Noise and nuisance

Bankside is a residential and business area. Your performance could impact people living and working nearby. 

If a Southwark Council or City of London officer asks you to, move away or adjust your volume or performance.

The biggest cause of complaints about busking is noise. Sound can travel a long way. It can go high into the air and affect residents who live in flats. It can bounce off hard surfaces and water and affect residents across the river.

We advise you to:

• keep your volume to just above the background street noise
• avoid using amplification
• if you do use amplifiers, be aware of your volume and keep it low
• check if your performance can be heard 40 metres away, if it can then it's too loud and will be disturbing others
• be aware that in the summer residents may have their windows open
• not cause an obstruction
• check your equipment will not trip passers-by
• not let your audience block access to a door or walkway

You can avoid complaints by:

• being polite and reasonable
• reducing noise levels if asked
• making use of a busking pitch and consider allowing a break between performances
• keeping backing tracks unobtrusive and turn them off when you’re not performing
• considering how your music may affect others who live and work in the area
• stopping your performance if crowds gather and cause an obstruction
• limiting your performance to 1 hour

Also try to avoid:

• repeating songs
• busking close to another busker which can cause a noise clash that can be intrusive
• performing outside the busking pitch
• using loud amplification - your performance does not need to be loud to attract an audience 
• selling CDs or other merchandise
• playing brass, drums or bagpipes

Busking laws

Find out more about busking laws by reading:

• Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014
• Control of Pollution Act 1974
• Environmental Protection Act 1990
• London Borough of Southwark byelaws for pleasure grounds, public walks and open spaces (these relate to causing annoyance due to excessive noise)