And Remainers blamed Brexit! UK secures visa-free tours for musicians in 19 EU nations

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It comes after high-profile performers, such as Sir Elton John and Ed Sheeran, slammed the Government for “screwing up” tours in post-Brexit relationship talks with Brussels. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has announced that UK musicians and performers will be able to tour freely in 19 EU countries. Under the UK-EU future relationship deal, touring musicians and performers are not automatically guaranteed visa-free travel in the bloc but this deal goes a long way to addressing that.

Campaigners had said the industry was left facing devastating costs and red tape.

DCMS said: “We want the UK’s fantastic performers and other creative professionals to be able to tour abroad.

“We have spoken to every EU member state about the issues facing our creative and cultural industries looking to tour in Europe. We are actively engaging with the remaining states that do not allow visa and permit-free touring.”

The win for musicians means they will be able to tour in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Sweden.

The agreements were struck with individual governments and not Brussels.

The Government said talks were ongoing with the remaining EU countries, including Spain, Portugal and Greece, to align their arrangements with the UK.

The rules currently allow for touring performers and support staff to visit for up to three months without a visa.

Despite the announcement on visa-free touring, campaigners have complained that other issues have not been addressed.

They say issues surrounding restrictions on tour vehicles driving kit across the EU are not yet resolved.

There are also fears about rules for taking equipment and merchandise across borders, even if musicians and performers are able to freely travel.

The initial row erupted in January when musicians accused the Government of being spineless after anonymous sources briefed that it had rejected a deal with the EU on visa-free tours.

An EU insider claimed the UK had rejected an “ambitious” reciprocal touring arrangement.

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They said the UK had refused to accept European acts having 90 days of visa-free travel.

In response, DCMS insisted that UK negotiators had “pushed for a more ambitious agreement with the EU”, which would have covered musicians but its “proposals were rejected”.

In June, Brexit minister Lord Frost called on pop legend Sir Elton to use his fame to persuade EU nations to abandon red tape for touring musicians.

“I had a good conversation with Elton John,” Lord Frost told MPs.

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“I can’t help noticing that he had his first hits before the UK even became a member of the European Union.

“So I think there’s probably more at play here than pure rules applying within the then European Community.

“Talent is important and that’s why we support our talented industries.”

The Brexit minister, who was lead negotiator on the future relationship agreement, said he had urged Sir Elton to use his contacts in EU states to drop restrictions.

“I think we would very much welcome that, I said that to Elton John and I will say that to others,” he said.

“The country took a decision to leave the European Union. It took a decision to end free movement, and that is what we want to deliver on. And as I said that brings big change.”

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