Salamanca Market busking conditions

Conditions apply for busking in Salamanca Place, Salamanca Square, Salamanca Lawns, Kennedy Lane and Wooby's Lane during the operation of Salamanca Market and the occasional Sunday Salamanca Market. 

General

  • A temporary Busking Licence can be issued on market day. These are free of charge and are available from the information booth on the Salamanca Lawns from 8 am. You must present photo identification and people under 16 years of age will need parental permission to perform.
  • Buskers may entertain the public by playing an instrument, singing, dancing, juggling or miming, or provide a service such hair plaiting or face painting and may accept, but cannot ask for donations for their performance.
  • Performance times are limited to a maximum of 30 minutes, and the market supervisor will make sure there is a minimum break of 30 minutes between performances.
  • The use of sound amplification or electrically amplified instruments is allowed, but this use, including the level or volume of amplification, is at the absolute discretion of the market supervisor.
  • Larger groups of buskers may only operate within designated busking areas. The market supervisor may also allow solo buskers at these sites.
  • A busking licence holder may busk in an area that is not a designated busking area, so long as this performance does not interfere with a stallholder or the general operation of the market.
  • A busking licence may be made inoperative at the discretion of the City of Hobart on market day.

Permitted activities

A busking licence holder is expected to:

  • when performing, display a current licence card so that the public can easily view the licence number and expiry date
  • comply with any lawful direction of a police officer, market supervisor or an authorised City officer and recognise that any decision of the market supervisor is final
  • only perform within the hours of 8.30 am to 3 pm and not play pre-recorded music when not performing
  • not obstruct or create a nuisance for any stallholder or member of the public, and not wear or display any advertising
  • only sell recordings of their own musical repertoire.

Gladstone Street and Montpelier Retreat busking pitches

The busking blackboards for the Gladstone Street and Montpelier Retreat busking pitches will be available for bookings at the information booth from 8 am (no earlier).  These sites are only available to professional performers who must be over 16 years old.

Buskers who are using amplified sound or circle acts and who have a valid Salamanca Market permit are required to meet at the information booth from 8.00 am at which time straws are drawn to determine the order in which buskers may choose their performance time. They may then, in the order decided by the draw, one after the other, select one time-slot only on each board.

Buskers are not permitted at any time to book consecutive time-slots and need to leave a time-slot between two performances.

Buskers are asked to be supportive of each other and be fair and reasonable. If this process of self-regulation isn’t working, buskers may ask for assistance by a crew member through the information booth or provide feedback to the Salamanca Market administration team via salamancamarket@hobartcity.com.au.

Note: a professional performer is someone who regularly performs and earns income from their performances. 

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