Closure of Trafalgar Square busking pitch leaves London’s street performers without a stage this Christmas

For the first time ever, many of London’s buskers have been left with nowhere to perform during the city’s busiest festive period, putting livelihoods at risk.

This week, the Trafalgar Square busking pitch has been closed to make way for the annual Christmas Market, with the closure set to remain until Wednesday 7 January 2026. This follows a City of London Magistrates Court ruling earlier this year that banned busking in Leicester Square, making this the first year both key pitches have been unavailable to musicians reliant on them as part of their income.

Following a City of London Magistrates Court ruling earlier this year that banned busking in Leicester Square, buskers have expressed their despair at the ruling, citing loss of earnings and the potential long lasting effect it could have on the industry. After describing it as a “statutory nuisance” and even comparing it to “psychological torture techniques”, performers have been left with limited viable options across Westminster.

As a result, many artists who previously worked in Leicester Square had joined the rota for Trafalgar Square, only to now find themselves unable to perform once again. The closure has reignited calls from the busking community for new viable and accessible performance pitches in central London. In doing so, it would allow them to continue to earn as well as spread the festive cheer along the streets of the capital city.

Over 1,800 people have signed a petition in support of the campaign for new pitches, which has also received backing from Labour MPs Dawn Butler and Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Green Party Leader and London Assembly Member Zack Polanski, and busker and social media sensation Luke Silva, who has more than 2 million followers on TikTok and YouTube.

Mayor Sadiq Khan has previously expressed his support for street performance in the capital, describing buskers as “integral to the city’s vibrant culture” and voicing his support for “all efforts to ensure performers have access to viable and high-profile pitches”.

Naomi Pohl, General Secretary for the Musicians’ Union (MU) said:

“Christmas markets are an important part of the festive season in London. But it is also a fact that the run up to Christmas is when buskers earn a significant portion of their income. Without viable and accessible busking pitches in Westminster, London’s buskers are set to lose up to £15,000 each. Given UK musicians’ average income is £20,700, you can see how important busking in the festive season is to our members.”

Serena Kaos, busker and Westminster Street Performers Association rep said:

“From an already unsustainable situation, where the buskers of Westminster who require amplification can only work in Trafalgar Square – resulting in queues so long that some performers are left out – over the Christmas period, we’ll have 2 months of no pitch to work whatsoever, due to the Square being closed for the Christmas Market.

“The situation could be temporarily improved by simply including a regulated amplified busking pitch within the Market, which has been proposed to the council before, but it seems as if there’s a complete disregard of the busking community.”

Anonymous Busker said:

“I cannot stress enough how in trouble we are. There is no alternative amplified pitch to perform in that is viable or accessible. Trafalgar Square was the last spot left to legally busk that had enough footfall and now none of us can work there until next year.

“We all have rent to pay, some of us have kids, some have mortgages, but we all have licenses and insurance to busk and now we’re out of work for the festive season.

“Without Leicester Square being open as an alternative pitch for those pushed out of Trafalgar Square for Christmas, it feels like Westminster Council has made a conscious decision.”

The MU and London’s busking community are calling on Westminster City Council and the Greater London Authority to work together urgently to open new high-profile, viable and accessible busking spaces, ensuring London’s world-famous street performers are not silenced during one of the most culturally and economically important times of the year.