Best Street Buskers in the World: a list of buskers along with places to find them.
I have been traveling the world for over 15 years making my living as a street performer. I have played music in every major city in Europe, USA and Canada as well as some more unusual places like Ulan Bator in Mongolia. I have traveled by train, bus, car, donkey and foot to meet other buskers and learn new tricks from them.
I have made this site for all those people who are interested in the art of street performing so that they can find the best performers in the world. If you know of a truly great busker that should be listed here please write me an email at jim@buskercentral.com and let me know about them.
Best Street Buskers in the World: a list of buskers along with places to find them.
The first three aren’t really “street buskers” in the sense of playing on the street for money, but they’re all worth checking out anyway.
*Bobby McFerrin. A virtuoso vocal improviser, Bobby McFerrin is a one-man performance art show/music festival. If you ever have a chance to see him perform, do it! He also has an amazing voice, and some great albums (Circle Songs, Hush).
*Kronos Quartet. The Kronos Quartet, who play avant-garde classical music, are another performance art act. They’re not just great musicians– they’re also fun to watch. Watching the quartet is like watching four people play chess. Each member of the quartet is an expert at his instrument; together they can play almost anything. I had the good fortune to see them live twice in the 90s, once playing Steve Reich’s Different Trains and once playing Terry Riley’s Sun Rings [review].
*Jimmy Dale Gilmore. Jimmy Dale Gilmore may be best known as an actor or as a singer-songwriter (he sang the theme song
Before travelling the world to see the best street performers, you could read the list of Best Street Buskers in the World. These buskers play music and perform other acts at various places.
The list is a good one: it has been compiled by buskers who have travelled the world. You will find this list on our website. The list also contains some links to busker websites, as well as suggestions of good places to find buskers (e.g. subway stations, town squares).
The following are some of the best street buskers in the world.
Buskers have been defined as performers who play music or perform other acts, such as juggling or pantomime, for voluntary donations in public places, especially on the streets. Some buskers cross over into other performances art forms such as performance art, comedy and theater. The following is a list of their places of performance.
Cameron Hughes: performs magic tricks and card manipulation in Melbourne, Australia.
Homeless Shakespeare in the Subway: performs Shakespeare scenes in New York City subways.
Trio Soap: opera singers who perform in public spaces around Berlin, Germany.
Beatboxer Tom Thum: beatboxes (vocal percussion) at shopping centres in Brisbane, Australia and on YouTube.
The Naked Cowboy: plays guitar on the streets of Times Square, New York City and has appeared on many television shows including Oprah Winfrey Show and The Today Show.
There are many different styles of busking and buskers throughout the world. Busking is often looked down upon by many citizens, but it is becoming increasingly popular with more people wanting to see street performers. Some cities have even developed regulations to protect buskers rights and enhance the public experience.
While musicians are the most popular type of busker, some truly unique performers take to the streets every day. From jugglers, comedians, magicians and mimes to fire eaters, sword swallowers and acrobats, there is a type of street performer for everyone’s taste.
If you are a musician or an artist looking for a place to perform, this list might give you some inspiration and help you plan your next adventure!
1. The Underbelly, Edinburgh Festival
The best street performers in the world. End of.
2. The Swiss Cowbell Ringers, Basel
A bizarrely brilliant Swiss tradition. Imagine a bunch of cowbells, a few big drums and two or three people banging away on tubas. Now imagine them all playing in unison. And then imagine them all marching through the streets of Basel every Easter Monday – they do this to celebrate the end of winter, apparently – and that’s what you get with the Swiss Cowbell Ringers (or ‘Eggenschwiler’). The cacophony is incredible: if you ever find yourself walking through Basel on Easter Monday, you simply must stop to watch them pass by (they start at 8am).
3. David O’Connor, Dublin
O’Connor may not be the best-known busker in Dublin (that would be Glen Hansard of Once fame), but he’s probably one of the most gifted and original musicians in Ireland today. A multi-instrumentalist who plays everything from guitar to saxophone to tin whistle, O’Connor is known for his uncanny ability to imitate sounds from nature – birdsong and bees buzzing – and for his improvised musical stories about
1. Stephen Gould, New York City
2. Jali Buba Kuyateh and his kora, Boston
3. Dixie Dave, Boston
4. Big Boy Brass Band, New Orleans
5. Siena Wind Quintet, Cambridge
6. The Wavos, Boston
7. The Yohimbe Brothers, New York City
8. Antwerp Street Orchestra, Antwerp
9. Moisturizer, Boston
10. The Toe Jam Puppet Band, Cambridge
