Brexit has done "terrible damage" to opera and curtailed the careers of British singers, who are being forced to turn down roles in Europe, creatives have claimed.

After months of planning, Trigger Cut were looking forward to a UK tour… but then they got to the border.

Nick Mathius: "That is a nightmare. Before, we could just book and go, now we’ve got to take a list of every single thing we’re travelling with and make sure it’s correct. ..." / Debbie Gayle: “It changes things for new artists that may not have label backing or big budgets behind them because, ultimately, it will cost them more to tour and it may not make sense.”

Britain’s music industry is facing a crisis brought on by the cost of living and Brexit, artists have warned, as they struggle to make ends meet in the wake of the pandemic.

Glen Matlock has said musicians have “lost their freedom of movement” to tour in Europe due to the “Brexit debacle”. / The former Sex Pistols bassist, 66, criticised the Government for failing to secure ease of access for performers within the bloc.

Arts missing out on tens of millions from expanded EU fund, say campaigners.

Extra paperwork, border checks and additional costs for exports - Brexit has destroyed the livelihoods of countless musicians.

The Tesseract and Cage Fight guitarist on how touring Europe after Brexit means more paperwork, more time spent planning, and more expense – and what this means for the UK music scene. / Britain’s exit from the European Union has complicated life for the touring musician. Bands encounter more red tape and other logistical hurdles that make tours more difficult...

Brexit has caused sadness far and wide, but for very many musicians who are only just beginning to emerge from the Covid-induced touring dearth, Brexit has been a disaster. A survey conducted by musicians in 2021 revealed that 34 per cent of musicians had already lost work as a result of Brexit. A violinist said, “I am professionally paralysed by Brexit.”

Britons part of the music industry in the United Kingdom have expressed their concerns that Brexit-related travel restrictions could lead to massive unemployment, thus urging the government to work with the EU towards the removal of these restrictions and other obstacles.

New analysis suggests that in the first post-Brexit festival season, the number of British bands playing festivals across Europe has fallen by almost half.

Recent industry representations to the House of Lords have warned that touring Europe has become unfeasible for UK musicians.

Prolific film composer Hans Zimmer has spoken of his Brexit frustrations, the "grim" state of the world and says he fears the consequences of what's happening in Number 10 "are going to be dreadful".

Read the experience of one drummer who lost his job of 12 years due to the Brexit touring fiasco, after NME attended a hearing at the House Of Lords.

After years of cancellations thanks to COVID, this summer sees the return of music festivals to the UK - but after leaving the EU, those involved with British events are facing challenges and calling for support.

"We need a new deal for touring from the Government now. It is time to tear down the barriers artists are facing touring the EU. It is time to let the music move!"

Optimism and opportunity for UK bands in Europe post-Covid continues to be thwarted by the on-going shadow of Brexit touring restrictions. Two years on, and the UK government continues to do nothing. / "Most of the progress has been made by the industry itself, rather than the government, while the government tries to steal the credit for it."

The number of UK artists booked for European festivals this summer is down 45% compared to 2017-19, according to the group Best for Britain - which previously campaigned against Brexit.

Bristol record store Idle Hands has announced it will shut at its current Stokes Croft address, with a crowdfunder launched to alleviate the costs of being closed, and to go toward helping it set up in a new, more central, location.

As small businesses crumble, shelves get emptier and the care-worker shortage intensifies, life outside the EU is having a dire effect on many of us. Why aren’t politicians talking about it?

After years of cancellations thanks to COVID, this summer sees the return of music festivals to the UK - but after leaving the EU, those involved with British events are facing challenges and calling for support.

Since leaving the EU following the Brexit vote, the UK now comes under the ‘third country’ category and must comply with newly-introduced policies.

The number of British musical acts appearing on the lineups of European festivals has dropped by nearly half in the post-Brexit world, per the findings of new research.

Since Britain left the European Union in 2020, UK musicians have faced increased difficulties and costs when trying to tour outside of their country.

Freedom of movement and customs woes to blame, says campaign body.