Investigation finds racial bias in London music event licensing, costing millions

A two-year investigation into racial inequality in London's live music industry found that Black and South Asian music events face disproportionate cancellations, restrictions, and licensing barriers compared to white events, according to the Race Equality in Music Event Licensing report. The report estimates that these cancellations and prevented events cost London between £127m and £141m annually, with projected losses exceeding £650m over five years. Genres like Afrobeats, drill, and dancehall are routinely labelled “high risk” despite a lack of credible evidence.

The findings highlight systemic issues in how events are regulated in London, with promoters describing cancellations based on undisclosed information or online searches. The report raises concerns over the use of unverified police intelligence in the licensing process. The problems uncovered by the investigation are noted to exist nationwide.