Busking in subway stations

Your city permit usually stops at the station door

This catches out a lot of buskers. A council or city permit covers council land, and stations belong to a transit operator. Our city data shows the same pattern again and again:

• In Sydney, train stations and other Transport for NSW areas are not covered by the City of Sydney permit.
• In Melbourne, train stations are not covered by City of Melbourne permits, and amplified busking is not allowed outside Flinders Street or Southern Cross stations.
• In Adelaide, the permit does not cover busking inside Adelaide Railway Station.
• In Auckland, Britomart Train Station and the Station Plaza behind it need permission through Auckland Transport.
• In Chicago, the city street performer licence does not allow performing on CTA or Metra platforms and stations.
• In Birmingham, areas in and around stations are generally private land, so you need the owner's permission.

There are exceptions. Wellington's council busking hours cover the Wellington Train Station subway (7am to 8pm) and the station forecourt.

Systems at a glance

System	How it works
New York subway	Open to anyone who follows MTA rules. Optional audition programme for scheduled spots.
Boston MBTA	$25 Subway Performer Permit and photo badge, play only at signed performance areas.
San Francisco BART	Musicians only in unpaid areas, no amplifiers, free expressive activities permit requested.
Montreal STM	Book authorised spots marked by a lyre sign online in two-hour blocks. Age 14 or over.
Calgary CTrain	CA$25 Calgary Transit Busker ID with a police information check no more than five years old.
Vancouver TransLink	Own Busker Program, applications once a year in the fall.
Toronto TTC	Underground Sounds: 89 licences by audition every three years.
London Underground	TfL audition-based licence, marked pitches only.
Berlin BVG	Day permits for designated spots at around 40 U-Bahn stations.
Barcelona TMB	Separate authorisation through yearly auditions.
Taipei Metro	Set station spaces open to registered street performers by time slot.

Open systems: New York and San Francisco

In New York, anyone may perform in subway stations without a permit if they follow the MTA rules:

• No amplification of any kind on platforms.
• No more than 85 dBA measured five feet away.
• Stay at least 25 feet from station booths and fare machines and 50 feet from transit office entrances.
• Do not perform inside subway cars or on buses.

The MTA also runs an optional audition programme (MTA Music, long known as Music Under New York) that gives selected performers scheduled spots. Its official page says no auditions are currently scheduled.

On BART in the San Francisco Bay Area, musicians may play only in the unpaid areas of stations, without amplifiers, and BART asks them to get its free expressive activities permit.

Permit and booking systems

Boston: the MBTA permit costs $25, paid by money order only. You book an in-person appointment with the MBTA's property manager and bring the form, two IDs and recent mail. Permits are posted 10 to 14 days later, so short-stay visitors may not get one in time.

Montreal: musicians play at authorised spots marked by a lyre sign, booked through the STM website in two-hour blocks. Keep proof of your booking with you.

Calgary: busking at CTrain stations needs the Calgary Transit Busker ID. The fee is non-refundable and the police information check must be no more than five years old.

Berlin: BVG has sold permits for designated spots at around 40 U-Bahn stations at €10 per day, issued on Wednesday mornings at its customer office at Michaelbrücke. Brass instruments are not allowed.

Audition-only systems

London, Toronto and Barcelona limit station busking to auditioned performers. London Underground pitches are only for performers licensed through TfL's scheme, and TfL said the next auditions were expected in late 2026. Toronto's TTC licences are for Ontario residents aged 18 or over, and the next cycle is due in 2027. Barcelona's metro authorisation comes through yearly auditions run by the TMB Foundation with the musicians' association AMUC. More detail is in our guide to busking auditions.

Places where it is limited or unclear

• Hong Kong: the MTR has a Living Art Stage at Hong Kong Station Central Subway on Friday evenings. Other station busking is not confirmed.
• Singapore: MRT locations are only open if they appear among the National Arts Council's designated busking locations.
• Tokyo: station forecourts are not covered by the Heaven Artist licence.
• Taipei: some stations, such as Xinbeitou, do not allow amplification or electronic instruments.
• Manchester: the city's code bars performing within 50 metres of Metrolink tram tracks.

For anywhere else, check the world busking map and then the operator's own website or customer office.

Playing well underground

• Leave the amp at home unless the rules clearly allow it. Tiled corridors carry acoustic sound a long way, and New York bans amplification on platforms.
• Never block the flow. Keep clear of stairs, gates, ticket machines and booths. Commuters in a hurry are not an audience if they have to step around you.
• Keep your setup small. A case, a stand and a sign. Security staff are much more relaxed about a compact act.
• Carry your paperwork. Badge, permit or booking proof, and photo ID.
• Expect short listens. Most people hear 20 to 30 seconds while they walk past, so play material that grabs attention fast.

Tips from people in a hurry

Commuters rarely stop to dig for coins, and many people have no coins on them. A large QR code sign lets someone tip by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay in a few seconds as they pass. With TipIns the person tipping covers the fees by default, so you receive the full tip. Make the code big enough to scan from a couple of metres away.

World busking map: Permit rules for 131 cities on one map.

Common questions