Short answer: every rule on our busking pages comes from an official source: a city or council page, a bylaw or ordinance, a police page or a transit operator. We check 298 cities, publish rules only when we can confirm them, and re-check a third of the cities every month.
Where the rules come from
For each city we look for the page the city itself publishes about street performance, then the bylaw or ordinance behind it, then the rules of the transit operator and of any market, waterfront or mall that runs its own scheme. A news report is used only when it quotes the rule in force and is recent. Every city page lists the sources we read and links the official page.
What gets published
- Confirmed cities (173 today) have a coloured dot on the busking map and their own page.
- Cities we could not confirm (125 today) appear as grey dots marked "Not confirmed". We never fill the gap with a guess: the page tells you to check with the council.
- Fees and figures are copied as the source states them, in the local currency.
How often we check
Rules and fees change. Each month we re-check a third of the cities against their official pages, so every city is checked again at least every three months. Each page says when it was last checked.
What the colours mean
- Green, no permit needed: you can play acoustic music in public without a busking permit, within the usual limits on noise, time and obstruction.
- Orange, permit needed: the city asks every busker to hold a permit or licence.
- Blue, permit in some areas: free in most places, but a permit is needed in certain zones or for amplifiers.
- Red, restricted: busking is banned or heavily limited in the centre.
Help us keep it right
Every city page has a "Rules changed?" form. Tell us what changed and, if you can, link the source. We check each report against the official page before changing anything.
What these pages are not
They are general information, written so a performer can find the right rule quickly. They are not legal advice, and the council or police on the day have the final word. Translated pages are translated from English; the English page of each city lists every source.
Common questions
Where does TipIns get busking rules from?
From official sources: city and council pages, bylaws and ordinances, police pages and transit operators. Each city page lists the sources it uses.
How up to date are the busking rules?
Every city is re-checked at least every three months, a third of them each month, and each page shows when it was last checked.
What does "Not confirmed" mean on the map?
We could not find an official source for that city yet, so we do not publish rules for it. Check with the council or police before you play.
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