Busking

What is busking?
According to the official busking Melbourne site, Enterprise Melbourne "A busker is considered to be an entertainer who is actively providing a performance in the public place in exchange for a donation. Busking is defined as sounding or playing a musical instrument, singing, giving a recitation or performing, conjuring, juggling, puppetry, miming, dancing, entertaining or doing any of these things concurrently. Busking also includes the activity of drawing any message, picture or representation on a pavement, paper or canvas surface."

How do you go about getting a license/permit?
To get a license you need to contact and apply for a license that suits your chosen act. To purchase an application fee it will cost you $20 per year or you can purchase a temporary busking permit for $10 and it lasts 3 months. If you also want to sell items like CD'S to do with your performance it will cost you $50 extra per year.

There are four different busking permits, general area busking, Bourke St mall buskers, Pavement art busking and circle art busking.

General area busking applies to buskers that don't use dangerous items while performing and can busk almost anywhere apart from Bourke St mall, restricted areas and designated circus act sites.

Bourke St mall buskers are professional buskers who busk in the vicinity of the Bourke st mall.

Pavement area buskers are artists that engage in art such as chalk, drawings and paintings.

Circle act busking is where the busker needs the public as an audience and to participate in his/her routine.

Rules and regulations
If you are a busker under the age of sixteen you will have to be accompanied by your parents or an adult guardian.

Under the City of Melbourne’s Activities Local Law 2009, a permit is required for busking in a public place.

According to [|http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au], the official busking guidelines the following activities AREN'T considered busking, they are offenses and you can be heavily fined for them.

Busking permits will not be issued for any of the following activities:


 * vendors of any kind – including glow sticks flowers, jewellery and other merchandise sellers
 * fundraising, events or promotions even if they involve any element of performance as listed previously
 * touting or spruiking
 * political rallying
 * religious spruiking
 * tarot card reading, palmistry and fortune telling
 * massage, chiropractic treatment or any other physical manipulation
 * face or body painting
 * artists selling pre-fabricated work – pavement artists must be actively engaged in producing their artistic medium and not simply selling displayed goods
 * temporary tattoo applications
 * any activity defined as street trading pursuant to City of Melbourne’s Street Activity Policy 2011
 * begging (begging is illegal under the Summary Offenses Act and enforcement is the responsibility of the Vic[[image:mcscbd2011/p3ern.jpg width="87" height="87" align="right" link="MusicHome"]]toria Police).