Analysis September 2026: Ten years on from the Brexit vote, how have instrument workshops been affected?

Ten years on from the Brexit vote, the UK music sector faces persistent challenges as a consequence of leaving the EU. A report on UK–EU touring published in June by the European Movement UK found that more than a quarter of UK musicians have lost all their EU work since 2021. According to the report, average tour earnings have fallen by 45 per cent, and 59 per cent of surveyed musicians said that touring in Europe was no longer viable. The UK’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee also released a report in June on cultural touring in the EU. It called on the UK government to prioritise addressing arrangements for short-term touring, extended stays, customs barriers and cabotage rules in its future negotiations with the EU. It also recommended that the government explore all possible options to help touring artists, including reducing the upfront costs of ATA carnets for cultural touring, reinstating orchestral tax relief for EU tours, and designating St Pancras International as a CITES port of entry and exit…