London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 01, 2025

Sir Elton John lobbies Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden over EU touring

Sir Elton John lobbies Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden over EU touring

Sir Elton John has had "very positive" talks with Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden about EU travel for UK musicians, but said visa-free touring is not currently "on the cards".

Last month, the star signed a letter demanding action to cut red tape and fees for musicians after Brexit.

The matter was "swept under the carpet" before the UK left the EU, he said.

He said it was now his "duty" to try to help improve the post-Brexit conditions for younger stars and crews.

Up-and-coming acts hoping to tour the continent when it is safe to do so will be "up against a brick wall" of fresh "bureaucracy", "paperwork" and added "finances", he said.

"It's much more difficult for young artists to get this together because of all the red tape," Sir Elton told BBC arts editor Will Gompertz. "Every country has these different rules, there's so much procedure to go through.

"People like myself are not really affected by it, we have a foundation of people who can look after it, it still has to be done but it's much easier," the 73-year-old continued.

"[But] we find ourselves in the situation because of Brexit, this has arisen. How do we fix this? How can we fix this?

"I want the situation to be resolved, so that young people don't have the difficulties of trying to tour in Europe, because it will affect their careers, it will stunt their growth and their creativity."

'Make life easier'


Sir Elton has had hits with songs such as Rocket Man, I'm Still Standing and Candle in the Wind. He noted how music had always been one of "Britain's biggest exports", pointing to the likes of Dua Lipa and Lewis Capaldi as well as leading ballets and operas.

He said he and Mr Dowden spoke for about 20 minutes and discussed ideas like the potential creation of a website, backed by record labels, that could "help them with the logistics of touring in Europe".

He explained: "If they can be helped through this it will take away a lot of their fears, and make life easier. I'm sure we can establish this, and we have to basically, otherwise they're going to have not much of a future, and that is a crying shame, as there's so many great artists out there."

Mr Dowden tweeted to say he had "a v positive call" with Sir Elton and husband David Furnish, and that there was "lots of work going on in Govt on this".


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
Federal Reserve Independence Questioned Amid Trump’s Push to Reshape Central Bank
British Politics Faces Tumultuous Autumn After Summer of Rebellions and Rising Farage Momentum
US Appeals Court Rules Against Most Trump-Era Tariffs
UK Sought Broad Access to Apple Users’ Data, Court Filing Reveals
UK Bank Shares Dive Over Potential Tax on Sector
Germany’s Auto Industry Sheds 51,500 Jobs in First Half of 2025 Amid Deepening Crisis
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
×