Insurance for Touring Musicians and Performance Artists.

Touring can be a stressful and tiring process for many performance artists with tight schedules and constant travelling. It is essential that they have peace of mind that every aspect of their tour is suitably covered by insurance which is usually arranged by the artist's management team or the organisation responsible for arranging the tour.

A touring artist will often require a bespoke specialist insurance solution to ensure coverage for any issues associated with a tour. In some cases, multiple policies may be required although a knowledgeable broker will probably be able to arrange everything into a packaged deal. What are the common aspects of touring that should be covered by insurance. 

Venue and Festival Site Compliance. 
When an artist is curated and booked for a music festival or scheduled to appear at a fixed venue the organisers will require evidence of mandatory public liability insurance. These are common policies and provide coverage against any claims for bodily injury or property damage that occurs during a performance and covers audience members and venue staff. 

Instrument and Equipment. 
Whilst most backline equipment is provided by festival organisers and venues on a rental basis any instruments the artist needs will likely travel with them. Although instruments may have great emotional value to an artist, they can only be insured for their replacement value. Instruments can be prone to damage during transit and storage, and it is not unusual for them to be targeted by thieves too. In the case of damage, the artist can opt to have them repaired and they should ensure that any policy allows for this. 

Travel Delays and Cancellations. 
With a busy touring schedule delays are almost inevitable due to flight cancellations or traffic jams for example. Good travel insurance can provide compensation for cancellations, lost luggage and delays. There may restrictions regarding consequential losses where a delay leads to a performance cancellation which results in legal issues with venues and festival organisers and is something that will need to be clarified. Specific cancellation insurance can be purchased although since the coronavirus pandemic many polices now contain exclusions. Other causes of cancellation may include adverse weather or illness, and the associated losses can be substantial including lost fees and ticket refunds for example. 

Accident Insurance. 
A tour may involve a large number of staff and crew members who are sometimes exposed to dangerous scenarios, particularly when moving, setting up and handling electrical equipment. Suitable accident insurance provides coverage against death or serious injury to the artist and crew members providing them or their families with financial compensation. 

Other Insurance Considerations. 
Depending on the length of tour and number of people involved there are additional insurance considerations that tour managers and individuals can consider. These may include Health Insurance, Workers Compensation Insurance, Professional Liability Insurance and Loss of Earnings Insurance. 

Not every touring performance artist is the same so insurance coverage will vary for each touring scenario. It is essential that policy wording is understood especially where exclusions are involved which may lead to a future insurance claim not being settled. A good specialist insurance broker is usually the best route to get suitable coverage for a tour. For unknown artists on shorter mini tours, they may be able to source their own insurance. Having adequate insurance on a tour ensures that artists can focus on their performances with the knowledge that they are protected against the unexpected. 

For festival organisers planning their events using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

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