the issues for touring musicians following Brexit. Today’s finding from Best for Britain supports what the ISM’s research has found for years and is further evidence that we urgently need the Government to come good on that promise. The solutions are well known; some will take cooperation from Europe but there are others the UK can resolve unilaterally. For the good of all musicians and our sector, we hope those solutions are put in place soon.”

UK Music Chief Executive Tom Kiehl said:

“The rising costs and extra red tape involved in touring the EU post-Brexit is a huge challenge for the whole UK music eco-system ranging from musicians and artists to technicians, engineers and crew.

“It’s vital to our prospects for jobs, economic growth and UK exports that we continue to work with the Government to remove the obstacles involved in touring the EU and the challenges facing those who want to tour the UK.”

Dave Webster, Head of International at the Musicians’ Union, and chair of LIVE Touring, said:

“These stats from Best for Britain clearly show that UK acts remain adversely affected by the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.  We continue to press the Government to make good on their manifesto commitment.

“The recent Summit did progress matters, however it seems another summer will have passed with no direct reduction to the barriers musicians face on both sides of the Channel. The added commitments on EU touring set out on the Government’s Creative Industries Sector Plan, alongside a personal pledge from the Culture Minister to resolve this issue in the next 12 months, are steps in the right direction, but we do need to see some tangible results before more acts lose out, audiences lose out, and the economy loses out.“

Jon Collins, CEO of LIVE (Live music, Industry, Venues & Entertainment), the voice of the UK’s live music and entertainment business, said:

“This research makes all too clear how the current barriers to touring across the EU mean audiences are missing out on the full range of UK talent.  That is an economic and cultural loss to the UK and EU that needs addressing urgently. To do so will unlock new opportunities for EU festivals, venues and audiences, strengthen our partnership and deliver economic gains for all parties.”

Sophie Brownlee, External Affairs Manager at the Music Venue Trust, said: 

“Post-Brexit conditions have made it much harder for performing artists touring at the grassroots level with increased administrative requirements and costs. This means reduced opportunities for UK artists to tour within the EU and increase their reach, experience, and income from the EU market.

“This also means reduced ability for UK grassroots music venues to attract EU artists and impacts on production crews’ ability to work on multiple tours as part of a portfolio career. 

“For the majority of grassroots artists, live income is key to their ability to financially support themselves, albeit on tight budgets, and these additional costs result in a reduction in creative activity, impacting across the sector and the economy as a whole. 

“We would urge the government to urgently create an EU-wide cultural pass for touring performers that waives the stipulations made in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), to amend carnet costings and variation rules and support emerging artists with the touring process, and to improve carnet services at border crossings to reduce time delays.”

David Martin, Chief Executive Officer, Featured Artists Coalition (FAC), said:

“It is four years since the Featured Artists Coalition and the MMF launched the Let The Music Move campaign to warn of the damage Brexit would cause to UK artists touring Europe. This latest data proves those warnings were justified. The continued decline in UK acts at major European festivals shows that emerging talent is being locked out of crucial opportunities, with lasting consequences for careers and for the future of the music industry.

“We are already seeing the impact, with British music’s global market share beginning to slip. Without urgent intervention, we risk losing our hard-earned place as a world leader in music.

“The government made a manifesto commitment to fix this. That promise must now be delivered. We need immediate action—starting with a visa waiver and reform to cabotage rules – to restore access to European touring and support the next generation of UK talent.”