UK Artists: Check the New Music Growth Package Before You Spend
The UK government's Turn It Up plan expands music funding to GBP 45 million over three years. If you are planning touring, showcasing, export, promotion, or music infrastructure work, this is now a budget line to check.
Short answer
On July 13, 2026, the UK government published Turn It Up: Our plan for music and expanded the Music Growth Package to GBP 45 million for 2026 through 2029. GOV.UK says the package will fund more than 2,000 projects and support more than 40,000 artists and professionals. The three strands cover music infrastructure, domestic showcasing and touring, and international market expansion. UK artists, managers, labels, publishers, venues, promoters, rehearsal spaces, and studios should watch the Arts Council England application pages before paying for eligible work entirely out of pocket.
Key takeaways
- On July 13, 2026, the UK government published Turn It Up: Our plan for music.
- The Music Growth Package is now GBP 45 million for 2026 through 2029, up from the GBP 30 million package announced in 2025.
- GOV.UK says the package should fund more than 2,000 projects and support more than 40,000 artists and professionals.
- The practical move is simple: if you are a UK artist planning touring, showcasing, export, promotion, or music infrastructure spend, check the Arts Council application route before paying for the whole thing yourself.
What happened?
The UK government published a new music-sector plan called Turn It Up on July 13, 2026. The part independent artists should read first is the Music Growth Package. It was first announced as GBP 30 million, then expanded to GBP 45 million after another GBP 15 million from Arts Council England.
GOV.UK says the package will fund more than 2,000 projects over the next three years and support more than 40,000 artists and professionals. Arts Council England is managing the rollout. BPI is set to deliver the GBP 4.8 million Music Exports Growth Scheme inside the wider package.
Why independent artists should care
A lot of artists treat touring, PR, export trips, rehearsal time, studio upgrades, and showcase costs as money that has to come straight out of their own pocket. Sometimes it does. This announcement is a reason to check before you spend.
The package is explicitly aimed beyond institutions. GOV.UK names up and coming and mid-career artists, bands, music makers, managers, labels, publishers, venues, festivals, promoters, rehearsal spaces, recording studios, and international activity. That does not mean every artist qualifies. It does mean the first question is eligibility, not whether the cost is automatically yours alone.
If a grant can cover the tour, export push, or showcase cost, your release budget changes.
What to do now
Build the project before the form opens
Write the plain version of the project now: what you are doing, where it happens, who is involved, what it costs, and what changes if the money lands. Do not wait until a portal is open to figure out the budget.
| Likely funding fit | Needs a stronger case | |
|---|---|---|
| Touring | A defined UK run, showcase, or promoter-backed plan with real costs | A vague hope to play more shows someday |
| Export | A market-entry trip, partner meetings, showcase, or release plan outside the UK | Generic international ambition without a target market |
| Infrastructure | Rehearsal, studio, venue, festival, or promoter capacity that supports artists | Personal gear that has no wider project case |
Keep evidence ready
Save your release history, audience data, show history, quotes, partner emails, EPK, and budget notes in one folder. Most funding applications become painful because the artist starts collecting proof after the deadline is already close.
What is still unclear?
The policy paper names the strands and the scale of the package, but the exact application forms, detailed eligibility tests, assessment criteria, deadlines, and payment timing depend on the Arts Council rollout. Treat this as a preparation signal today. Do not book non-refundable costs assuming the grant is yours.
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