84% of UK independent artists can’t afford to tour in 2025

84% of UK independent artists can’t afford to tour in 2025, according to figures from a new global survey by Ditto Music.

The data comes from the music distribution company's survey of 1,500 independent artists.

It also found that 70.6% of UK acts have never toured, and that 70.6% of artists predominantly fund their careers through personal savings.

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Meanwhile, 62.2% of the musicians surveyed said they have turned down tour opportunities "solely due to financial reasons".

And for the vast majority of artists surveyed, touring feels totally out of reach, with 87.5% of artists aged between 25-34 describing going on tour as completely unaffordable.

The research follows findings from the summer, which found that in recent years 88% of musicians have noticed an increase in touring and gigging costs, while 29% reported a decrease in gig fees – a situation The Guardian has labelled “the cost of touring crisis”.

The lack of affordability is being driven by a range of factors, including rising costs of visas, fuel, transportation and shipping, as well as earnings being hit by inflation, merchandise cuts imposed by live music venues and post-pandemic behaviour changes in audiences, with gauges such as streaming numbers and social media following not always translating into expected levels of ticket sales.

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High profile artists such as Little Simz and Santigold have cancelled tours in recent years, calling it unsustainable, while the challenging conditions of touring are having a knock-on impact on artists' mental health, with artists in the dance music world such as Paula Temple and Mark Knekelhuis citing "burnout" among their reasoning for quitting touring.

This crisis is particularly hard on independent artists from working-class backgrounds, as they do not have the resources available to take a financial hit in a bid to boost their careers.

The figures also highlight the huge challenges faced by young artists, with a staggering 100% of those aged 17 and under surveyed saying that they can't afford to tour at all.

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These figures arrive the week of the Carry on Touring Campaign hosting its UK-EU summit and lobby day in Parliament, which will take place tomorrow (January 28).

The campaign brings together figures from across cultural and creative sectors to fight for a realistic solution for touring artists post-Brexit.

It has highlighted the catastrophic impact that artists' inability to tour Europe is having on the UK's and EU's cultural economies, stating that: "All touring art forms have been affected and in particular young and emerging artists," adding that without a return to the negotiaton table, "many jobs and livelihoods will continue to be gravely affected."

The campaign adds: "This is not an issue that just affects the UK. The value of this cultural exchange is huge to both economies and social wellbeing."

Henrietta Taylor is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter