The Ultimate Guide to Busking in Covent Garden

Covent Garden is a global art fair without tickets. The best highlights of Covent Garden busking include human sculptures, street magic, juggling, fire dances, percussion, clowns and bubble shows. Whatever type of performance you like, a stroll through Covent Garden will always give locals and tourists something to stop and marvel at, laugh at or be deeply moved by.

This blog will cover the facts of Covent Garden busking, performance highlights, the best times and places, and some practical tips. We highly recommend the Jackery Portable Power Station for charging electric instruments and other devices while busking.

Covent Garden Busking Overview

Covent Garden busking is one of London's most iconic and vibrant cultural scenes, known for its lively atmosphere and rich and varied performances. Located between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane in the West End of London, Covent Garden is best for busking in London. Tourists and locals come to Covent Garden to enjoy busking and food.

History of Covent Garden Busking

Covent Garden has been the site of London's important fruit, vegetable and flower market since the 17th century. The market itself is full of noise and traffic. In this lively market atmosphere, it is natural for street performers to gather here and make a living by performing and taking advantage of the massive flow of people. It was once a gathering place for flower girls, hawkers, jugglers, minstrels, and duelists. The first record of Covent Garden busking appeared in 1662, a puppet show featuring Punch.

In the 1980s, Covent Garden quickly became one of London's most popular tourist attractions, and its busking also became famous for its high quality and diversity. Today, busking has become the core attraction of Covent Garden. It is a must-see for tourists and an essential place for Londoners to relax and have fun.

Characteristics of Covent Garden Busking

Covent Garden busking has the following characteristics:

Professionalism: Due to fierce competition and the application screening system, artists who can obtain performance licenses in Covent Garden are usually highly skilled. From soul-stirring singing, humorous comedy, to thrilling acrobatics, performers often need long-term training.

Diversity: You can see completely different busking in Covent Garden on the same day, including

Folk singers, contortionists, fire shows, street magic, and classic clown performances.

Immersive Experience: The audience can watch Covent Garden busking up close and participate in the interaction. For example, music performers lead the whole audience to sing, creating a strong sense of participation.

Free and Inclusive Atmosphere: Covent Garden is a free field for artistic expression, embracing the collision of multiple cultures.

Whether classical, modern, avant-garde or traditional, all kinds of art styles can find a place in Covent Garden.

What Are the Highlights of Covent Garden Busking?

From the elegance of classical music to the wildness of fire dances, from the thrill of juggling to the hilarity of clowns, Covent Garden can be said to be a paradise for busking. Here are the seven best highlights of Covent Garden busking.

Human Statues

Covent Garden is a temple-level stage for the art of human statues. The performers here are known for their extreme realism, extraordinary patience and breathtaking makeup. They can remain breathtakingly still for hours, and when passers-by approach, they may suddenly blink, smile or gesture to interact. One of the most outstanding and well-known living statues is Silverman.

Street Magic

The street magicians in Covent Garden are good at creating shocks with close-up interactions. For example, they will conjure coins under the audience's eyes, let handkerchiefs turn into roses after burning at their fingertips, and even invite passers-by to participate in the prediction game. Onehan Earl is one of the best street magicians in Covent Garden, busking.

Juggling

Throwing balls, flying knives in the air, balancing stunts, etc., the jugglers of Covent Garden busking use their bodies to challenge the physical limits. Every moment of catching a prop becomes a moment of triumph created by the audience and the performer. For example, juggler Ian combines the excitement of street theatre and crazy variety shows, using elements such as gentleman juggling, physical comedy and pantomime to bring excellent juggling performances to the audience. In addition, excellent jugglers can tell jokes while performing complex moves and interact with the audience easily.

Fire Dance Performance

Visitors will likely enjoy exciting fire dance performances at night in Covent Garden. Dancers wield flaming sticks, hula hoops or fire ropes, combining dance, acrobatics and rhythm to create a picture of danger and beauty. Chris Blaze is an excellent fire performer. His fire dance performances range from thrilling fireball shooting to jaw-dropping fire swallowing feats, finally climaxing with an incredible and spectacular mushroom cloud explosion.

Percussion Performance

Percussion performers in Covent Garden often use unconventional instruments such as garbage cans, plastic buckets, pots and pans to create complex and infectious rhythms. For example, Bang On, a semi-finalist of Britain's Got Talent, uses a set of giant homemade drums to make funky beats and rhythmic performances, while showing off excellent visual skills and techniques. The audience is easily distracted by the percussion rhythm, swaying, clapping and even invited to join in simple percussion.

Clown Show

Clowns are good at physical comedy, imitation, interaction with the audience and creating unexpected funny scenes. They are the most popular buskers for families in Covent Garden. They also weave animals and flowers from balloons and give them to children. For example, Pepe is an expressive modern street clown who has also studied stand-up comedy, clowning, puppetry, and performance. His performance, using the style of August clowns and mixed with balloon modelling, is a unique creative comedy improvisation.

Bubble Show

Bubble performers use special tools to create giant bubbles, nesting doll bubbles, and even bubbles that can wrap people. In Covent Garden, busking and bubble shows are particularly popular with children because they can instantly create a fairy-tale atmosphere. For example, Professor Bubbles created an interactive soap bubble art show where everyone can make the most beautiful, biggest and brightest bubbles. This grand bubble show is suitable for audiences of all ages and features hilarious comedy and fantastic special effects.

Best Time to Busk in Covent Garden 

Covent Garden busking usually follows a schedule of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday. Street performers who go to Covent Garden usually choose the best time to perform. The best time for Covent Garden busking is from the afternoon to evening, especially on weekends. This is the busiest time here and most likely to attract audiences.

Weekends (Saturday and Sunday)

Weekends are usually the peak time for tourists and residents to go out for leisure. Covent Garden is a popular weekend destination, with the highest flow of people and the most diverse lineup of performers, including magic, opera, acrobatics, mime, etc. Covent Garden's street performers, musicians, theatre performers, etc., will appear during this period, creating a lively and diverse artistic atmosphere.

Afternoon to Evening (4 p.m.-7 p.m)

4 p.m. to 7 p.m. is the most intensive period for Covent Garden busking. Street performers usually take turns performing during this period to avoid the scorching sun at noon or the cold at night, ensuring the performance effect and audience interaction. Especially in the summer afternoon and evening, the weather and the sunlight are soft, so people prefer to walk outdoors near Covent Garden and stop to watch performances.

In short, the best time to busk in Covent Garden is from the afternoon to the evening on weekends, when the flow of people, atmosphere and light conditions are the best. However, the best time is usually sunny, and few people may be willing to go out on rainy days.

Best Places to Busk in Covent Garden

On sunny days, Covent Garden attracts many locals and tourists, making it suitable for street performances. The best places for busking in Covent Garden are West Piazza, North Hall, South Wells, and James Street.

West Piazza

In the centre of the entire Covent Garden, West Piazza is an open area in front of St. Paul's Church with a massive flow of people. Surrounded by historical buildings, shops and restaurants, the audience can sit on the steps or stand and watch, and the atmosphere is perfect. West Piazza usually attracts the highest level and most professional street performers, including magicians, acrobats, mimes, musicians, living sculptures, etc. The performances here are generally large-scale, interactive and very exciting.

North Hall

The North Hall is a performance venue in the northeast corner of the market building, with bench seating and covered space. Therefore, it is unaffected by the weather. However, the performance area of the North Hall is much smaller than that of the West Square, suitable for smaller and more delicate performances, such as small bands, solo musicians, etc. Surrounded by boutiques and cafes, the flow of people is concentrated but not as large and lively as the open-air area of the West Square.

South Wells

South Wells makes full use of the Grade II-listed building's acoustics and provides an optimal venue for classical music performances and other drama performances. Therefore, classical music performers prefer to go to South Wells. However, the frequency, scale, and professionalism of performances here are usually not as good as those in West Square.

James Street

James Street is the main street connecting Covent Garden subway station and Central Square. It is a busy shopping street with dense traffic and no dedicated, fixed performance venue. Performers are usually mobile or stay in a corner for a short time. Close-up magic shows, clowns, or some performance art are more common on James Street. Because it is a central passage, performances that are too obstructive to the flow of people or unauthorised may be asked to leave by the management.

Tips for Busking in Covent Garden

Covent Garden is a famous street art gathering in London, England, attracting countless performers and audiences. However, street performers must balance creativity, skills, and norms to show their talents here. The following are practical tips for Covent Garden busking.

Tip 1: Get a Permit

If you want to busk in Covent Garden, you may need to apply for and obtain a permit. Covent Garden auditions are held four times a year in North Hall. The audition dates for 2025 are Monday, July 14, and Monday, October 13, starting at 10:30 a.m. The audition results will then be notified to all auditioned actors in writing within a week.

Tip 2: Understand and Abide by the Rules and Regulations

Understand and abide by all street performance regulations regarding Covent Garden busking, including volume limits, performance area boundaries, and prohibition of commercial begging. For example, do not make too much noise when busking in Covent Garden, do not block public roads, etc.

Tip 3: Pack Props and Necessities Completely

Organise props, musical instruments, sound equipment, portable power stations (such as Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus or 1000 Plus) and other necessities according to the performance needs. Repair kits, drinking water, energy snacks, first aid kits, rain gear, etc., must be considered when busking in Covent Garden.

Tip 4: Practice Repeatedly Until Proficient

Low-level performers cannot attract and retain people in Covent Garden. Performing in a noisy and crowded environment is a considerable challenge, so please practice repeatedly in advance, simulate real scenes, and rehearse to ensure that the program is smooth and the rhythm is accurately controlled.

Tip 5: Increase the Frequency of Interaction with the Audience

The charm of busking lies mainly in the instant interaction with the audience. Street performers usually attract the audience's attention better through eye contact, a smile, humorous language, etc. Inviting the audience to participate in simple interactions such as chorus and gesture imitation can create an immersive atmosphere.

Tip 6: Avoid Asking for Money Directly

British street performers are strictly prohibited from directly begging. They should never ask for money, walk around the crowd with a hat, set a minimum tip amount, or pressure people who don't give money. It is recommended that the performance end with a polite thank you, such as bowing or verbal thanks. If the audience spontaneously and voluntarily puts coins, then smile and thank everyone who tipped.

Tip 7: Control the Performance Time

You must be ready before the assigned performance time, and stop, clean up, and leave the venue on time at the end of the performance. Overtime will delay the next performer and invite management intervention. Design a core performance with moderate time flexibility, leaving time for interaction and closing.

Tip 8: Dynamically Adjust the Performance

The composition of the busking audience is constantly changing, so please observe the audience's age and emotional reactions and adjust the content in real time. If the audience is mainly children, you can increase fun and interactivity. Remember to avoid jokes or content that may offend audiences from different cultural backgrounds.

Tip 9: Buy Personal Safety Insurance

Purchase insurance in advance to cover personal accident and public liability, preferably public liability insurance specifically for street performers. In the event of an accident during a performance, this insurance can cover the legal liability and compensation costs you may face and protect your personal property. For example, the insurance can reduce the financial burden if the equipment accidentally falls and injures someone during a performance.

Jackery Portable Power Station for Busking

Buskers often rely on guitar amps, bass amps, vocal PAs, mixers, effects pedals, and other electronic musical instruments. Jackery stations provide consistent and clean AC power (pure sine wave in most models), which is crucial for sensitive audio equipment and prevents hum, noise, and potential damage.

Jackery offers a range of power stations with different watt-hour (Wh) capacities and AC output (W) to match various setups. You can choose a smaller one for a simple amp and pedalboard or a larger one for a complete PA system and multiple instruments.

Busking requires frequent setup and teardown. Jackery Portable Power Stations are designed to be relatively lightweight and compact, often with sturdy handles, making them easy to carry to your performance spot. This is a significant advantage over bulky and heavy traditional generators.

Jackery Explorer 1000 Plus

The Jackery Explorer 1000 Plus is a fantastic choice for busking in the UK. It offers a significant upgrade in power and features that can elevate a street performer's setup.

1264Wh Capacity (Expandable to 5kWh): This is substantial power. For most busking setups (amplifiers, effects pedals, microphones, small PA systems, lights), 1264Wh will provide many hours, even a full day, of continuous performance without needing a recharge. The expandability means that if your needs grow (e.g., adding more speakers, lights, or for longer events), you can add extra battery packs.

2000W AC Output (4000W Surge): This is the game-changer. Many smaller power stations only offer 300W or 500W. The 2000W output of the 1000 Plus means you can confidently power more powerful amplifiers, larger PA speakers, or multiple pieces of equipment simultaneously without fear of overloading the system. The 4000W surge capability handles the initial power draw (inrush current) of certain electronics, such as some amplifiers, when they're first turned on.

Pure Sine Wave Inverter: Crucial for sensitive audio equipment. It provides clean, stable power that mimics grid electricity, preventing hum, buzz, and potential damage to your valuable amplifiers and effects pedals.

LiFePO4 Battery Longevity: The LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery chemistry offers superior lifespan compared to older Li-ion batteries. With 4000 charge cycles to 70%+ capacity, the 1000 Plus is designed to last many years, even daily, providing excellent long-term value for a professional busker.

Ultra-Fast Wall Charging: Can go from 0% to 100% in about 1.7 hours from a UK wall outlet (220-240V). This means quick turnarounds between gigs or full charges overnight.

(*The working hours are only for reference; the actual working hours depend on your usage.)

Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus

The Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus can be an absolute game-changer for busking, especially in locations like Covent Garden, where access to traditional power outlets is strictly limited or prohibited. Its robust features make it highly suitable for street performers who rely on amplification and other electronic equipment.

High Wattage Output (3000W continuous, 6000W surge): This is the most critical factor. Many buskers use robust PA systems, instrument amplifiers, electronic keyboards, or small drum machines requiring significant wattage. The 2000 Plus can easily handle these, preventing clipping or power cuts during your performance, even during dynamic peaks.

Large Capacity (2042.8Wh expandable to 12kWh): A single 2000 Plus provides enough capacity for hours of continuous performance. Busking sets are often limited (e.g., 40 minutes in Westminster Council areas), so this capacity means you can perform multiple sets throughout the day without needing to recharge.

Adherence to Busking Regulations: Covent Garden's rules explicitly state, "We cannot supply electricity; all equipment must be battery-powered." The Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus perfectly fulfils this requirement. Traditional gas generators are often noisy and produce fumes, making them unsuitable and typically prohibited in public busking areas. The Jackery operates silently, ensuring your performance isn't marred by generator noise and you comply with noise regulations.

Mobility: Covent Garden and other busking locations often require performers to move pitches or have limited setup space. The 2000 Plus, while robust, is designed with portability in mind, making it easier to set up and pack down than a complex wired system.

Reliability: The LiFePO4 battery in the 2000 Plus offers a very long lifespan (4000 cycles to 70%+ capacity), meaning it's a durable and reliable investment for regular busking.

(*The working hours are only for reference; the actual working hours depend on your usage.)

FAQs

The following are the frequently asked questions about busking in Covent Garden:

1. Where is the best place to see busking in London?

The best places to see busking in London are Covent Garden, Long Acre, London WC2E 9JT, United Kingdom. Covent Garden busking is famous for its vibrant atmosphere and long history of street performances—many street performers include magicians, human statues, clowns, and jugglers.

2. What is Covent Garden famous for?

Covent Garden is a major attraction in London, known for its high-end fashion, unique boutiques, diverse food experiences, and historical roots in theatre and opera. However, the vibrant street performances are the most popular here.

3. Are there still buskers in Covent Garden?

Yes, Covent Garden is still a lively centre for street performers. Since 1660, it has been a gathering place for magicians, jugglers, singers, mimes, and living statues.

4. How much money can street performers in Covent Garden make?

Street performers in Covent Garden mainly rely on tips for income, and their income varies. Strictly speaking, it is impossible to calculate how much money a street performer in Covent Garden can earn, which is affected by many factors such as traffic, location, time, etc. But a good Covent Garden street performer can earn more than 50 pounds per hour.

Final Thoughts

Busking in Covent Garden is one of London's most dynamic and attractive free attractions. Its core charm lies in world-class professionalism, unparalleled diversity, and an intense atmosphere of live interaction. Whether you are a musician, magician or dancer, the opportunity to perform in Covent Garden is coveted. However, professionalism, compliance with rules and regulations, and appropriate interactive methods are the cornerstones for street performers to gain a foothold in Covent Garden.