12 Touring Costs That Add Up Fast
By Tom Clark, Tour Director & Founder of Propella
Below are 12 commonly overlooked touring costs that can catch out tour managers, artists, and management teams during the budgeting process. Factoring these in early helps prevent unexpected overspend once a tour is already underway.
These are the costs I always keep in mind when advancing a tour in the early planning stages….
Parking can quickly become a spiralling cost, particularly in city centres, and charges can escalate fast once the tour is underway. Always confirm parking in advance with venues and hotels - ask whether on-site parking is available for your specific vehicle and, if not, whether they can recommend suitable alternatives, including clear costs. If you’re touring on a bus, confirm that a bus parking space is reserved, that adequate power is available, and that the location can physically accommodate the vehicle. Without power, the driver will likely require a hotel room, adding an unexpected cost. If you’re touring in a splitter van, check access, height restrictions, overnight policies, and whether parking is included or chargeable. These details vary widely and are rarely obvious until arrival.
Tolls, low-emission zones and congestion charges most often impact splitter and self-drive tours, where costs are paid as you go. While these charges are sometimes included in tour bus quotes, the details vary by operator and should always be confirmed. Splitter vans are typically hired without road charges included, meaning tolls and city restrictions sit outside the hire cost and can escalate quickly. Because these fees are often variable, building a small contingency into the budget is essential to avoid unexpected overspend (I discuss this in more detail at the end of the article).
Excess baggage is one of the most common and avoidable touring costs. Some airlines offer discounted baggage allowances for artists (e.g. British Airways provide a media baggage allowance for the film end entertainment industry: 45kg/100lbs at reduced fees), but others don’t, so it’s always worth confirming this in advance rather than assuming. Either way, there’s almost always someone on the tour who will arrive with an overweight case! Airline excess charges can be based per kilo or per bag depending on the carrier, and these costs add up quickly across multiple flights. To minimise any surprise costs, confirm baggage allowances early and clearly communicate maximum weights to the entire tour party before travel begins.
Temporary import taxes - if you can’t provide proof that your gear is being temporarily imported and not sold, customs may charge VAT, import duty, or both. This is where ATA Carnets are essential. They act as a passport for your equipment and protect you from fines, delays, and unexpected charges at the border. The same applies to merchandise. Without the correct documentation, such as a commercial invoice and detailed packing list, merch can be subject to import taxes or held at customs. In many cases, merch companies will handle this paperwork for you. Where possible, I prefer to avoid cross-border merch transport altogether. Instead, I’ll arrange for stock to be collected and couriered directly to the next country, reducing both paperwork and risk. For example, when touring through Europe, I’ll coordinate with the merch company to have stock couriered between EU countries, while arranging separate deliveries and collections for countries like Switzerland, where customs requirements differ.
Accommodation costs can spiral quickly if they aren’t locked in early. Securing rooms as far in advance as possible usually gives access to better rates and wider availability, while leaving bookings too late can result in price surges or limited options, particularly in busy cities or during peak seasons. Early check-in and late check-out fees are another commonly missed cost and often depend on the touring schedule. Arriving earlier than standard check-in times or needing rooms for a few extra hours on departure days, can trigger additional charges that aren’t always obvious at the time of booking. Using a travel agent can help flag these requirements in advance, reduce last-minute stress, and avoid unexpected costs when plans shift. Equinox and TAG are the two I closely work with. City taxes are also frequently overlooked. Many cities apply a local accommodation tax that is added to the final invoice rather than the quoted room rate. Always confirm whether city taxes are included in the quote to avoid surprises when budgeting hotel costs. These accommodation charges are easy to miss upfront but tend to crop up once invoices are finalised if you’re not careful.
Local crew - many venues require the use of additional local or house crew to assist with load-ins and load-outs. These costs are typically charged by the hour and can vary significantly. It’s important to confirm in advance how many local crew are required, for how long, and at what rate. These costs are often mandatory rather than optional and can quickly add up if they haven’t been factored into the budget early.
Visa and work permit requirements vary by country and can introduce unexpected costs to a tour. Fees differ depending on destination, nationality, and length of stay, and may also include application charges, legal or processing fees, and additional time costs. These should be checked early in the planning process to ensure they’re accounted for well before travel dates are confirmed. For this reason, I usually recommend working with a specialist third-party company to handle immigration documentation. Hasta La Visa are my go-to for ensuring a smooth, reliable process.
Merch commissions vary significantly from venue to venue. Some allow artists to retain all profits, others charge a fixed fee, while some take a percentage of sales once a threshold is reached. It’s important to understand these terms in advance, as they directly affect merch forecasting and the final settlement. Card machine fees may also apply, either through the venue or a third-party provider, and should be factored into projected margins.
Overtime charges are commonly applied when shows run outside agreed schedules. This can include early load-ins, late load-outs, or curfews being exceeded. These costs are typically charged by the hour and can apply to venue staff, local crew, or security. Clarifying timings and potential overtime rates in advance helps avoid unexpected charges on show day.
Additional security - in some cases, venues may require additional security beyond what was originally planned. This is often deemed necessary for crowd control or compliance reasons and may not be optional. Security costs can be added at short notice and are usually charged hourly, making them easy to overlook during initial budgeting.
Hospitality costs can increase if requirements go beyond the agreed rider. This might include additional food, drinks, or catering needs on the day of the show. These extras are often added to the final settlement and are easy to miss if expectations aren’t clearly managed in advance. A good tip is to review what stock you already have from previous show riders and adjust future riders accordingly, being mindful that most venues prefer at least 48 hours’ notice if items are being removed. Any surplus can be kept as bus stock – always use where you can!
Additional production - venues may charge additional fees when production requirements exceed their standard house provision. While most rooms include a basic technical package, anything outside of that can quickly incur extra costs. Common examples include additional rigging points for flown PA, lighting trusses, banners, or scenic elements where the house allowance is limited. Extra points, higher weight loads, or specialist rigging such as motors or bridles are often chargeable and may require an approved rigging provider.
Power is another area where costs can escalate. Many venues include only minimal power as standard, so additional three-phase supplies for lighting floor packages, video walls, backline, or touring dimmers are frequently charged per drop or by capacity.
Lighting and video requirements can also trigger extra fees. This might include followspots, LED screens, projection systems, or specialist fixtures outside the house inventory. Even when touring equipment is supplied, venues may charge for additional crew, setup time, or access to infrastructure such as cable routes and control positions.
These costs are usually outlined in the venue’s technical specification or rate card but can be easy to miss, particularly if the production evolves later. Flagging requirements early during advancing helps confirm what’s included, identify chargeable upgrades, and avoid unexpected production overruns once the tour is underway
Even with careful planning, touring costs aren’t always fixed. Routes change, schedules shift, and variables can move unexpectedly. For that reason, I always build a small overall contingency into tour budgets. Typically, this sits at around 5-10% (depending on the tour / show), giving enough flexibility to absorb minor overruns without derailing the wider budget. This gives the tour breathing room and avoids difficult decisions once you’re already on the road.
If you’d like support advancing a tour or to discuss my tour managing services, feel free to contact me directly at tom@propellatouring.com.