The whirlwind of Brexit that’s been clogging up news feeds for almost four years has finally started revealing its ugly truths. The Home Office has announced that European artists will now need to be in possession of a visa to perform on the UK’s much loved music scene. And for Brits wanting to head into Europe for a gig, the same rules will apply – for every EU country they visit.
With reports of some bands already being questioned at the border; the future of the British music scene is currently shrouded in sadness, confusion and anger. Officially, the new Brexit rules should come into solid action by the end of this year.
From 2021, a Tier 5 visa is required for any gigs or festival work on British soil. This also applies to any other trades arriving to the UK for promotional purposes, seminars and other similar events. At the time of publishing, the Tier 5 visa is expected to cost a massive £244.
For independent artists or anyone that’s not part of the big dogs of music, this new visa rule is going to deliver a damaging blow. Performers, promoters and managers will all begin to lose out on opportunities simply because the running costs of travelling shows have now increased even higher.
However, I always like to look at the optimistic opportunities that this will create. With Augmented Reality (AR) becoming more mainstream thanks to the development of things like user generated Instagram Story filters – we’re really not too far from seeing AR concerts become the norm. And with the world seemingly increasing the closing of its borders, the uprising of virtual entertainment will begin to take place. Take a look at my other article where I dig deep into Marshmello’s [LINK] futuristic use of technology to spread their music to all corners of the globe.
Right now is a brilliant time to start riding the wave of these super cool future technologies. The increase in use of virtual reality and AR is undeniable; the way it’s used in music is definitely of huge importance. Standing out from the vast ocean of musician’s isn’t easy, and neither is getting a visa, so start exploring these new worlds of performing to the world — from the comfort of within your country’s border.
