ArtistDirect News
UK Government Unveils 45 Million Turn It Up Plan to Boost Music Industry
On 13 July 2026 the Department for Culture, Media and Sport announced a new long‑term strategy for the United Kingdom’s music sector, titled Turn It Up: Our Plan for Music. The package, presented at the UK Music Summer Party, adds £45 million in investment and a series of regulatory reforms to the existing Music Growth Package, which had been announced in 2025.
The plan is framed by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who said the music industry is “a shared language that brings people together”. She highlighted that the government will put music back at the heart of education, support grassroots music and invest in creative careers. The announcement follows a change in government leadership, with Andy Burnham set to replace Keir Starmer as prime minister in the coming weeks.
Key financial measures include:
An additional £15 million for the Music Growth Package, bringing the total to £45 million. The fund is expected to support more than 2,000 projects, 40,000 artists and music‑related businesses over three years. £12.5 million for a Music In Libraries initiative that will allow libraries and Music Hubs to apply for funding to create free studio spaces and purchase equipment. * £10 million for a Creative Mentoring scheme that will provide children and young people with mentoring from professional practitioners and opportunities to explore music and other creative disciplines.
Regulatory changes aim to ease the operational burden on live venues and festivals:
Temporary Event Notices will increase from 15 to 20, and the total number of event days will rise from 21 to 26. Festival licences will be extended to three‑year contracts for new events and five‑year contracts for existing ones. * A 15 % business rate relief for live venues is already in place and is reaffirmed in the plan.
The package also expands support for international outreach:
The Music Export Growth Scheme will continue through 2029. The government’s music trade mission programme will receive a 50 % investment.
Other elements of the plan include the Every Child Can programme, which seeks to open up extracurricular music and arts activities for young people, and a commitment to protect music education in schools.
The plan does not yet address the impact of Brexit on UK musicians touring in Europe. No proposal has been announced to alleviate the regulatory or financial burdens that remain for artists travelling across former EU borders.
Reactions from industry bodies were largely positive. Tom Kiehl, CEO of UK Music, welcomed the government’s response to the sector’s calls for support, noting that the plan addresses challenges such as the influence of artificial intelligence on creators, barriers to overseas touring, threats to music spaces, and the difficulties faced by small businesses and freelancers.
Roberto Beri, CEO of the Ivors Academy, acknowledged the importance of the package but stressed that songwriters and composers still need fair compensation and adequate protections.
The Turn It Up strategy represents the first time a UK government has combined a comprehensive investment package with concrete regulatory reforms for the music industry. Whether the measures will deliver lasting change remains to be seen, but the plan marks a significant policy shift in the sector’s support framework.
The government will now move forward with the implementation of the announced funding streams and regulatory adjustments, while industry stakeholders await further details on the rollout and any future measures to address the post‑Brexit touring landscape.
The plan is framed by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who said the music industry is “a shared language that brings people together”. She highlighted that the government will put music back at the heart of education, support grassroots music and invest in creative careers. The announcement follows a change in government leadership, with Andy Burnham set to replace Keir Starmer as prime minister in the coming weeks.
Key financial measures include:
An additional £15 million for the Music Growth Package, bringing the total to £45 million. The fund is expected to support more than 2,000 projects, 40,000 artists and music‑related businesses over three years. £12.5 million for a Music In Libraries initiative that will allow libraries and Music Hubs to apply for funding to create free studio spaces and purchase equipment. * £10 million for a Creative Mentoring scheme that will provide children and young people with mentoring from professional practitioners and opportunities to explore music and other creative disciplines.
Regulatory changes aim to ease the operational burden on live venues and festivals:
Temporary Event Notices will increase from 15 to 20, and the total number of event days will rise from 21 to 26. Festival licences will be extended to three‑year contracts for new events and five‑year contracts for existing ones. * A 15 % business rate relief for live venues is already in place and is reaffirmed in the plan.
The package also expands support for international outreach:
The Music Export Growth Scheme will continue through 2029. The government’s music trade mission programme will receive a 50 % investment.
Other elements of the plan include the Every Child Can programme, which seeks to open up extracurricular music and arts activities for young people, and a commitment to protect music education in schools.
The plan does not yet address the impact of Brexit on UK musicians touring in Europe. No proposal has been announced to alleviate the regulatory or financial burdens that remain for artists travelling across former EU borders.
Reactions from industry bodies were largely positive. Tom Kiehl, CEO of UK Music, welcomed the government’s response to the sector’s calls for support, noting that the plan addresses challenges such as the influence of artificial intelligence on creators, barriers to overseas touring, threats to music spaces, and the difficulties faced by small businesses and freelancers.
Roberto Beri, CEO of the Ivors Academy, acknowledged the importance of the package but stressed that songwriters and composers still need fair compensation and adequate protections.
The Turn It Up strategy represents the first time a UK government has combined a comprehensive investment package with concrete regulatory reforms for the music industry. Whether the measures will deliver lasting change remains to be seen, but the plan marks a significant policy shift in the sector’s support framework.
The government will now move forward with the implementation of the announced funding streams and regulatory adjustments, while industry stakeholders await further details on the rollout and any future measures to address the post‑Brexit touring landscape.