The English are not known for their discretion on festivals. This summer, the decline of the Covid-19 has also allowed them to make a comeback with fanfare at the foot of the various stages of Europe. The same cannot be said of British artists. Because of Brexit, they should be half as likely to give voice in the European Union (EU) as before the pandemic, warns the British specialized site New Musical Express.
To be exact, a study published on July 21 shows that the number of their planned concerts on the Old Continent “fallen 45% compared to pre-Brexit years, from 2017 to 2019”. It was produced by the association Best For Britain, which has long campaigned against the United Kingdom’s exit from the EU and is now working to counter the effects of Brexit.
Since the moorings were cast off on January 31, 2020, visas, work permits and ATA carnets for equipment have been requested from British artists wishing to cross the Channel. In January 2021, The Guardian was talking about a “tedious and costly administrative procedure which risks[ait] especially to reach emerging artists”.
Justified fears
The fears of the British daily were, it seems, justified. This year, 14 of Her Majesty’s musicians played at the Spanish Festival of Benicàssim, ten fewer on average than in 2017, 2018 and 2019. They also gave only 18 concerts at the Hungarian Sziget, compared to 25 in the three years leading up to Brexit. And at Berlin’s Lollapalooza, their number fell from 11 to 4.
The vulnerability of emerging artists
“It is often said that music is the UK’s best export”, underlines the head of Best for Britain, Naomi Smith, quoted by NME.
“It’s crazy to see that the government refuses to improve the agreement [avec l’UE] for British musicians and prevents the next generation of talent from emerging.”
Already ill-equipped in the face of the increase in the cost of tours, small artists are also those who struggle the most to obtain the right documents. To make matters worse, the multiplication of barriers is pushing some industry players to leave the archipelago, heading for Dublin or Amsterdam.
In a report issued in July, also relayed by NME, a group of parliamentarians from all sides recommends that the government negotiate exemptions for British artists. But, according to Naomi Smith, the candidates for the succession of Boris Johnson seem reluctant to follow his advice.