After Kate Nash was forced to turn to OnlyFans to fund her latest tours, she’s bringing further attention to the real cost that financial issues have on artists. On February 3, 2026, Nash spoke to the Culture, Media, and Sport Select Committee of the U.K. Parliament, airing her grievances and bringing evidence of the issue’s financial and cultural impact.
“I was doing everything I could do to cut costs, which I really hate doing as an employer,” she said. “We are at risk of losing our reputation and pride in our culture, which will have a knock-on effect on the U.K. economy. The more we limit artists, the more we limit U.K. culture on a global scale.”
Ticket sales have skyrocketed in the past decade, which affects fans who can’t afford to pay $300 or more for a single ticket. In this way, live music has become a luxury, and being able to afford tickets has become a class indicator.
Additionally, tours are not particularly profitable to begin with, but things have gotten much worse post-Brexit. Nash brought attention to this as well, as have other artists in recent months. In January 2026, Witch Fever admitted that they came home “broke” after a stadium tour with Volbeat. “It’s a Brexit issue,” said bassist Alex Thompson.
Essentially, artists touring globally have much of their earnings withheld for taxes in the U.K. and Europe. “We’re basically paying double tax,” Thompson added.
Kate Nash Turns to U.K. Parliament To Bring Attention to Rising Costs for Touring Artists
“I think music should not be exclusive, it’s for all,” Kate Nash added in her speech. “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.”
Nash’s last European tour in 2024 and 2025 left her in sizable debt. She was out of pocket more than $35,000 (£26,000), and her U.K. dates lost her a further $17,600 (£13,000). To fund her tours and ensure everyone involved was paid, Nash turned to OnlyFans. She started selling suggestive photos to recoup costs.
“Now the only reason it is possible for me to do it is because I sell pictures of my bum on the internet,” she said. But the OnlyFans account wasn’t just about the money; it was also a way to raise more awareness of the issue.
“I started an OnlyFans account during my last touring cycle to get some attention on the issue, which it did,” she added. “Myself and a lot of artists are sick of screaming into the void on how difficult it is.”
Photo by Lorne Thomson/Redferns
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