‘Heard loudly’: Lord Mayor announces major backflip on busking rules in Sydney
The City of Sydney has made a major U-turn on busking rules, causing “confusion and frustration” for musicians in the state capital.
Previous updates to Sydney’s busking regulations meant musicians were limited to performing in certain areas of the city, including George St between Circular Quay and Haymarket, with the exception of six venues.
Previously, buskers were allowed to play anywhere in the city as long as it was safe.
Under new regulations, the City of Sydney will increase the number of approved venues for buskers to perform in the city, including Pitt Street Shopping Center and Martin Place.
The new rules will also allow for “more flexible” busking options on George St and more time allocation for “greater diversity of performance styles”.
Online resources will also be updated on the City of Sydney website, allowing buskers to access an interactive version of the bus code, renew permits and keep up to date on existing bus robbing sites.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the changes were made due to intense reaction from artists.
The review, which launched in November 2025, received more than 130 responses from the public.
“After hearing loud and clear that instrumentalists wanted more space and flexibility, we changed the script so that instrumentalists can perform wherever they want, with a few exceptions that we respectfully ask them to avoid,” Ms. Moore said.
“The state government operates on land, as well as along the port and at railway stations, still using the old approach of allowing bus interception only in certain areas.
“Social musicians are telling us they want this to change and be aligned with the state government’s new approach to the city.
“We are committed to working closely with the NSW government, which manages Barangaroo, The Rocks, Circular Quay and the rail network, to better align busking programs and provide buskers in Sydney areas with a single source of information.”
Ms. Moore said the city is open to feedback until April 7, with the new policy coming back to council for adoption in May.
