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Self-regulation marked by Covent Garden performers

David Bennett A group of street performers in an eclectic range of outfits, including a man lying on a bed of nails, a unicyclist, two people on stilts and a leopard-print-wearing man holding a chain saw like a guitar.David Bennett
Performers at Covent Garden arrange their own time slots and resolve disputes as a community

Street artistes at London's Covent Garden are marking 50 years of performing in the piazza.

The location varies from the others in the city in that it has never required a licence or a permit to get a pitch.

Westminster City Council brought in a borough-wide scheme in 2021, but the Covent Garden Street Performers Association (CGSPA) decided not to be involved, instead relying on self-governance.

Aicha Less, from the council, said licencing ensured "fair treatment for all performers" and hoped to work with the CGSPA to develop guidance on regulation in the future.

A middle-aged man wearing a baker-boy cap and a patterned shirt in blue and pink, featuring tigers, leaves and swirls. It is sunny and he is smiling.
Melvyn Altwarg says Covent Garden was a success because performers organise it without external regulation

For 50 years, the performers have managed themselves without formal permits, programming teams, or external regulation.

Melvyn Altwarg, a CGSPA spokesperson, said the current system had worked well for decades.

"Covent Garden works because we built it.

"No one had to come in with a policy document – we figured it out on the cobblestones."

He added: "We developed our own system for rotating pitches, drawing lots for performance times, and resolving disputes collectively."

A 16-year-old boy wearing a stripy T-shirt and holding serrated juggling clubs.
The next generation of performers includes Harvey Stinton, who has been juggling in the square since he was 14

Street performing in the square dates back to at least 1662, when Samuel Pepys wrote in his diary about a marionette show.

Modern-day artists to have cut their teeth in Covent Garden include Cirque Du Soleil, STOMP and Dynamo.

A woman in a rainbow-coloured outfit, holding a combination of bright yellow hoops above her head.
Circus-style acts are popular with the tourists
A man lying on a bed of nails. He has no top on but is wearing a cowboy hat and tartan punk-style trousers. He is smiling and has long hair.
Always time for a nice rest on a giant hedgehog

The regulatory scheme brought in by Westminster City Council has largely been complied with in other areas.

Performers in Leicester Square were recently subject to a noise abatement notice categorising music played by buskers as a statutory nuisance and akin to "psychological torture".

Aicha Less, from the council, said it was very supportive of "the immensely talented street performers who bring joy to tourists and residents alike".

She said the aim of regulation was to "balance the needs of businesses and residents while ensuring street performers and buskers can continue to do what they do best.

"There are no informal agreements with any performer associations, and our licensing scheme aims to set a level playing field - ensuring fair treatment for all performers whilst allowing others to live and work without excessive crowding or noise."

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