Busking in Gothenburg: permit, rules and card tips

Do you need a permit to busk in Gothenburg?

The rules in Gothenburg

• Amplifiers. Loudspeaker messages aimed at people in public places need police permission (para 14). Amplified music is not specifically addressed.
• Collecting money. Active collection of money needs police permission. When it accompanies a musical or other artistic performance, permission is needed only if the performer or a helper intends to walk around among the audience collecting money (para 10).
• Nordstan is privately managed and may have its own rules

Taking card tips on a Gothenburg pitch

Plenty of people stop to listen and then find they have no coins on them. A QR code on a sign beside your case lets them tip in Swedish kronor by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay from their own phone. Visitors can pay with a card from home, and nobody needs an app. Check the rule on collecting money above first: it applies to a tip sign too.

• Print it large. A phone reads a code from about ten times its width, so a 10 cm code works from a metre and an A3 sign from about three.
• Stand it upright at knee to waist height, with your name and one line saying what it is for.
• Playing as a group? One code can split every tip between the members automatically.

The full set-up is in cashless busking: card and phone tips.

Before you play

Read the general advice in busking etiquette and how to choose a busking pitch, and see how Gothenburg compares with other cities on the world busking map.

Sources

Checked in October 2026. Rules and fees change, and enforcement varies from street to street, so confirm with Goteborgs Stad and Polisen before you play. This page is general information, not legal advice.

• www5.goteborg.se

Common questions