(TAIPEI) Busking is a thriving art in Taipei - a city that is busy promoting Taiwanese street performances featuring modern and traditional elements. In Taipei City alone, there are 59 public places now open to street performers including parks, commercial plazas, and a number of metro stations.

Besides Vieshow Square, the Ximending area in western Taipei and the Tamshui Metro station near the northwest coast of New Taipei City are also renowned busking sites.

Born from this success, the Taiwan Buskers Development Association was created whose mission is to fight for more street performance space, advocate buskers job rights, and keep the traditional arts alive.

The talents of these street performers range from portraiture, singing, acrobatics and juggling to posing as living statues, magic tricks, street dancing,...

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(CHRISTCHURCH) Comedians, daredevils, dancers, singers and acrobats will hit the streets in January to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the World Buskers Festival. Fifty-five performers representing 14 countries will descend on the city for the annual 10-day festival from January 18-28.To celebrate 25 years, there will be five headline shows. After making it through to the America’s Got Talent final last year, The Boy with Tape on His Face is coming home to premier his new ideas. Urzila Carlson will perform her new show Unacceptable and the Topp Twins will entertain the crowds with their classic Kiwi humour. A Night at the Musicals, featuring Le Gateau Chocolat, will bring musical entertainment, as will Crossdresser for Christ, featuring Ginger Minj from RuPaul’s Drag Race.

New features wil...

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(MINNESOTA) The fair city of Minneapolis is now paying buskers and street performers to add culture to the downtown area.Thanks to the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District (DID), streets will be more vibrant as the city encourages entertainers rather than shooing them away.

The DID Street Show pays performers $50 an hour (more if you have a duo or trio act) in addition to whatever they make in tips.

The downtown organization felt that the busking scene could get a boost by offering entertainers a guaranteed payment.

In Minneapolis, busking is legal as long as performers are on public property, don’t obstruct traffic and don’t violate noise ordinances.

But even a great artist can be met with indifference when trying to coax hurried pedestrians to stop, listen and open their wallets.

For more information on ...

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(SAN DIEGO) There's a lot of buzz about this year's Spring Busker Festival in San Diego, California. This year, the festival is celebrating it's 12th season featuring buskers from coast to coast.Recognized for their unusual acts, buskers and street performers will display their unicycles, pogo sticks, juggling, aerial ballet, dance, sword swallowing, jump ropes, contortion, stunts, comedy, fire breathing, and yet even more.

The exceptional event includes a special wet and wild “Buskers After Dark” performance Saturday evening featuring a DJ, food and beer specials, and busker acts best suited for those over 18.

Enjoy a day on the coast with those bloody buskers!
All busker festivals are free but cash tips are always appreciated.
Be sure to bring a few extra bills.


For more info
be sure to check out
the lin...

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A new coffee-table book for lovers of Venice Beach Street Performers has just been released.

In case you don't know, Venice Beach is the second most visited tourist area in Southern California with Disneyland being the first.

The writers of the book evidently found a guy who passed the 30 year mark. He was performing when most of today's self-proclaimed "king of the street performers" were still in diapers.

Also included is a humorous story from Mad Chad Taylor on how he first started juggling chainsaws thanks to some goofy commercial maker.

The book includes some killer photos...

Check it out