Visa for performing artists

[santhoshmedia]

Hi
I need to invite performing artists from India to perform art and signing during the opening week of my business. The premises has license to perform live music and entertainment.

I will be paying for their performance and will be sponsoring their travel, accommodation and food.

Which category of Visa should they need to apply for?

Thanks
San

[Mauser1905]

https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa

https://www.gov.uk/entertainer-visitor-visa

[The Station Agent]

Entertainer visitor visa is for certain festivals, charity shows, and for non-professional entertainers. It is not for musicians playing in a club as a professional, or for those performing in a restaurant, for instance.

For professional musicians it should ideally be Tier 5 creative and sporting. They are supposed to be internationally famous or there may be a problem being able to bring them here to play.

[sherriesmum]

uk visitor rules and categories are changing in april 2015

[Mauser1905]

https://www.gov.uk/permitted-paid-engagement-visa

This should be correct as its not point based and valid for 1 month only.

[The Station Agent]

If they're going to apply under PPE they must be full-time entertainment professionals with plenty of proof of their bona fides, and bank accounts with ample maintenance funds.

[Wanderer]

Seems a very expensive way of putting a show on. Something smells fishy here and it's not the contents of Baldrick's trousers....