Kevin Brennan (Lord Brennan of Canton), Hanna Madalska-Gayer (ABO), Naomi Pohl (MU), musician Kate Nash, Judith Webster (ABO), Dave Webster (MU) and Caroline Dinenage MP. Photo: ©The MU.
Giving evidence on performing arts touring in the European Union (EU), MU General Secretary Naomi Pohl raised many of the issues affecting musicians including EU visa rules, carnet fees, and the challenges of moving instruments and equipment and selling merchandise.
She also raised the impact of the 90-day limit on working in the EU, and called for a touring visa to support session musicians and crew.
As well as highlighting huge and varied administrative burdens, Pohl shared examples of on-the-ground barriers members face entering and exiting EU member states for music work and the effect these are having on the viability of touring.
Putting the spotlight on freelance orchestra players, Pohl discussed the impact of European orchestras refusing to hire musicians with a UK passport due to the cost and complexity of post-Brexit rules. “There’s people who go and pick up one-off gigs and might just work for a couple of weeks for an orchestra or opera company in Europe. It’s very difficult for them to do that now,” she told MPs.
Asked what her message for Government would be, Pohl reminded MPs that the UK music industry is worth close to £8 billion to the UK economy yet received less attention than many smaller industries such as fishing, and that addressing barriers to EU touring is an important Labour Manifesto commitment for our 36,500 members.
Some issues can be solved at the UK level
While many challenges require negotiation with the European Union, there are some that could be addressed by the UK Government immediately and independently of the EU. These include:
- Negotiating with the London Chamber of Commerce, and other relevant providers, to bring down carnet fees
- Making London St Pancras or Ashford in Kent a port for CITES and keeping Music Instrument Certificates free to make it easier for musicians travelling with instruments
- Rejoining the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention to help artists travel with and sell merchandise
- Addressing the backlog in the HMRC processing of A1 forms to save UK musicians having to pay National Insurance twice
- Providing a single source of information for musicians touring in the EU, similar to those in Australia and Canada.
Hanna Madalska-Gayer from the Association of British Musicians (ABO) also highlighted the problems caused by cabotage rules for orchestras and performing arts organisations who have own account trucks. These are restricted to three stops on an EU tour, which means many have been hiring EU-based trucks at an additional cost.
The MU is part of the new UK-EU Cultural Exchange Coalition, working to turn political promises on addressing barriers to cultural exchange into action supporting artists.
It’s harder than ever to fund or make money from touring
Also on the panel was musician Kate Nash. Nash spoke about her ’Butts for Busses’ campaign, telling MPs, “I think that going to tour in Europe, to have cultural exchange, to develop our talent and our skill — I would not be the artist I am today had I not done 20 years of touring. Now, the only reason it’s possible for me to keep doing that even though I’ve got Made of Bricks on my catalogue is that I sell pics of my bum on the internet.”
“Anything that we can do to make it easier to put on shows in Europe will make a significant difference,” Nash added.
Low/no pay from music streaming is part of the same story
Sharing her experiences of touring over twenty years, Kate Nash emphasised the interconnectedness of the music industry: "The ethics of recorded music is relevant to this because we are paid so unfairly for our recorded music and we were told for a long time that it was ok because we made money from touring. Now, it's really difficult for us to make money from touring."
The MU is campaigning for a change in the law to strengthen copyright to protect you and your work — and introduce music streaming royalties for non-featured artists at the same time. Close to 6,000 people have signed a petition in support so far.
Do you want to #FixStreaming and help musicians keep making the music you love? Sign our petition to show your support! 🔗 bit.ly/FixStreaming The headline figures look great, but musicians need to make a living from recorded music use as well as live
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— Musicians' Union (MU) (@wearethemu.bsky.social) 29 January 2026 at 11:54
Nash also highlighted the disproportionate double impact on musicians from diverse backgrounds, saying, “It does become an issue of class. It becomes an issue of race, gender, sexuality and identity because the doors are fast closing on who can choose to take such a financial risk.”