For Subscribers

Analysis July 2025: The effects of Leicester Square’s ban on buskers

2025-06-27T08:46:00

0730b112-4480-480b-86e4-fe8a3de2842d

Now that buskers have been banned in London’s Leicester Square, how does the future of street entertainment look for those who depend on it for their livelihood? By Peter Somerford

A busking ban in London’s Leicester Square has alarmed some street musicians, who fear a corporate clampdown on busking in the capital. Global Radio, which has offices on Leicester Square, took Westminster City Council to court over the noise from buskers playing in the square. On 26 March a magistrates’ court judge served a noise abatement notice on the council, after likening the playing of loud songs over and over to ‘psychological torture’. To comply with the order, the council suspended its two Leicester Square performance pitches, only one of which allows amplification…

Already subscribed? Please sign in

Subscribe to continue reading…

We’re delighted that you are enjoying our website. For a limited period, you can try an online subscription to The Strad completely free of charge.

  • Free 7-day trial

    Not sure about subscribing? Sign up now to read this article in full and you’ll also receive unlimited access to premium online content, including the digital edition and online archive for 7 days.

    Free trial

    No strings attached – we won’t ask for your card details

  • Subscribe 

    No more paywalls. To enjoy the best in-depth features and analysis from The Strad’s latest and past issues, upgrade to a subscription now. You’ll also enjoy regular issues and special supplements* and access to an online archive of issues back to 2010.

    Subscribe

 

* Issues and supplements are available as both print and digital editions. Online subscribers will only receive access to the digital versions.