Places in London where a licence is needed to busk, or performers are required to adhere to a council code of conduct:
Bromley – A licence is required. Visit www.bromley.gov.uk for an application form and further information.
Covent Garden – To busk in Covent Garden you need to audition and apply for a licence. The Londonist website gives a pretty good summary of the process here.
Croydon - Temporary licences are required for busking in the North End. Application forms can be downloaded from the council website – www.croydon.gov.uk .
Hammersmith – A licence is required for busking in Lyric Square along with Public Liability Insurance. Application forms are available from www.lbhf.gov.uk.
Kingston upon Thames – A licence is not required, but the council publish guidelines for buskers which can be viewed at www.kingston.gov.uk.
Redbridge – Busking is not permitted at all in Redbridge, unless it is for charitable purposes, in which case a Street Collections licence will be required.
The Tube – A licence is required to busk anywhere on the underground, for which you have to audition. Pitches have to be booked in advance and busking is only allowed at 12 stations. For further information go to www.tfl.gov.uk, visit the ‘corporate’ section, then click on ‘projects and schemes’ and ‘busking’. Unfortunately Transport for London aren’t accepting any new applications for licences at the moment, but keep your eye on this site for future developments.
Do you busk in this are regularly? Tried to perform somewhere and been turned away? If you’ve got any info about busking in this area that would be useful to other buskers, please leave a comment below.
07/05/2010 at 4:58 pm Permalink
I busk regularly around Central London and would warn against playing in Leicsteir Square. Though there are chances to make good money, u’ll spend most of your session running away from the “Westminster Guard” – jumped up arseholes in flourescent jackets basically!! They’ll threaten you with legal warnings but I doubt there’s much substance to what they say, at least i’ve never gotten into any real trouble (touch wood!!!)
Would also recommend the public walkways in parks, particularly Regent’s Park.
12/06/2010 at 9:11 pm Permalink
If you go to WCC’s website and type “buskers” into it’s search engine, you come to a page which says, and I quote,”busking is part of London’s culture” and then adds some proper points about noise nuisance.
As some lawyers know busking per se is not illegal. However a small minority of police will do everything they can to find a way to prosecute. A recent case at Horseferry Road was brought under the Vagrancy Act 1824 and the accused was found guilty of gathering alms. His appeal,whilst successful, was so only on procedural grounds. If busking is legal, and it is, then, provided the performer is breaking no other law (eg benefit fraud, tax evasion, copyright theft, littering, D&D, obstruction, breach of the peace,smoking or drinking in prohibited area, continuing after being asked to desist by someone working nearby) then he is entitled to go about his lawful business unmolested by the If you go to WCC’s website and type “buskers” into it’s search engine, you come to a page which says and I quote”busking is part of London’s culture” and then adds some proper points about noise nuisance.
As some lawyers know busking per se is not
illegal. However a small minority of police will fo everything they can to find a way to prosecute. A recent case at Horseferry Road was brought under the Vagrancctct 1824 and the accused was found guilt of gathering alms. His appeal whilst successful was do only on procedural grounds. If busking is legal, then, provided the performer is breaking no other law (eg benefit fraud, tax evasion, copyright theft, littering, D&D, obstruction, breach of the peace,smoking ir drinking in prohibited area, continuing after being asked to desist by someone working nearby), then he is entitled to go about his lawful business unmolested by the police. I urgently need police to accept this and leave me alone as I break no
laws
Best wishes
Jay Elpey
04/08/2010 at 4:34 pm Permalink
I would be interested to know if anyone who applied for a licence with London Transport has been successful. After auditioning in June 2010 I was one of the unsuccessful ones but asked tfl if they would give me some feedback in order that I would know where to improve my performance or choice of pieces in future but they refused and said that I would one of the first ones to be invited for another audition when the scheme opens again in the future. I feel that there is little point in being put on a waiting list to audition in the future if you don’t know what you did wrong the first time around. I play oboe in two amateur concert bands who highly praise my playing. After all I wouldn’t have been accepted if I couldn’t play. Does anyone think that the oboe is a bad choice for busking – what sort of music do you think I should have played at the audition? Any advice anyone can give would be much appreciated.
Penny Turner