Short answer: Since January 2025 street musicians can play anywhere in Lausanne with a city authorisation valid for 90 days. Occupation fees were dropped but the authorisation fee remains.
Do you need a permit to busk in Lausanne?
| Permit needed? | Yes |
| Cost | Authorisation fee applies |
| Regulated by | Ville de Lausanne, Service de l'économie |
| Official page | lausanne.ch |
Taking card tips on a Lausanne 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 Swiss francs by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay from their own phone. Visitors can pay with a card from home, and nobody needs an app.
- 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 Lausanne 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 Ville de Lausanne, Service de l'économie before you play. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Make a busking sign for Lausanne
Print a sign with your own QR code so people can tip by card. Free, no sign-up.
Make my sign →Rules changed in Lausanne?
Tell us what changed. We check every report against the official source before updating this page.
Busking near Lausanne
- Geneva · Yes
- Bern · Only in some areas or for amplifiers
- Basel · No
- Lucerne · No
- Zurich · Only in some areas or for amplifiers
- Freiburg · No
Common questions
Do you need a permit to busk in Lausanne?
Since January 2025 street musicians can play anywhere in Lausanne with a city authorisation valid for 90 days. Occupation fees were dropped but the authorisation fee remains.
How much does it cost to busk in Lausanne?
Authorisation fee applies.
Can buskers in Lausanne take card payments?
Yes. A printed QR code lets listeners tip in Swiss francs by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay from their own phone, with no card reader to carry or charge.
App Store
Google Play