A two-year examination of London’s music-event licensing system has estimated that systemic racial bias costs the city’s Black and South Asian live music sector as much as £141 million ($185 million) annually.

The REMEL Report, short for Race Equality in Music Event Licensing, analyzed years of data and collected testimony about how licenses have been handled for live shows across the capital. Its findings allege that Black events are disproportionately canceled, restricted or blocked compared with white-led events.

According to the report, genres including afrobeats, hip-hop, R&B and dancehall are frequently categorized as “high risk.” It also says Temporary Event Notices are more likely to be refused in London’s most diverse boroughs, limiting opportunities for promoters trying to stage shows.

The investigation included contributions from the Greater London Authority, the Metropolitan Police Service, U.K. Music, LIVE and the Musicians’ Union. Promoters, artists, venue operators and community representatives were also among the wide network of participants.

A High-Value Scene Facing Major Losses

The report estimates that £1.1 billion ($1.45 billion) was spent on Black and South Asian live music in London during 2024. Despite that level of activity, it concludes that licensing bias continues to prevent venues and promoters from hosting events.

Across the past five years, the projected financial loss attributed to that bias totals £650 million ($856 million), according to REMEL.

Beyond the financial impact, the report argues that present-day risk assessments continue to treat Black and South Asian music events differently. It states that such events are systematically singled out and subjected to heightened surveillance and restrictive conditions without credible evidence that they pose an increased safety risk.

REMEL places those findings against the history of Form 696, a Metropolitan Police risk assessment used from 2008 until 2017. The form required promoters to provide information about the music expected to be performed and the likely ethnic makeup of attendees.

Critics said Form 696 reinforced racial stereotypes surrounding Black genres. It was ultimately scrapped in 2017, but the report contends that its legacy remains visible in current licensing practices.

Blue Note London Case Highlighted

Among the report’s case studies is Blue Note London. The Metropolitan Police initially objected to the venue’s license, citing a risk of “crime and disorder” and warning that departing attendees could cause disturbances nearby.

Westminster City Council first granted the license with reduced opening hours. A petition signed by 3,000 members of the public later played a role in the council dropping its objections and granting the license as originally requested.

REMEL characterizes the case as “‘financial racism,’” arguing that crime-based objections similar to those faced by Black and South Asian-led events were overturned within months by a brand with the money and public profile to challenge them. The report says that option is rarely available to independent promoters.

ShowBiz Take

The significance of REMEL’s findings lies in the gap between the documented economic value of Black and South Asian live music and the barriers the report says those events continue to encounter. With estimated 2024 spending of £1.1 billion, this is not a marginal part of London’s live sector. Yet REMEL’s projected annual and five-year losses suggest that licensing decisions can carry consequences far beyond whether an individual show goes ahead.

The Blue Note London case also gives the report’s broader claims a concrete example. The eventual granting of the requested license shows that an objection can be overcome, while REMEL’s analysis raises a more difficult issue: whether smaller promoters have the resources and profile needed to achieve the same result.

What Happens Next?

Charisse Beaumont, chief executive of Black Lives in Music, said REMEL is seeking “a fair, transparent, evidence-based and culturally competent licensing system” that protects the public without profiling people and evaluates risk through facts rather than assumptions.

“Culture is not a risk. Culture is an economic asset,” Beaumont said, arguing that Black and South Asian music, audiences, promoters and venues should be recognized as integral to London’s cultural and economic life.

Beaumont thanked the Metropolitan Police, local authorities, music industry organizations and the Greater London Authority for collaborating on the project, describing REMEL as a collective effort intended to provide both evidence and possible solutions.

She is now calling for the report’s recommendations and principles to be embedded throughout the licensing system. Beaumont said racial bias and overpolicing at music events can suppress creativity, restrict entrepreneurship and block economic opportunities, adding: “It’s now time to move from recommendation to action.”