(SAN JOSE) The Tico Times - Costa Rica's national newspaper - reports that skaters will no longer be legal in public transit in and around San José. Neither will walking between cars be tolerated. In an effort to refine the law, street-performers reacted with a large protest by marching down 2nd Street to Parque Nacional located near the Legislative Assembly building in the nation's capital. Why? Because some of the best busker acts at the parques involve skating and skateboards. The new law would thusly deprive them from making a living.

Zoobie, an editor at Busker Central, has actually busked Parque Central in downtown San José. Back in the day, it was a nice sunny venue aside from the vendors mostly selling fruits, vegetables, and artwork. People were appreciative and generous on market days. But segregating s...

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(VANCOUVER) Once a bustling tourist mecca, Vancouver is rapidly gaining a reputation as the "No-Fun-Allowed" city.Granville Island has recently revamped their busking regulations with a dizzying array of almost impossible requirements.

Included is having to pass not one but two auditions by a non-qualified jury, a doubling of license fees, arbitrarily banning popular performers, and for good measure, an unbelievable 15 pages of rules.

And they're just getting warmed up. Forget fire and circle shows. Even with insurance, these are out. Want to change a line or joke? It's not allowed once the license agreement is signed. It's the most preposterous, cockeyed, idiotic conception Busker Central News has ever reported.

License fees were doubled because they "hadn't been raised in 5 years."...

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(ENGLAND) Busker and supply teacher Phil Gray was happily busking away when a passerby casually took the hat off Gray's head and disappeared.It all seemed to be a joke until the grim reality set in. The hat was gone - never to be returned.

Fortunately, an audience member was shooting a video with his cell phone of Gray performing when the incident occurred.

Gray claims the creep who stole his hat had talked with him several times earlier in the day.

In the video, you actually see the crime committed. The thief was later picked up but no hat was to be found.

Full story and video

(SHANGHAI) For the first time in modern Chinese history, buskers and street-performers may be able to perform their art without being stopped. "We'll be the first city in China to open arms to street-side performers," said Luo Huaizhen, a playwright who for the last eight years has urged the Shanghai People's Congress to allow street performers.

Shanghai residents will be able to see artists and performers doing creative shows in public spaces for the first time since the World Expo in 2010 when it was temporarily allowed. China has forbidden buskers because crowds gather possibly leading to discussions concerning the government.

Busker Central noticed a few years ago when the Chinese government started draining the street-performer website with useless connections. It has since had to block China...

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(KEY WEST) Just when you think they've figured it all out, Key West's city hall has created still more controversy in their busking laws. Being in the news over the past several years, it may be a matter of the successful Mallory Square Sunset Celebration turf just not being big enough for the city's satisfaction.
The city along with the Cultural Preservation Society(?) now wants to charge individual buskers $20 a night for accepting tips. Federal courts repeatedly rule that permit fees for First Amendment activity are unconstitutional. Yet we see constant challenges to the right of free speech. City halls do not seem to understand that busking and street performing are immune to their taxing. Confusion appears to come when the performer is observed accepting tips. It seems any exchange of money gets some excited...

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