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                    Premium busking permits

                    Busker playing panpipes in Bourke Street Mall
                    If you are a professional busker wanting to perform in designated locations, including Bourke Street Mall, you can apply for a premium busking permit.

                    Premium permits include access to both designated premium sites within Bourke Street Mall and general areas where busking is permitted. 

                    In order to apply for a premium busking permit, you must be already busking with a current general area permit for a minimum six months.

                    If you are a visiting professional act, you can apply for a short-term premium busking permit without needing to hold a current general area busking permit.

                    What is a 'professional busker'?

                    You are considered a professional busker if:

                    • busking is your main source of income
                    • you have a repertoire that enables you to perform for at least 30 minutes without repeating a song, and
                    • you have a website, YouTube, Facebook or other online profile.

                    Auditions

                    As part of applying for a premium busking permit (excluding short-term interstate or international applications), you will need to perform your busking act at a live audition.

                    Once you have submitted a permit application, we will review the application and if eligible, we will contact you to attend a safety, amenity and performance review to audition. Auditions for premium busking permit applicants take place in the Bourke Street Mall busking sites.​​

                    Audition dates:

                    • Wednesday 29 March 2023
                    • Wednesday 21 June 2023
                    • Wednesday 13 September 2023​
                    • Wednesday 6 December 2023.

                    ​Locations and site allocation​​​

                    Designated premium permit locations include the f​​ive musical sites and one non-musical site in Bourke Street Mall. 

                    Premium (Bourke Street Mall) permit holders attend a weekly site allocation meeting to be allocated a busking location for the coming week. Site allocation meetings are held on Wednesday mornings.

                    Sites are allocated via a ballot draw in the presence of all Bourke Street Mall buskers to ensure equity of access and diversity of performances in Bourke Street Mall. 

                    Buskers in premium locations are permitted to perform for 30 minutes with a 30-minute break for the duration of the set as allocated at the Bourke Street Mall buskers’ meeting.

                    More information​​​

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