Busking Permit Application

The City of Perth greatly values the diversity of entertainment that buskers and street performers provide in public areas. The City is also committed to providing a safe, accessible and culturally sensitive environment for all visitors, workers and residents.

Key Details

Frequently asked questions

Yes, under City of Perth's Public Trading Local Law 2005, a permit is required for busking in a public place.

• performing with an instrument or multiple instruments
• live performance, including but not limited to singing, dancing, mime, clowning, juggling, puppetry, comedy, magic or living statue act
• performing a Circle Act (in permitted locations only)
• creating visual art (excluding aerosol art).

The following activities are not considered to be busking and are ineligible for a busking permit:

• fundraising, events or promotions, even if they involve an element of performance
• spruiking, religious or otherwise
• political rallying
• begging
• tarot card reading, fortune telling
• massage, chiropractic treatment or other physical manipulation
• face or body painting
• temporary tattoo applications
• balloon clowning
• vendors of any kind including the sale of jewellery, craft items, flowers, glow sticks, prefabricated artwork and other merchandise
• any activity defined as ‘trading’ pursuant to City of Perth’s Public Trading Local Law 2005.

• Carefully read the Busking Guidelines (available for download at the top right hand corner of this page).
• Complete the Busking Permit Application Form.
• If you do not have access to a computer, hard copy application forms are available from Council House, 27 St George’s Terrace, Perth.
• You will be required to provide a link to a video of your performance (YouTube, Vimeo or Instagram only).
• Visual artist applicants will be required to submit up to six photographs of their work and their set-up.
• Identification documents will be required, as well as a passport style photo which will be affixed to your permit.

Applications are assessed by the City's Customer Experience team, which can take up to 10 working days. You will be advised of the outcome of your application via email.

To express interest in renewing your busking permit you will need to reapply. A renewed permit request will be assessed with equal weighting with new permit applications.

Busking guidelines

If your busking application is successfully approved, our Customer Experience Team will be in touch to provide you with a map of designated areas.

• Busking is not permitted on either side of the Perth Train Station Concourse, or on Padbury Walk (the upper concourse above Murray St Mall).
• You cannot set up in an area where you disrupt traffic or pedestrians.
• You cannot set up in the doorways of shops or buildings.
• You cannot set up alongside or interfere with planned events in the city.
• You cannot set up too close to a pitch or other performer, so as to interfere with their act.

Performers with amps are permitted at all pitches except the Hay St Mall. We are in the process of working with the Buskers Guild to establish noise-level based restrictions, rather than banning amps altogether in smaller areas. We acknowledge that some non-amplified acts may have noise decibels higher than an acoustic performer on low amp settings and are working to create a fairer system to assess noise levels.

The City usually limits acts to between one and six performers. The City may allow larger groups to perform and this is assessed on a case by case basis. Performers can set up in one location for up to an hour at a time, including setup and packing down time. Buskers cannot perform in the same location twice within a four-hour window. This system is set up to ensure that all buskers get equal opportunity to perform.

Students and children are permitted to apply for Busking Permits, with the permission of a parent or guardian. There are a few conditions for performers 16 years and under that must be accepted when applying for a permit.