Musicians, artists, magicians, acrobats and more are popping up around the city as a way to bring life and vibrancy back to Melbourne. These Melbourne buskers will perform at iconic locations around the city, including Bourke Street Mall, Southbank Promenade and the chess board on Swanston Street. During lunchtime, Little Collins Street will also be closed off to traffic for lunch performances at the Swanston Street intersection. Prepare to be wowed by Melbourne buskers from Thursdays to Sundays, between 10am and 7pm.
Only in Melbourne can you see musicians of this calibre performing on the street – for free! @GarethWiecko is one of our incredibly talented buskers, performing regularly in the city until the end of the year. 🎶 pic.twitter.com/ZMbvNlSRnx
— Sally Capp AO – Lord Mayor of Melbourne (@LordMayorMelb) November 26, 2021
Melbourne Buskers
The City of Melbourne is paying street entertainers to put on over 30 performances a week, from now until the end of the year.
“Busking is as synonymous with Melbourne as coffee and laneways – contributing to our world-renowned vibrant street culture,” said Lord Mayor Sally Capp.
If you’re a busker and you’re interested in joining the program, there’s still time to sign up. The waiver on busking permit fees has been extended to accommodate this new program.
“We’re calling on entertainers with all sorts of skills to reignite Melbourne with colour, laughter and music – from dancers and poets, to live painters, jugglers and human statues,” said the Lord Mayor.
“We want to give a range of performers a platform – from established buskers to emerging artists who have been fine-tuning their acts in their bedrooms for the better part of the year,” said Creative Melbourne portfolio lead Councillor Jamal Hakim. “Buskers, please come and perform in our incredible city and make Melbourne your stage!”
More than 1200 performers already have active busking permits.
If you’re a performer and you’re interested in busking, click here to express an interest in the program.
Click here to see the current schedule.