“Over the years, I’ve found that the reality of touring can sometimes feel at odds with the dream of it": Radiohead's Philip Selway backs mental health support initiative for touring artists

The fund has been launched in response to an increased risk of stress, burnout, anxiety, clinical depression and suicidality among touring professionals. While larger tours often offer some form of welfare support, Pay It Forward will cater to smaller tour teams that might not be able to provide the same resources due to budget constraints.

An initial £272,000 ($370,000 USD) has been raised to support 150 tour teams annually over a three year pilot period, with contributors including various live entertainment organisations, as well as Radiohead drummer Philip Selway, and Live Free 999 - the charity founded by Carmela Wallace, mother of the late artist Juice WRLD.

The Tour Health package will include a range of wellbeing resources. One key offering is tour check-ins, confidential conversations with qualified mental health practitioners who understand the realities of music and touring available online 24/7 in several languages. This can be used by any member of the touring team to decompress, navigate decision-making, work, relationships, team tension, discussing coping habits, and more, with no diagnosis, referral, or previous therapy experience required.

Each package also includes a 90-minute occupational health consultation with MITC’s Touring Welfare Officer Sascha Heeney — who supported Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism tour team — Healthy Touring workshops, resources to support performance, communication and collaboration, and access to MITC's audiobook Touring and Mental Health: the Music Industry Manual.

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"People who tour are often highly skilled and resourceful," says MITC founder Tamsin Embleton. "They're used to managing lots of moving parts, adapting quickly and solving problems on the fly. Pressure itself isn't necessarily the problem; touring is demanding by nature, and that's part of what can make it rewarding. The difficulty comes when stress becomes chronic, without enough support to buffer its effects or enough opportunity to recover."

“The Pay It Forward Fund is about making specialist support accessible to tours working within tight budgets, but it's also about moving beyond the idea that support should only be sought when crisis hits," she continues. "We want to help forward-thinking teams develop the skills to manage pressure, recognise when something is beginning to take a toll, and intervene effectively before things start to snowball."

“Over the years, I’ve found that the reality of touring can sometimes feel at odds with the dream of it," Selway adds, reflecting on his experience. "Yes, it can undoubtedly be full of excitement, wonder, camaraderie and tantalising rewards, but it can also be an unstable and overwhelming environment to live and work in. It’s one that can heighten a sense of emotional and geographical displacement, leading to exhaustion, isolation and self-destructive behaviours.

"On Radiohead’s European tour last autumn, we had a support network in place, offering confidential access to the therapists of MITC. Even though we’re a cohesive, well-resourced and very experienced touring party, we knew that you can still never completely guard against the trip hazards of touring. Knowing that this support was there was hugely reassuring. I also know that the pressures and demands of touring can be more keenly felt by acts and set-ups which have fewer resources, so I’m delighted to be able to invest in Pay It Forward to ensure that this essential support can be offered more widely.”

Applications for eligible tour teams all over the world are open now for tours that begin between October and December 2026, and can be submitted here. Submissions close on 30 September 2026 with decisions to be issued on 14 October 2026.