08.06.2026: UK Music Chief Executive Tom Kiehl has called for Government to tear down barriers to UK-EU touring and rebuild creative bridges with the European Union in a new report from European Movement United Kingdom entitled ‘Creating Culture Together: A Practical Reset for UK-EU Creative Cooperation’.
Marking 10 years since the UK voted to leave the EU in the Brexit referendum, the report explores the ways in which the Government can reset its relationship to benefit creative communities in both the UK and the EU.
The report found that more than a quarter of UK musicians have lost all their EU work since 2021. It also revealed that average tour earnings are down by 45%, with nearly three-fifths of musicians reporting that touring Europe is no longer a viable option.
In his foreword in the report, Tom writes: “As we mark the tenth anniversary of Brexit, the momentous impact of that decision is back in sharp focus amid growing discussions of a Government reset with the European Union. The proposals in this excellent report outline a roadmap of how that reset could happen in a way that would deliver huge benefits for creative communities both in the UK and the EU.
“As Chief Executive of UK Music, which champions and campaigns on behalf of our £8 billion sector and the 220,000 jobs it supports, reducing barriers that impede cultural exchange and trade with the EU is a top priority. The political landscape at Westminster has changed significantly since the 2024 General Election with Labour making a manifesto promise to tackle the obstacles facing music creators and businesses touring and working in the EU.
“Under the Common Understanding agreed by the UK and EU in 2025, we have a shared objective to “support travel and cultural exchange” and to transform that support into meaningful actions. However, touring the EU remains financially unviable post-Brexit for many musicians and performers, hindering our efforts to grow our respective creative sectors. We need to sweep away these barriers and build on the work that is already under way. UK Music helped set up the Cultural Exchange Coalition last year.
“It now has around 150 organisations in the UK and EU that are working together to put pressure on political leaders to remove these barriers to trade, tourism, supply chains – and help boost cultural enrichment. With organisations like the European Movement, we are on a joint mission to find solutions to the problems that prevent us growing businesses, boosting regional and national economies and nurturing future talent.
“In the music industry, we want to see changes to establish a dedicated touring visa to improve the mobility of artists. We are pushing for complex “cabotage” transport regulations to be overhauled and a solution to ATA carnets that add huge expense and burdens to EU tours for British artists and crew.
“The UK should also rejoin Creative Europe to maximise opportunities for cultural co-operation and exchange. Music and the arts are a crucial way the UK tells our story to the EU and the world – and one of the most powerful weapons in our soft power armoury. If we make the right choices now, we can rebuild the creative bridges with the EU to the benefit of us all and create a strong, vibrant and diverse creative sector to drive jobs, growth and cultural exchange.”
You can find out more and read the report here.
Tom’s words were reported by:
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