Buskers

Sunderland has always been a popular place for busking. There are plenty of pitches and many people are happy to listen to street performers; which add colour and vibrancy to public spaces, providing enjoyment for residents, visitors, and businesses.

No licence is required to busk unless you are raising money for a charity, in which case you must hold a valid charity collection permit from the Council.

At times, complaints can be received if the volume, duration and frequency of the noise is excessive for residents or local businesses.

To ensure city centre spaces are shared considerately, we've written and agreed a Buskers code of conduct alongside:

Representatives of the busking community
Sunderland's Business Improvement District

The aim of the code is to ensure everyone can enjoy the performances. Please see our Buskers Code of Conduct for more information.

Busking locations

The council has identified several locations where busking is welcomed. These are:

High Street West near old Mothercare/Argos
Blandford Street near raised planter bed
Park Lane - near statue outside The Point
Market Square - in the middle to ensure even distribution of noise
Sunniside Gardens

Advice for buskers

Responsible buskers are welcomed by Sunderland City Council.

Whenever you set out to perform on a street, you are joining an existing environment of shops, businesses, street traders, residents, members of the public and other buskers.

Before setting up, consider the impact that your act will have on other users of the space. Take care not to obstruct highways or shop entrances and to allow plenty of space for people to walk past you and any equipment.

If you gather a crowd, it is your responsibility to manage the situation sensibly and ensure normal use of the street can continue.

Occasionally we may receive a complaint about noise. This is generally down to levels being too loud , the noise is continuous or singing repeated songs. We ask that you initially try to resolve this issue yourself and look at ways in which performances can be adapted to suit an area. Consideration should be given to:

Volume levels. Passersby's should be able to hear you but adjacent business and residents should not be unreasonably impacted. Get someone to help fix your levels.
Consider the type of equipment being used. Some musical instruments and amplifiers that are suited to the stage are not necessarily suited to busking in a street. Drumming or low frequency heavy bass should be discouraged because this will travel and can be heard more clearly inside buildings.
Change your location every two hours.
Complaints about busking can be about how intrusive a sound is. It is not just about its volume - performances that are repetitive can cause more disturbance.
Take regular breaks.
Restricting performance to between 09:00 - 18:00 hours.

Where possible, introduce yourself to nearby businesses to where you intend to perform. By letting them know about your performance in advance and be approachable to change - this will make complaints less likely.

Please see our Buskers Code of Conduct for more information.

If the council receives complaints of noise, it has a duty to investigate. If your volume is loud enough to be heard inside buildings in the surrounding area or from the opposite side of a street, it is likely to be too loud and would be considered unreasonable.

An officer will discuss the complaint with you, look at your set up and will discuss ways in which the noise impact can be reduced.

The Council has enforcement powers to address noise and antisocial behaviour however most complaints are resolved amicably. Formal action will be taken as a last resort, where buskers have repeatedly failed to follow guidance.

Advice for residents and businesses about busking

If you're a resident or business owner with a concern about busking or street performance you should:

Speak directly with the busker regarding your concerns, in the first instance
Explain the impact their busking is having on you
Politely request they adjust their performance - for example, turn the volume or bass down, or move to another pitch
Draw the busker's attention to guidance

If this does not resolve the issue a complaint can be made to the council.

To report noise in the street Contact us

Officers will respond as soon as possible in order to assess the level of disturbance within your premises and talk to the buskers on your behalf. We will work with the busker to try and reach a compromise that reduces noise levels.

If buskers fail to respond appropriately, a warning notice may be served. If a notice is issued, our Environmental Street Wardens will investigate any further reports, and a decision will be made about continued enforcement action.

Once a warning notice has been issued, our Environmental Street Wardens will investigate any further reports and a decision will be made about the enforcement action being taken, under legislation.

Formal action will be taken as a last resort, where buskers have repeatedly failed to follow this guidance.