Planning to busk in Dublin? Make sure you know the city’s bye-laws first
Dubliners are well used to seeing buskers add energy to the city and imbue the capital with a lively sense of fun, but there are laws when it comes to street performances that not everyone will be aware of.
From talented musicians belting out ballads for tourists in Temple Bar to break dancers drawing huge crowds on Grafton Street , all street performers must get a permit if they wish to put on a public performance. The standard yearly cost is €30 per year.
However, there’s plenty of performers who like to travel and not everyone taking their act onto the streets will need a yearly permit for Dublin . For this reason, there’s also a Visitor Street Performance Permit that’s valid for just two weeks at a cost of €10.
However, depending on the type of performance someone is doing, the costs can rise. Amplification costs more and requires an additional permit at a rate of €60 per year. If a performer is playing in a band or part of a troupe, each individual must also hold their own permits, as they cannot be sought for a group.
We’ve all seen it before where a busker unfortunately doesn’t have enough material to keep things going and it can be a struggle for audiences when an amateur guitarist strums the final chord on Wonderwall only to quickly repeat the same song ad nauseam. That’s why buskers require at least 30 minutes of material to keep things from feeling too repetitive.
Behaviour and conduct also play a crucial role in whether a street performer can show off their act, as racist, lewd and offensive busking is not allowed under any circumstances. There’s also health and safety concerns when it comes to the type of props and materials a busker is using.
Shockingly, dangerous materials like fire or knives can be permitted, but that’s only if the performer holds public liability insurance of at least €6.4 million. This might be a tough bar for some to reach, but it does mean trained professionals can put on lavish, death-defying shows on the streets of Dublin city.
The world of street performing is notoriously competitive and buskers are always competing for areas with high footfall and lots of engagement. That’s why there are some specific rules in place when it comes to Dublin’s most sought after busking spot: Grafton Street.
Usually performers can stay in the same spot for up to two hours before they are required to move along. But, on Grafton Street they only get one hour before it’s time to pack up their things and give someone else a chance to show the people what they’ve got.
Once a busker's time is up they must relocate to an area that’s at least 100 meters from their original location and nobody should return to the same spot until at least the following day. Dublin City Council ’s street performing bye-laws also reveal that “dance acts, circle acts and bands of five members or more may not perform at any time on Grafton Street between the junction at Nassau Street/Suffolk Street and the junction at South King Street/St. Stephen’s Green.”
Not every type of performance is equal in Dublin’s busking scene as some rules have been put in place to keep the quality high. With pre-recorded audio tracks to sing or play along not permitted, this ensures that Dublin doesn’t turn into a citywide karaoke party and there are certain prohibited areas, like the outside of the GPO or parts of Temple Bar, where street performing is not allowed.
Noise and space are also subject to certain control measures. This means that no performance should take place at volume above 80 decibels, and in Temple Bar that falls to 75. Performers must also be separated by at least 50 meters from another busker, this is to ensure multiple singers and buskers don’t drown one another out in a cacophony of sound.
Failing to meet any of these requirements can have serious consequences, as An Garda Síochana are able to issue fines and even arrest those in breach of the bye-laws. Some offences can result in an on the spot fine of €75 that must be paid to the council within 28 days, this involves no legal proceedings.
However, more serious breaches can see would-be buskers in court and facing a penalty of up to €1500. As a tough business that sees performers earn a living one coin at a time, anyone busking without a permit or breaking the rules should consider how long they’d have to play for before they recoup €1500 singing or performing on Dublin’s streets.
This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme