List of busking locations explained

This is a list of locations where busking is known to happen on a regular basis. They tend to be low motor traffic places.

Africa

South Africa

• Cape Town: V&A Waterfront

Americas

United States

Central U.S.

• Minneapolis, Minnesota: Nicollet Mall, Hennepin Ave (downtown), any of the co-ops. Buskers often appear at the Mall of America and the skyways, but may be asked to leave.
• Boulder, Colorado: Pearl Street Mall^[1]
• Chicago: Busking is allowed at several places:
  • The Chicago Transit Authority currently only allows street performers to pitch at four stations; Jackson/State on the Red Line, Washington/State on the Red Line, Jackson/Dearborn on the Blue Line, and Washington/Dearborn on the Blue Line
  • Maxwell Street

This locale was featured in the Blues Brothers movie and has been the place of convergence for blues musicians since the 1930s.^{[2] [3]}

• • Michigan Avenue ("Magnificent Mile")^[4]
• Decatur, Illinois: Saturday Produce Market, Richland Community College, June - September
• Kansas City, Missouri: The Plaza, Westport and the City Market
• Wichita, Kansas: Old Town and entire downtown area^[5]
• New Orleans, Louisiana: The French Quarter and the entire city in general^[6]
• Cincinnati, Ohio: The entire city, especially Over-the-Rhine and downtown, Findlay Market, and Clifton, where the bands Plastic Inevitables and Tillers started their careers^{[7] [8]}
• Nashville, Tennessee: 2nd Avenue and Broadway
• Austin, Texas: 6th Street^{[9] [10]}
• Tulsa, Oklahoma: Brady Arts District, Blue Dome
• Dallas, Texas: Deep Ellum
• St. Louis, Missouri: Delmar Loop
• Houston, Texas: Montrose District
• Madison, Wisconsin: State Street
• Indianapolis, Indiana: Washington Street downtown; Broad Ripple Avenue

East Coast

• Asheville, North Carolina: downtown area
• Washington, D.C.: Washington Metro
• Burlington, Vermont: Church Street Marketplace
• Portland, Maine: Monument Square
• St. Petersburg, Florida: The Pier and other locations in the downtown area
• Key West, Florida: Mallory Square
• Miami Beach, Florida: South Beach^[11]
• Fort Lauderdale, Florida: Riverwalk^[12]
• St. Augustine, Florida: downtown areas; 50 ft East or West from St. George Street on most cross-streets with the exception of Hypolita Street
• Atlanta, Georgia: Little Five Points
• Athens, Georgia: College Avenue
• Savannah, Georgia: River Street
• Boston, Massachusetts: Faneuil Hall
• Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard Square
• New York City, New York: New York City Subway; Battery, Central, and Washington Square Parks
• Baltimore, Maryland: Harborplace
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: near the tourist and historical sections
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Roberto Clemente Bridge on 6th Street, South Side along the Monongahela River, Pittsburgh Public Market at 2100 Smallman Street, Mt. Washington, Steel Plaza - Downtown, and Squirrel Hill

West Coast

• Los Angeles, California: Venice Beach Boardwalk, Hollywood (especially Grauman's Chinese Theater, Santa Monica Pier and Third Street Promenade)
• San Francisco, California: Fisherman's Wharf and Market Street and the whole city in general
• Oakland, California: Art Murmur and the whole city in general
• Santa Barbara, California: State Street
• Santa Cruz, California: Pacific Garden Mall and the beach area
• Santa Monica, California: Third Street Promenade outdoor mall
• Honolulu, Hawaii: Waikīkī
• Portland, Oregon: Portland Saturday Market
• Seattle, Washington: Seattle Center and Pike Place Market
• Las Vegas Strip
• San Diego, California: Seaport Village, Gaslamp Quarter, The Embarcadero, and Balboa Park

Canada

• Halifax, Nova Scotia: Halifax Waterfront, site of the Halifax International Busker Festival
• Kingston, Ontario: Ontario Street, site of the Kingston International Buskers Rendezvous
• Montréal, Québec: Rue Sainte-Catherine, most Métro stations, Place-des-Arts, Vieux Montréal (Place Jacques-Cartier, Vieux Port)
• Ottawa, Ontario: Sparks Street, Byward Market (both require costly licences), site of the Ottawa International Buskers Festival (though local buskers are not permitted to participate), heavy foot traffic area in the Byward Market, foot traffic between 11am-2pm weekdays and during festivals on Sparks Street. Queen and Bank Streets and Wellington in front of the Parliament buildings are licence free and have excellent foot traffic.
• Regina, Saskatchewan: Scarth Street
• Saskatoon, Saskatchewan: Broadway (downtown)
• Toronto, Ontario: Eaton Centre (illegal weekdays from 9am-12pm and 2pm to 5pm), both by Dundas Street and Queen Street; Kensington Market, St Lawrence Market, any street corner with a $40 license
• Vancouver, British Columbia: Granville Island, Granville Mall, in front of downtown SkyTrain Stations
• Victoria, British Columbia: waterfront of the downtown Inner Harbour
• Winnipeg, Manitoba: The Forks

Asia

China

• Beijing: Beijing Subway
• Qiqihar, Heilongjiang: the lakeshore at Qiqihar University campus, by English majors throughout the city

Iran

• Tajrish Square, Tehran^[13]

Taiwan

• Xinyi Place, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, Taipei, a shopping plaza

Europe

United Kingdom

England

• London: Covent Garden,^[14] Piccadilly Circus, London Underground,^[15] South Bank^[16]
• Bath, Somerset^[17]
• York^[18]
• Stratford-on-Avon^[19]
• Chester^[20]
• Birmingham: New Street, Victoria Square
• Truro: Pydar Street, High Cross
• Newcastle upon Tyne: Northumberland Street
• Brighton
• Bristol: Broadmead

Scotland

• Edinburgh: Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where street performers can perform at one of three allocated spots on the Royal Mile and at busking competitions

Netherlands

• Amsterdam: Leidseplein and Vondelpark

Germany

• Berlin: Alexanderplatz, Friedrichsbrücke leading to Museumsinsel, various underground stations, increasingly on underground trains
• Cologne: Domplatte, Hohe Straße, Schildergasse

Belgium

• Brussels: Boterstraat
• Antwerp: Groenplaats

Spain

• Barcelona: La Rambla
• Madrid: Puerta del Sol
• Madrid: Parque del Buen Retiro

Republic of Ireland

• Dublin: Grafton Street, Temple Bar, Mary Street/Henry Street
• Galway: Shop Street including Eyre Square and the Spanish Arch
• Kilkenny: Kieran Street
• Mayo Westport: Main Street

Poland

• Kraków: Main Market Square, Kraków, coronation route and surrounding streets
• Lublin: Kraków Gate, Promenade
• Wroclaw: Rynek, Ostrow Tumski
• Poznań: Rynek, Półwiejska Street, underground passages at Kaponiera roundabout.

France

• Paris: Montmartre, Notre Dame de Paris (Parvis)

Greece

• Athens: Ermou Street, Monastiraki, Nea Smirni
• Thessaloniki: Navarinou square

Norway

• Oslo: Karl Johans gate

Italy

• Bologna: Via indipendenza, Piazza Maggiore
• Rome: Piazza Navona
• Modena: Free city center
• Milan: Comune di Milano website
• Cremona: Free city center

Sweden

• Stockholm: Drottninggatan

Oceania

Australia

• Adelaide: Rundle Mall
• Brisbane: Queen Street Mall and Brunswick Street Mall
• Geelong: Geelong city centre^[21]
• Melbourne: Bourke Street Mall and Southbank
• New South Wales: Echo Point in the Blue Mountains
  • Sydney: Circular Quay, Devonshire Street Subway, Darling Harbour and Pitt Street Mall

New Zealand

• Christchurch: Cathedral Square and the Arts Centre
• Wellington: Cuba Mall
• Auckland: Queen Street, Auckland

See also

• Busking Day
  • Circus skills
• Music Under New York
• Skomorokh
• Street artist
• Street painting
• Street theatre

Notes and References

1. News: BUSKERS TURNING DOWNTOWN STREETS INTO A STAGE. June 21, 1996. Rocky Mountain News. 2009-08-21.
2. News: Chicago--yours for a song. https://web.archive.org/web/20121022053445/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/650404172.html?dids=650404172:650404172&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Nov+11,+1982&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune+(1963-Current+file)&edition=&startpage=22&desc=Chicago--yours+for+a+song. dead. October 22, 2012. November 11, 1982. Chicago Tribune. 2009-08-21.
3. News: The Indestructible Beat of Bo Diddley. https://web.archive.org/web/20080605021222/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7539597/the_indestructible_beat_of_bo_diddley/3. dead. June 5, 2008. Aug 11, 2005. The Rolling Stone. 2009-08-21.
4. News: How the city's sidewalk performers get legal. https://web.archive.org/web/20121022053413/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/1512057651.html?dids=1512057651:1512057651&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul+17,+2008&author=Louis+R+Carlozo&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=Street+law&pqatl=google. dead. October 22, 2012. Jul 17, 2008. Chicago Tribune. 2009-08-21 . Louis R . Carlozo.
5. News: ON 'BUSKER FRIDAYS,' MUSICIANS TAKE TO THE STREET.. May 27, 2007. The Wichita Eagle. 2009-08-21 . Jillian . Cohan.
6. News: All the JAZZ. January 11, 1997. Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland). 2009-08-21.
7. News: Appalachian Festival kicks off at Coney Island. May 8, 2009. Middletown Journal. 2009-08-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20110716091057/http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/middletown-news/appalachian-festival-kicks-off-at-coney-island-112969.html. July 16, 2011. dead.
8. Web site: Background - Art on the Streets. Google Docs. 2016-02-15.
9. News: Night-hopping and nostalgia in full SXSW swing. March 22, 1998. The Austin American-Statesman. 2009-08-21 . MICHAEL CORCORAN . Date.
10. News: Way down south... March 21, 1996. St Paul Pioneer Press. 2009-08-21.
11. Web site: Buskerfest Miami Fostering a culture of street performance in Miami-Dade County . 2024-01-05 . buskerfestmiami.com.
12. Web site: 2019-08-02 . Buskers Wanted: Fort Lauderdale Ramps Up Opportunities For Street Performers . 2024-01-05 . WLRN . en.
13. Web site: A Look at Life in Iran . 2022-12-07 . Avax.news . en.
14. Web site: redirect - /events-entertainment-culture/street-performers/page/1. 23 November 2013. 23 September 2016.
15. Web site: Busking | Transport for London . 2013-02-10 . 2013-02-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130214014422/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/2435.aspx . dead .
16. Web site: A busker's tale | Street's Got Talent . 2013-02-10 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131209133014/http://streetsgottalent.com/2012/05/06/a-buskers-tale/ . 2013-12-09 .
17. Web site: 404 Not Found - Bath BID. 23 September 2016.
18. Web site: York busking badge scheme for buskers and street entertainers - Street trading and busking - City of York Council . www.york.gov.uk . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130607040904/http://www.york.gov.uk/info/200427/street_trading_and_busking/237/street_trading_and_busking/3 . 2013-06-07.
19. Web site: Street Performers: Stratford-on-Avon District Council. Stratford-on-Avon District. Council. 23 September 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160819130739/https://www.stratford.gov.uk/business/street-performers.cfm. 19 August 2016. dead.
20. Web site: New rules for city centre buskers. https://archive.today/20130419210835/http://www.chesterfirst.co.uk/news/103248/new-rules-for-city-centre-buskers.aspx. dead. 19 April 2013. 13 June 2011. 23 September 2016.
21. Web site: Busking. 23 September 2016.