Deadline: Friday 11 September 2026
Touring remains a vital part of building a music career, but rising travel, accommodation, production and staffing costs are making it increasingly difficult for artists to make grassroots and mid-sized tours financially viable. The UK Artist Touring (UKAT) Fund has been created to help address this challenge.
Developed by the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) in partnership with the Music Managers Forum and Musicians’ Union, and backed by the LIVE Trust, UKAT provides targeted “top-up” funding to help cover genuine shortfalls in touring budgets. The aim is to reduce financial risk for artists, support sustainable careers, strengthen grassroots music and ensure audiences across the UK can continue to experience live music.
Following its first phase, which supported 26 artists and 211 tour dates, Phase Two has received an additional £300,000 from the LIVE Trust, generated through voluntary contributions from audiences at major live events.
The fund is open to artists from all backgrounds, genres, regions and career stages. It also includes an Access Fund to help address access, caring and other barriers to touring. For Phase Two, additional support is available for artists based in the North East, Tees Valley and West Yorkshire through the Northern Music Export Office partnership.
Applications are now open, with submissions closing at 23:59 on Friday 11 September 2026.
