List of busking locations

Central U.S.

Minneapolis, Minnesota: Nicolette 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

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.

Michigan Avenue ("Magnificent Mile")

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

New Orleans, Louisiana: The French Quarter and the entire city in general

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

Nashville, Tennessee: 2nd Avenue and Broadway

Austin, Texas: 6th Street

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

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

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

China

Beijing: Beijing Subway

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

Japan

Tokyo: Harajuku

South Korea

Seoul: Itaewon, Hongdae

Taiwan

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

England

London: Covent Garden, Piccadilly Circus, London Underground, South Bank

Bath, Somerset

York

Stratford-on-Avon

Chester

Birmingham: New Street, Victoria Square

Truro: Pydar Street, High Cross

Newcastle upon Tyne: Northumberland Street

Brighton

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

Brussel: Boterstraat

Antwerpen: Groenplaats

Spain

Barcelona: La Rambla

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: Krakow Gate, Promenade

Wroclaw: Rynek, Ostrow Tumski

Poznań: Rynek, Pójwiejska Street, Rondo Kaponiera

France

Paris: Montmartre, Notre Dame de Paris (Parvis)

Greece

Athens: Ermou Street, Monastiraki, Nea Smirni

Thessaloniki: Navarinou square

Russia

Moscow: Arbat Street

St Petersburg: Nevsky Prospect, Dvortsovaya Square, Dumskaya Street

Norway

Oslo: Karl Johans gate

Italy

Bologna: Via indipendenza, Piazza Maggiore

Rome: Piazza Navona

Sweden

Stockholm: Drottninggatan

Australia

Adelaide: Rundle Mall

Brisbane: Queen Street Mall and Brunswick Street Mall

Geelong: Geelong city centre

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