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I promise I’m not obsessed. But…
Camden’s busking licence is bombing.
Long time readers will know I covered this license a lot, because it was the UK’s harshest busking licence and was installed after just 9 people complained (in a borough of 220,000). Over the years, we:
Analysed the statements made in the October 2013 council hearing discussing the benefits of the licence
Interviewed Mark Thomas, Billy Bragg, Bill Bailey and various councillors for Keep Streets Live’s video against it
And followed up with a damning analysis of the results of the policy in 2017.
A couple of weeks ago I found out that there’s been a 90% drop in the number of buskers applying for Camden’s busking licence, so now I’m investigating why.
One shocking detail is that the price shot up. When the licence was debated in council meetings they said it would cost just £19 a year. But when it launched it was £150 for 2 years, making it the most expensive busking licence in the UK.
Anyway, if you’ve busked in Camden, whether or not you got a licence, I’d like to hear what you believe could be the cause of the drop in the number of buskers applying for a licence today. If you haven’t busked in Camden, but you have knowledge of other permit systems, I’d like to know how they compare to this one. So please, click this link to let me know what you think:
Call for papers, performances, workshops…
A month ago I wrote a piece trying to quantify the value of buskers to a city, where I said that “It's vulgar to measure [busking] by its financial value to others”. One busker responded:
Rather than the monetary focus being reductive of busking’s value, I found myself seeing this as a jumping off point, imagining all the other realms where street performers are improving the world in terms of community mental health, social health, emotional well-being, safety . . . it goes on.
It’s a good point that I agree with. More research into into how much buskers improve the world would be beneficial.
So, I’m excited to let you know that the “3rd International Conference of the Urban Music Studies Scholars’ Network” (not the snappiest name) is hosting a conference titled “Groove the City–Move the Streets” (yes, that’s also not a great name).
They are inviting contributions—papers, panels, workshops, performances—from scholars, artists, practitioners, and activists working in humanities, social sciences, urban studies, planning, and music-related disciplines.
The aim is to examine how streets become stages, soundscapes, protest arenas, and spaces of hope, resistance, and solidarity, and to explore the vibrant interplay between music, urban life, and the dynamics of public space.
Details:
Date of the conference: September 17-19, 2026
Location of the conference: Vienna, Austria
Proposal Deadline: October 5, 2025
Submission platform: www.conftool.org/groovethecity2026
Full call: Conference Website
✉️ [email protected] | [email protected]
Poll results and your feedback
In response to my claim that street performance is a countercultural activity, one of you rightly pointed out that it’s one of the most popular expressions of the human spirit on the planet, beloved by all. So, not countercultural at all! I was wrong to say otherwise.
Onto some poll results: