Busk in London: Mayor Boris Johnson unveils plans to make London “busking capital of the world” – including National Busking Day
Ditch the headphones and start tuning into the real-live music on London's streets. The capital is about to become a whole lot more musical.
Mayor Boris Johnson has launched a new scheme to make it easier for people to busk in the capital alongside a busking “code of conduct”.
The Busk in London scheme, which is backed by Westminster, Network Rail, TfL and Ticketmaster, aims to make street performance much easier by removing red tape and “myriad” rules and regulations that put musicians off.
A website has been set-up at buskinlondon.com that brings together information around busking locations throughout the capital.
There is also a code of conduct – a set of “common sense rules” devised by performers, councils, businesses and the police – which London's boroughs have signed up to
The mayor has also unveiled plans for the inaugural National Busking Day, which will see street musicians performing in cities around the country on July 18. Trafalgar Square will be the heart of the capital's celebrations.
Johnson said: “Busking adds to the capital's joie de vivre, but in spite of its popularity, buskers have sometimes encountered problems when plying their trade. Some have even been put off.
“Working with our partners, we are putting a scythe through the acres of unnecessary bureaucracy to make it easier to entertain on our city's streets. We want to make London the busking capital of the world.”
Music tourists contribute almost £600m to London's economy each year. The mayor's office said live performances helped to increase footfall and the amount of time people will stay in an area.