300 UK music and culture groups press Burnham on EU touring
A joint letter asks the prime minister to push for practical solutions for touring at his November 20 meeting with Ursula von der Leyen. UK Music’s 2025 survey found 95% of musicians report lost earnings since Brexit.
More than 300 live music, performance and cultural organizations have submitted a joint letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham calling for a structured EU-UK dialogue on touring. It is aimed at his meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday, November 20, Mixmag reported.
The letter comes from the Cultural Exchange Coalition (CEC). Its members include UK Music, the Musicians’ Union, PRS for Music, Live Music Industry Venues and Entertainment (LIVE), the Association of British Orchestras, the Independent Society of Musicians, the Society of London Theatre, UK Theatre and One Dance UK.
“The 2026 Summit should establish a structured EU-UK dialogue,” the letter reads. That should include “practical solutions for the movement of touring professionals and essential equipment,” plus UK involvement in European programs such as Creative Europe.
Since the UK left the EU in 2020, artists have faced “major barriers” to touring in Europe, from visa issues and lost funding to higher costs for moving equipment and instruments. UK Music’s 2025 survey found that 95% of musicians have reported a loss in earnings since Brexit.
UK Music Chief Executive Tom Kheil, speaking on behalf of the CEC, said “We need urgent action from the UK government and European institutions to tackle the negative impact of Brexit on our creative and cultural sectors,” and called it vital that the summit sets out “a pathway to agree practical solutions to make it easier for everyone to tour the EU and UK by removing red tape and extra costs.”
