Edinburgh Festival director calls for visa-free travel for artists

The outgoing director of the Edinburgh International Festival has called on government to simplify visa to allow musicians and artists to travel overseas more smoothly.

Fergus Linehan, who directs his last international festival next month, said the UK’s post-Brexit visa rules have stifled collaboration, making it harder for British artists to tour abroad, labelling the situation a “disaster”.

He has called on government to introduce visa-free travel for artists and address logistical problems affecting companies importing touring equipment into the UK.

“Clearly, when musicians go to perform [in another country], they’re not going to set up home," he said. 

"That’s not what it’s about. So visa-free movement for people. We’re part of an ecosystem. The idea of discouraging collaboration is a disaster in our industry."