Are you interested in performing on the streets in Mallory Square? Then read this guide.
If you are hoping to make a living as a street performer, then there is no better place to start than Mallory Square in Key West Florida. There are more street performers per square foot than anywhere else on the planet. In fact, many veteran performers have called Mallory Square the best street performing venue in the world. This post will tell you how to get started street performing in Mallory Square.
First, you should know that Key West is a tourist town. So if you want to make money as a performer, then you need to be entertaining tourists from around the world. Because of this, it’s very important that your act is crowd-friendly and understandable by people from all over the world who speak different languages and have different cultural backgrounds.
What does this mean for your act? Well, for one thing, it means that you cannot use language in your performance unless your audience will understand it (i.e., English). It also means that you don’t want to rely on any cultural references or stereotypes that are specific to one country or culture (i.e., don’t poke fun at Donald Trump unless your audience knows who he is). Finally, it
Street performers are an integral part of the Mallory Square experience. Performing in Mallory Square is a great way to make money and meet new people.
Mallory Square is one of the most famous tourist locations in the world, and many people come to Key West just for the nightly sunset celebrations at Mallory Square. Every night hundreds of tourists flock to Mallory Square for the Sunset Celebration, and the street performers who perform there play a major role in making those tourists happy.
If you want to become a Mallory Square street performer, start by reading this blog to learn more about what it takes to get started.
Welcome to the most informative web site on Mallory Square street performing in Key West, Florida.
The purpose of this web site is to provide any and all information that a street performer might find useful while performing on the streets of Key West, Florida.
Mallory Square is one of the most iconic locations in the world for street performing. The nightly Sunset Celebration is as well known as Las Vegas, New York, or Paris. It is a gathering place for people from all over the world to meet and mingle with each other and their hosts.
For performers it can be a lucrative experience but getting started can be frustrating – for this reason this web site exists.
The first step to performing in Mallory Square is to get a license. This is done by going to the City Hall located on Greene Street, and asking for a street performer’s license. The license costs $45.00 and is valid for a year. You will need a Florida State Identification Card or Driver’s License, and you may be asked for proof of residency.
The best thing to do after that is to head over to Mallory Square and decide where you want to perform. If you have never performed in Mallory Square before, I would suggest starting out at the west end of the square where there are less people, and therefore less competition. Also, if you are not yet prepared for prime time, this will give you an opportunity to work out the kinks without so much pressure from the crowd and other performers.
Once you have chosen your spot, you must stay there until at least 6:30 pm (sunset). After that time it is perfectly acceptable to move around or even leave if things are slow. If a crowd has formed around someone else’s act, it is fine to join them provided you don’t block anyone’s view or do anything that might interrupt the show or take away from the tips they receive.
From this blog post:
“I’ve had nothing but great experiences with other street performers. Everyone is so friendly and willing to give each other tips and advice. If you’re planning on being a street performer in Key West, you’ll want to start with the basics.
Basic Juggling
If you’re just starting to juggle, I recommend picking up some stage balls. They are bigger and have a better feel in the hand than beanbags or tennis balls. Stage balls are also easier to see in a crowd (especially if you’re performing at night). For example, these stage balls come in sets of three or four and are reasonably priced.”
If you are interested in performing in Mallory Square, please contact us and send us some information about yourself and what you do. We will respond to your email, if you are accepted, with a performance agreement that you must sign and return.
Mallory Square Performers
Wendy Whelan
Dance – Wendy dances on the stage near the Waterfront Brewery. Wendy doesn’t have any shows scheduled at this time.
Edward Ramirez
Drawing – Edward draws portraits of people on a sketch pad in front of him, charging $10 per head. He is located across from Wendy, near the Waterfront Brewery. Edward performs Monday thru Saturday from 4:00pm to 8:00pm.
James Wilcox
Fire Eating – James eats fire on the steps of the pier near Wendy’s location on the stage. He performs every night from 7:00pm to 10:30pm, weather permitting. James does not perform on rainy nights or when it is windy. If it looks like it may rain or be windy sometime during the night, James will not perform that evening. If your group is leaving via cruise ship in the morning and he has not performed because of weather conditions, we will provide a full refund to all members of
The most important thing to remember as a performer is that you need to actively engage the audience. It’s not enough to simply stand there and give them something to watch, you need to make them part of the show. You want the audience to be so engaged that they’ll feel bad if they walk off without giving you a tip.
There are a lot of ways to get an audience involved, from asking for volunteers, bringing people up on stage, and even letting them try their hand at your act. The most important thing is that the audience feels like they’re having an experience that’s unique just for them.
One of the reasons people come to Key West is because it’s not like everywhere else. They want something different, and as a street performer that’s what you need to give them. If they wanted something ordinary they could have stayed home and watched TV.
The same goes for tips; people come down here with spending money and they want something fun to spend it on. Be sure to let them know how much you appreciate their generosity, but don’t beg either. People who can afford it will happily pay you more than you ask, while those who can’t will still happily give you whatever they can spare, but no one likes feeling pressured or guilty