From complex international compliance requirements to the financial and logistical pressures of making touring viable, Defences emphasise the need for better logistical support from policymakers and sustainable financial investment to help build artists’ careers.
We’re hiring: Fund Manager – UK Artist Touring (UKAT) fund
We’re seeking a Fund Manager to lead day-to-day operations, oversee grant management and delivery, and help drive the next phase of this groundbreaking initiative supporting UK artists on tour.
More Info linked in bio.
Brown Horse told BBC Newsbeat on BBC Radio 1 just how fragile grassroots music is without sustained investment in emerging artists. As UKAT Phase One recipients, they warned the industry can’t rely only on established acts — culture is built from the bottom up.
“This fund is exactly the kind of industry-led solution that can make a real difference to artists. Touring has always been how talent is discovered and audiences are built, and thanks to the funding, these artists will now have the chance to flourish.
-Ian Murray
ARTISTS & MUSICIANS up to £7,000 available for touring created by @FeaturedArtists in partnership with @MMFUK Musicians' Union and backed by the LIVE Trust APPLY by 23:59 next Fri 20 March at ➡ https://t.co/NSP8hK85Kj
UK artists invited to apply for “seriously game-changing” £125k fund to beat “the cost of touring crisis”
@FeaturedArtists Coalition tell NME about how and why artists should apply to the UKAT fund, with money supplied via the @@LiveMusic_UK Trust from the likes of Sam Fender, Radiohead, Enter Shikari and Katy Perry donating from arena and stadium shows https://t.co/d9CH16YK2I
Applications are now open for the UK Artist Touring (UKAT) Fund, delivered by @FeaturedArtists with @MMFUK and @WeAreTheMU, backed by LIVE Trust.
Funding of up to £7,000. The fund is open to artists across all genres, regions and career stages.
🔗 https://t.co/P7uOk8fY84
Applications for Phase One of the FAC’s UK Artist Touring (UKAT) Fund are now open.
Backed by the LIVE Trust and developed with the Musicians’ Union & Music Managers Forum, it redistributes £1 from 5,000+ capacity shows to support UK touring.
Deadline: Fri 20 March, 23:59.
SOFY discusses the the importance of the UKAT fund in Billboard UK:
“This feels like an important step in the right direction, and something the UK music industry has needed for as long as I can remember.”
Applications for the UKAT fund open at midnight.
The UK Artist Touring fund will be open for applications next week on 11th March 2026.
The full eligibility criteria and application guide are now available on our website, so you can start preparing your application.
For more information: https://t.co/PNybxy656Z
Phase One of the UKAT Fund is just the beginning.
We’re building for the future — learning, testing & refining as we grow.
Eligible artists, apply. Industry partners, support & share feedback.
Applications open March 11, 2026.
The FAC is proud to be launching the UK Artist Touring Fund in early March.
Developed in partnership with the Musicians' Union and the Music Managers Forum, and backed by the LIVE Trust.
View eligibility & more information via link in bio or head to www.thefac/ukatfund
Money from the biggest stadium & arena shows flows into the LIVE Trust, which reinvests it into the live ecosystem. Through the UKAT fund, delivered by the FAC, this funding directly supports UK artists—helping tours happen, and strengthening the future of live music.
Far Out Magazine highlights the harsh reality for grassroots touring artists.
The FAC is launching the UK Artist Touring Fund in March, backed by Music Managers Forum & Musicians’ Union, to help artists tour and strengthen the grassroots ecosystem.
Alfie Templeman, one of our new Ambassadors, supports our mission to champion artists’ rights, push for fair treatment, and create opportunities for sustainable careers in music.
Jed Morgans on the reality facing independent artists.
With the grassroots live music sector under huge pressure, programmes like the FAC's UK Artist Touring Fund, which is being funded by the LIVE Trust are helping to remove the barriers artists face.
Thanks to NME for featuring FAC Chair and Blur drummer Dave Rowntree, who highlighted the urgent need to support grassroots music and called the FAC's UK Artist Touring Fund (UKAT) “a genuine lifeline” for artists struggling with rising touring costs.