Following months of campaigning by musicians and music industry organisations, the UK government has announced that performers will be able to tour in the majority of European countries. 19 Member States have confirmed UK musicians and performers do not need visas or work permits for short-term tours.
These countries are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Sweden. According to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), negotiations are also taking place with the remaining member states of the EU.
The DCMS, in a statement on its website, said, ‘We recognise challenges remain around touring, and we are continuing to work closely with the industry. We want to ensure that when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, touring can resume and our world-leading creative and cultural artists can continue to travel widely, learning their craft, growing their audiences and showing the best of British creativity to the world.’
