Buskers are part of the urban fabric of many big cities around the world. Hong Kong has sought to weave the street performers into its own rich cultural tapestry but with limited success. Inroads were made to encouraging the practice in the 2010s, but they were subsequently undercut by restrictions on gatherings during the social unrest in 2019 and then through the pandemic.
It is therefore a positive sign to see busking making something of a post-pandemic revival. This can be seen in the success of many buskers including the local group, The Flame, which formed in 2012 and since October has been holding monthly Cantopop busking performances that now draws crowds in the hundreds. Their covers of older local pop songs have proven popular with their audience.
Street performers in the city must apply for a permit from police to play their instruments in public. They are limited to performing at specific times and locations. They are barred from receiving tips or rewards by law to discourage begging. Acts complain incidentally of police breaking up their performances or requiring them to move to other locations.
It is good that six shared spaces on the harbourfront, along with the outdoor area of the town hall at Sha Tin, allow buskers to perform without requiring permits.
Some consideration could be given to expanding the number of these locations, or perhaps relaxing some requirements to allow for more spontaneity.
Yet allowing deregulated street performances like some other cities have done runs the risk of musicians running afoul of the neighbours in the areas in which they perform. In 2018, officials scrapped performances by a boisterous group of buskers on a pedestrian zone in Mong Kok due to complaints about disruptions and noise.
