Is it LEGAL anywhere anymore? I do know if you do it here in Vegas, you WILL get arrested unless you are sanctioned by a festivalm etc. I know cause I was escorted ff Fremont Street once for going down there before I knew better. If it was LEGAL here I could walk out my new front door and go half a block right to a great location where there are always tourists...LOTSA tourists!! Anyway, I know also ther are ALWAYS problems in New Orleans. The city council is alwas trying to kill the entire street performonmg thing. I have worked on and off down there as a clown, mime, mannequin, tarot card reader, etc since 1969. At one time they issued licenses but I don't know whatr they are doing since Katrina. there has always been arrests, etc and the JAckson Square artists trying to get street performers removed....always a foght. I am womnderomg where else people street perform NOW...I also used to do the Arts Festival of Atlanta.
Anyone have info about other ciities?
Gig

Chicago requires a permit. And the regulations and restrictions (and cost) on it seem to grow all the time. You can street perform here, but the city doesn't always enable it to be at all easy and often even makes matters a lot more difficult that they ought to be, rather than fostering the type of dynamic environment which could really make this a great town for street arts. A performer I know recently reported that she's doing a street show and has encouraged me to come out and attend. I will soon. Though I just hope that she has success with it and doesn't get needlessly hassled by the cops.

I guess its always that way in cities now. Back in the day we could go where we wanted in Atkanta and then only the yearly Arts Festival for 9 days, In NewOrleans they were always coning gup with new harrassments. On the Saturday that is ten days befire Fat Tuesday ( Mardi Gras DAy0, the cops would start at one corner of Jackson Square checking pernits and arresting those that did not comply. We always had our permits. Kind iof a joke too cause even with a permit there wasno guarantee of not getting harrassed or arrested or both.One night in 1991 we all went to the City Council en masse and spoke in turn. FOR A WHILE they left us alone and thn when this woman who was against us, JAckie Sombody was up for re-election she made a campaign promise to eliminate us, ESPECIALLY the Tarot Card Readers. Its been the same since I left in 1993 on and off. The shop iwnerswoud gang up on us from time to time and not allow us to run under the balocnies to get out of the rain. THEN they tried saying readers could only be on the square f we were sanctioned by a licensed artist...SO WE went and got an artist permit and sanctioned OURSELVES....TALK ABOUT tick they OFFFFFFFFFFFFF!!! LOL!! I would then sanction another reader so there was always two of us in my soace and they coldn't say a word to us!! We kept the space like that tile we left and then I gave the permit to someone who didn't have one becaause anartist permit can be impossible to get dependent upon availability....they used to have only 77. We had a place odd the square that would store our carts and set ups for $15 a month. The councils next trick was to "raid" it and push all the carts into the street and they were all picked up by the trash people!!
I guess its spring time and I can see people outside from my new livingroom window and I am salivating to do some street work!!!! LOL!!! After my foot surgery heals I was thinking I could do a little traveling.. You make me think differently
Gig

I can't answer anything about the States, but I know that here in Newfoundland, and I believe this is true for most of Canada, you don't require any permit--just permission if it's on private property.

This was a big thing on my list the other day, actually, and I couldn't find out. So, I bit the bullet and decided to go busking anyway--and the Mayor walked by and dropped a coin in my hat and took a balloon. Thus, I figure it's legal enough :P

I think good street performers enhance the street cheer people up and provide entertainment.

I was down on Bourbon Street a few weeks ago and was sadly disappointed by the lack of street performers. That is part of why we went down there. I saw one balloonist/clown, and one open air restaurant that had some musicians outside. My son said he saw a living statue but I didn't. We did see what appeared to be a couple of mime/clowns not for sure what they were doing they did have a cart but didn't see their show. That was it. The tarot card readers were inside of shops and not out on the street as far as I could see. I was hoping to see a puppeteer maybe or a one man band or someone working the crowd such as one man skit or something. I was bummed when I missed the human statue.
Sara K.

Boulder CO is the place to be. As far as I know there is no permit requirement.

Pittsburgh is permit-free, and I've been lucky that everywhere I've done any performances in the past didn't either require or care if I had a permit. It's usually more about how you handle business and how quickly you can pack up and move out that authorities care about. I'm about to do a big tour here soon, so we'll see how that goes.

In Florida there is a place near Clearwater, a place in Miami, and a place on Key West to perform. I believe they are all permit free, but there are certain restrictions at each place.

Additionally, on every street corner these days I see pan-handlers. So, as long as you wear an orange vest, it is 100% legal here from what I understand. Especially at all the traffic lights. Eventually I imagine it will be like Mexico where the kids run out into the middle of the street, juggle, and then walk by for donations.

Best of luck!

All the best,

Jonathan Fudge.

In Florida there is a place near Clearwater, a place in Miami, and a place on Key West to perform. I believe they are all permit free, but there are certain restrictions at each place.


That's good news. I'll be busking in Miami next month. It's the first stop for 2011. :)