Brighton Busking Regulations: What is actually Allowed?

Although to busk in Brighton & Hove you don't require a licence - there are some guidelines and rules buskers need to be aware of. Being a busker myself - I will draw a comparison between my own experience and what is written by council to give you as realistic picture of busking regulations in the city as possible.

First of all - here is an official Busker Advice leaflet that I advice you to quickly read through. You can also have a look at the official page with a quick summary of rules for the buskers. Now in reality, not everything is being enforced, most "rules" are only enforced when there is a public complaint. And depending on the spot you are busking - it's good to know what you can get away with and what remains a restriction.

• Mains, battery or generator-powered amplification is not permitted (according to Busker Advice leaflet)

In reality - most of the buskers in the city are using amplification and getting away with it. There are only few spots to my knowledge where amplification is not tolerated: Gardner Street (next to Infinity Foods) only allows acoustic instruments; and so is Gloucester Road next to Kensington gardens. Another restriction on amplification includes Pavilion Gardens, but here it only applies to vocal amplification (instruments are still fine). 

Elsewhere in Brighton - simply amplify to a reasonable level and you should be fine. Also - avoid pointing your amp to the entrance of a shop or a restaurant, not a good idea.

• Drumming is not welcome in Brighton and Hove because it causes too many complaints (according to Busker Advice leaflet)

This is not entirely true. To a degree - drumming would not fit peaceful and quiet busking spots, but noisy places like Churchill Square or North Street (next to the Barclays / Poundland) are usually very well tolerated. Another good idea for drummers is to try seafront where you are not surrounded by residential homes and businesses - plenty of space out there to get loud!

• Entertainment is restricted to a maximum of one hour in one place (according to Busker Advice leaflet)

One hour rule in Brighton is advisory and often is an ethical compromise between the businesses and buskers. It is also used between buskers on the busy days when sharing a single spot. Exception to this rule however is when no one minds your playing and no other busker is willing to busk at your spot - therefore you can play longer.

Sometimes you see buskers playing in one spot for the whole day - this jazz band for example plays on East Street almost every day - all day. After years of busking, they have developed a very good relationship with the restaurants and therefore remain exceptional to this rule.

The main point with playing in one spot - avoid being repetitive (have 1 hour set), deliver high quality music and keep your volume reasonable - this should prevent you from getting complaints.

• You are not allowed to sell any recordings of your music or other items whilst busking (according to Busker Advice leaflet) 

Although it is not allowed, many buskers still choose to sell their CDs and get away with it most of the time. If you intend to sell CD's - don't do it in a very obvious way, give it a try and if someone tells you off about it - say you "didn't know". As long as you are not doing an obvious street trade, you are most likely to be left alone.

• Busking should not be conducted by cash point machines or any similar area (according to Busker Advice leaflet) 

And still - many buskers play next to the cash-points and get away with it. Some of the very common busking spots with cash-points are in Churchill Square, Duke street and a corner of Bond and North street.

• No sign shall be displayed inviting payment (according to Busker Advice leaflet) 

Although begging is a criminal offence, there is an obvious distinction between a beggar and a busker. In my opinion if you look presentable you should be fine. I have used various signs myself and never been told off  about it.

Play at reasonable level - control the volume so that it is audible only to passers-by in the immediate vicinity (..) Entertainers must stop performing immediately when requested to do so (..) (according to Busker Advice leaflet) 

Oppose to all the other regulations - something council cares about is complaints from the residents and shopkeepers. Once you get a complaint - there is nothing you can do and unfortunately you do not have the right to continue. I was asked to move once before I even started busking and refused to go, because I haven't made any noise yet... After police got involved - I simply had to leave, there was nothing I could do...

On the other hand - you can't let people take advantage of you - I had people saying to me I can't busk in certain spot or I will be charged £200 fine, or I need a licence to busk. Some people just don't like buskers and as long as they don't make an official complaint - you are fine. Tell them you are not required to have a licence and there is no £200 fee, you are not doing anything wrong. It's different when someone complains about how loud you are...

- SUMMARY -

The Busking Regulations are mainly advisory and if you didn't skip the post - you should now understand you can get away with many things. However, when someone complains to the police, ultimately you can't do much about it, but move...

My general advice here is to be reasonable and avoid complaints. If you have a short set, you can't be playing in one spot for long, keep moving every hour or you risk getting banned in one spot permanently. If you use an amp - turn it down to a reasonable level, don't try to get attention of the people by being loud. If you are not sure if you can busk in a certain spot - ask businesses around for permission. Best practise here - have at least one hour set of music, stay within reasonable volume and be aware of the businesses around.

Hope this helps - if you have anything to add to this list, please comment! :)
Don't get discouraged - and get busking!

TOP3: Most Popular Busking Spots in Brighton

There are many busking spots around Brighton and as a busker you get a choice between variety of streets and corners. Although not a single spot is good for everyone, I encourage to try different choices to see what works best for you.

Below are my Top 3 picks of Brighton's most popular busking spots. The main criteria for this list has been amount of buskers seen on these spots. It has nothing to do with my own preference, but at the same time I have tried them all. Weather you are willing to try busking in Brighton or just curious about the topic - below is all you need to know about these spots. Down we go:

3. Churchill Square

Pros:

• Loads of people
• Loud instruments with amplification are generally very well tolerated

Cons:

• Not suitable for quiet / acoustic acts 
• People are often in a hurry and choose not to pay attention to the busker

Churchill Square is one of the busiest Brighton areas. Located next to the shopping mall, many bus stops, banks, coffee shops and other business around, Churchill Square draws great public attention and is usually fuming with people. 

Tolerated busking areas are next to the Metro Bank and sometimes Starbucks. You are not allowed to play on the actual Square, because it belongs to the shopping mall, but next to the pavement and aside in front of the bank is fine. 

Great thing about Churchill Square - there are no strong restrictions on using an amplification or playing loud instruments. And to be honest busking without an amplifier in here is pointless unless you are a living statue, mime or similar. The area is very noisy, crowded and if you are an acoustic act, it might not be the best choice for you. On the other hand - great if you are killing it on the drums like this guy. 

In my own experience when I first came to busk in Churchill Square I had no Zebra mask, it was only me and piano. I soon realized most of the people were rushing along and not really paying attention. In my head I was thinking how can I stop them, how can I get their attention? And that was beginning of how I became Zebra... Although I am more visually attractive now, I still struggle to get enough attention playing at Churchill Square. Perhaps if I played boogie-woogie it would be a different story, who knows... 

My advice would be to give it a try and compare your outcome to the other busking spots out there. That's the only way to tell if it's suitable for your act or not. Still many buskers choose to play at Churchill Square and I assume do well enough, but it's definitely not a spot for everyone.

2. Pavilion Gardens 

Pros:

• People are very open and welcoming to the buskers
• Chilled and relaxed atmosphere

Cons: 

• Vocal amplification is not allowed
• The busking rules are reinforced by security guards

Pavilion Gardens is absolutely beautiful and peaceful place to busk (have a look for yourself). Located next to the Brighton Dome and Royal Pavilion itself, it's a major tourist attraction point with many visitor-groups taking tours across the premises on daily basis. 

It is a private ground and therefore from April to October Pavilion Gardens are regulated by security guards who reinforce the busking regulations in the garden. The current rules prohibit amplified vocals (following the complaint from the businesses on East street) and encourage to share the space with other buskers. This means if you have played in the gardens for a long time and someone else comes to busk, you should let them take over. Usually a long time is  considered around 1h. Some buskers let others play and book themselves after for another hour, consequently two buskers could be swopping each other all day long, but therefore there are security guards who make sure everyone gets to play in the end. 

Even though Pavilion Gardens is a large space, the only spot buskers are allowed on the grounds is garden crossroads by the Conservation Point in front of the Royal Pavilion. Amplified instruments are fine. 

The atmosphere in the gardens is very chilled and relaxed. You get people sitting and listening to you in the gardens and also people passing by. On a sunny day gardens are packed with the people and offers a great opportunity for the buskers. 

Pavilion Gardens is my favorite place to busk. It really compliments my character and the music I play. My advice would be to respect security guards, be friendly to them and they will be friendly to you. If someone else is playing in the gardens, don't be afraid to ask how long are they playing till. Sharing space is common in here and if you don't ask, someone else will.

1. New Road

Pros:

• Variety of busking spots along the street
• Great for busking all-year-round, also evenings

Cons:

• Some busking restrictions in the middle of the street
• Sometimes competitive with other buskers

Located close to the Pavilion Gardens, Brighton Dome and Royal Theater New Road is an important link between busy North street and North lanes. There is no major traffic on the street except some delivery trucks. Street is wide open to the people with many attractive pubs and restaurants along the way. 

You get a choice between three busking spots: close to the Royal Theater (beginning of the street), close to the Studio Theater (middle of the street) and close to the Unitarian Church (the end of the street). At the moment restrictions are put in place in the middle of street where there is a sign prohibiting amplification and playing for more than 1h. The thing about this sign is it belongs to the shop-owner who sometimes doesn't like buskers and is a printout of few official regulations by Brighton and Hove city council. It remains hit and miss with this spot and the only way to find out is to give it a try. If you use an amp, I'd suggest to turn your volume down to a reasonable level and hope no one will say anything (because legally it still counts as amplification).

Coming for the North street, you'll notice there are many wooden benches along the street. Buskers often use these benches to sit while they are playing (like these guys). If you do so I'd recommend to use benches closer to the center of the street - it's closer to the people passing by. Funny enough it's offices on this part of the street that banned vocal amplification in Pavilion Gardens, but on the actual street amplification is generally tolerated very well (at reasonable volume), although sometimes you might get a complaint.  

When playing close to Unitarian Church, be aware of lunchtime / evening concerts taking place in the church. Just keep your volume reasonable if anything. It's a great spot - you get to play both for the people passing by and people having drinks in the pubs opposite the church. It's a wide open space and my advice is to move closer to the center of the street, so that it takes less effort for the people to come by and give you a coin. Here is a great example of busking at this spot.

New Road is a fairly busy all-year-round both daytime and evening time. Can't say the same about Pavilion Gardens. It's always lively with many buskers and sometimes it can get competitive. Best is to cover the beginning or end of the street - that way you get the first impression of people coming from one side. When it's three buskers on the street - I find it harder to make money.

Right opposite the Mash Tun I had my first busking trial sitting on a wooden bench and playing the piano in cold January of 2015. I played for one hour and earned over £30 wrapped up in a black jacket and white hoodie (nothing to do with Zebra). In the same spot I met a journalist from Argos newspaper who took a video of me playing for their Best Busker competition. Who would have guessed back then it was going to be me (I hate that picture by the way).

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Hope you found some useful information. If you have any relevant information or perhaps an experience you'd like to share - please leave a comment below. Thank you very much and good luck busking! 

What is my Busking Setup?

I remember when I started busking, the first thing I did I went on internet and spent at least 3h looking for the perfect setup. It's not that hard if you play an acoustic instrument or sing, but when it comes down to powering up your digital piano, I could hardly find any straightforward and useful information. I won't discuss much about all the possible options (there are plenty of ways to do it), but I'll focus on what works for me and why. I hope this post will give you some useful ideas and information of how to set up a piano outside. Down we go:

1. The Piano

The digital piano I use for my own busking is YAMAHA P-95. It's an old version of the P series and the newest model would be YAMAHA P-115. 

The key feature for this choice was 88-fully-weighted keys which is an absolute standard for me as a classically trained pianist. There might be cheaper pianos and keyboards out there, but if it doesn't feel like a real piano - that's a no deal for me. The downside of having 88-fully-weighted keys is an actual weight of the piano. Perhaps new Yamaha Piaggero series is a good compromise if you plan to move around a lot, but to me it still lacks some touch quality and low end on the speakers.

Built-in speakers is another very important feature. Let me tell you why! Depending on busking regulations in different towns and cities  you might be allowed to use an amp, but there are many busking spots out there where amplification is not allowed. Having built-in speakers allows you to take advantage of those spots. Even though the speakers are practically a built-in-amp, you can still say: "There is no amplification, it's just a piano on its own" and get away with it. Another advantage of having speakers is a backup in case your amp runs out of batteries or breaks down. At the same time speakers are not facing the audience and for that reason they can't really replace the amp. 

Various sound options is another feature I use a lot when I busk. I don't need a choice of 100 presets, but having 3-4 that are used a lot definitely helps. For instance Vibrophone is something I use a lot, especially when playing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". 

2. The Amp

The Amp I use is an absolute favorite among the buskers and I've seen so many of these around - there must be a reason why. You can't go wrong with ROLAND CUBE STREET. 

The sound quality of this amp is immaculate and deserves a praise. EQ controls (for one of the inputs) gives you further options to improve the sound to its best. To me YAMAHA pianos sound very bright and I always preferred more settle, deep sound of Roland or KORG pianos; with this amp - tone control is not a problem, set EQs as you want and off you go. 

Another really great thing about this amp - it doesn't eat your batteries. My choice of batteries is Kodak Extralife from Poundland (believe me you don't need Duracell) and it lasts me for about 10-15h. That's around 3-5 days of busking - in my opinion can't get any better than that. 

It's portable and has a good shape slightly facing upwards. Some buskers turn it on the side and actually use it as a chair. 

3. A Car Jump Starter

Believe me I read so many articles online on how to power up a piano, but not a single one recommended a Car Jump Starter as an option. Instead people suggested complicated set-ups with deep cycle batteries and inverters, some suggested noisy generators. Another man I watched on YouTube suggested using external battery, it's the size of the hard drive and is used as a power bank for electronic devices. At first it seemed like the best option to me because of its size, but it's not designed to last in various weather conditions and mine broke down after few weeks. I tried another make, but it didn't work with my piano and I gave up on this idea... They not really designed to power up equipment, but to charge it. 

What I like about my jump starter, it's not extremely heavy, very portable device. It's easy to charge and lasts enough to do more than one day of busking. It also has an air compressor, which I use for pumping up the tires of my busking trolley.  

One decent website has mentioned jump starters in their complete guide, but referred to them as unreliable long term solution. Mine has lasted me for over one and half years before it stopped working and I was happy enough to buy another one exactly the same. 

4. The Wires

Obviously to connect the equipment above I need particular cables. Simple Jack to Jack lead to connect the piano to the amp and DC cigarette adapter to power up the piano from the jump starter. Simple. 

5. Piano Accesories 

Pretty basic - adjustable piano stool and a stand - mine are fold-able, so I can put them along the piano on the trolley - very compact. Obviously can't play without a sustain pedal - that goes into the bag. 

6. A Carry Bag

This is where I put amp, jump starter, wires, all my busking signs, zebra stuff and other little things. Very handy to have it all in one big bag. When on the go, I simply secure it on the top of the piano, nothing's hanging on my shoulders or back.

5. Heavy Duty Industrial Trolley

All my equipment goes on this trolley. And considering the weight of all the equipment I carry around - its absolutely essential for the sake of my back. 

Let me say - I didn't come up with this beast straight away. I began with a simple folding shopping trolley. Realized the wheels are too small for bumpy roads and upgraded to 2-wheel industrial trolley. I used that one for quite a while, but ended up with a very sore back. I thought if only it had another set of wheels at the back, it wouldn't be that hard, but I couldn't find a particular trolley with 4 big wheels like mine has. I ended up assembling my own trolley from this one and additional set of wheels. Since then my back has been fine. It's very comfortable to wheel around and feels pretty much like a shopping trolley.

Another great feature of this trolley - it's ideal for hanging my busking signs on it and it also matches the color with my amp. 

6. Zebra Stuff

All the black and white things come into this category except the piano itself: the mask, T-shirts, trousers, gloves, blanket, little foam mask and busking signs. It all contributes to what is Mellow Zebra and creates a rather unique busking character. 

How It All Looks Together?

That's pretty much it.

Let me know if you found this information useful! ;)

And feel free to comment for any additional questions or suggestions! 

Thank you!