Kate Nash has said she turned to OnlyFans to fund her tours after rising post-Brexit costs made live shows financially unsustainable, warning that music risks becoming accessible only to the wealthy.
The London-born singer spoke this week to the UK Parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, where she outlined the growing financial pressures facing touring musicians. Increased transport, accommodation and logistics costs have left even established artists struggling to break even on the road.
Nash said she cut costs wherever possible but reached a point where touring was no longer viable through traditional means.
“I was doing everything I could do to cut costs, which I really hate doing as an employer.”
Her most recent European tour left her £26,000 out of pocket, followed by a further £13,000 loss on UK dates. Nash said income from OnlyFans has become the only reason she can continue performing live, a reality she has publicly summarised with the slogan “Butts for tour buses”.
She told the committee that the consequences extend beyond individual artists, warning that limiting who can afford to tour ultimately damages the UK’s cultural standing.
“We are at risk of losing our reputation and pride in our culture, which will have a knock-on effect on the UK economy. The more we limit artists, the more we limit UK culture on a global scale.”
Nash also raised concerns about the broader direction of live music, pointing to rising ticket prices for major artists and festivals. She argued that these trends risk turning music into a luxury rather than a shared cultural space.
“I think music should not be exclusive, it’s for all, and it becomes an issue of class, it becomes an issue of race, gender and sexuality and identity, because the doors are closing on who can choose to take that kind of risk.”
She said she originally joined OnlyFans not just as a financial solution, but to draw attention to the scale of the problem.
“Myself and a lot of artists are sick of screaming into the void on how difficult it is.”
Nash’s evidence adds to growing pressure on policymakers to address the economics of touring, particularly for UK artists navigating higher costs and tighter margins in the post-Brexit live music landscape.
