Touring is a costly struggle for bands like us. Now Harry Styles is helping

Merchandise Sales Cover Costs, But Support from Ticket Levies Offers Hope

For emerging acts such as Brown Horse, a Norwich-based country-rock ensemble, the financial strain of touring is palpable. After performances, the band members often jump to their merch stall, where selling T-shirts frequently generates more revenue than the shows themselves. This income is vital for their survival on the road, yet the rising cost of touring has turned it into a “constant struggle” to stay afloat, as they describe.

“We joke about being traveling T-shirt salesmen,” singer Patrick Turner remarks. “A lot of the time, that’s how it feels—with a soundtrack.”

To cut costs, the group sometimes sleeps on friends’ floors or drives their 30-year-old van for hours, avoiding expensive accommodations. Following a gig in Oxford last week, they returned to Norwich at 3:30am, began their day jobs the next morning, and resumed touring a few days later. Emma Tovell, the band’s bassist, notes that “making sacrifices for wellbeing and comfort is just culturally accepted” among musicians, highlighting the shared burden of the touring industry.

£1 Ticket Levy Funds Support for Artists and Venues

A new initiative has alleviated some of these pressures: a £1 levy added to tickets for stadium and arena shows by top stars like Harry Styles, Olivia Dean, Lily Allen, and others. This has raised £5m for the Live Trust, a UK charity. The first £500,000 is now being distributed, with £125,000 allocated to musicians and £375,000 to grassroots venues, promoters, and festivals.

Brown Horse received nearly £5,000 from the fund. They are among 26 artists chosen for the first round of grants. The band plans to use the money to cover lodging, maintain affordable ticket prices, and finally pay themselves after a year of relying on other income sources.

Industry Challenges and Cultural Impact

Blur drummer David Rowntree, leading the Featured Artist Coalition (FAC), emphasizes how Brexit, the pandemic, and the cost of living crisis have created a “cost of touring crisis.” He explains, “Things have conspired against grassroots artists—and without them, there are no big artists.” Rowntree warns that new bands now face immense difficulty in building audiences and sustaining careers.

“It’s nearly impossible to make touring profitable on its own,” he states. “Artists either can’t tour, which ends their careers, or they must reduce expenses elsewhere.”

Rowntree recalls how Blur began in small venues, a far cry from their current stadium success. “I wonder if a band like us today could reach the same heights,” he muses. Meanwhile, West London reggae artist Hollie Cook has been awarded £5,000 to offset an estimated £5,500 loss from her tour, attributed to travel, accommodation, and band fees. Cook, who joined The Slits as a backing vocalist in 2005, highlights the financial stress of touring: “It’s stressful to balance the excitement with the money needed to keep going.”

While the £1 levy has government backing, not all in the industry support it. The program remains voluntary, with fewer than a third of performers participating. Yet, for bands like Brown Horse, this gesture represents a lifeline in an increasingly tough landscape.