We, the undersigned, call on Westminster City Council to reopen historic street entertainment pitches—including Piccadilly Circus, Chinatown and Leicester Square—and to designate new, fair, and accessible pitches that support the continuation of London’s dynamic street arts culture.

What's Happening?

Following a complaint from a single business, the City of London Magistrates’ Court issued a noise abatement notice against Westminster City Council, targeting the Leicester Square busking pitch—one of London’s most iconic cultural spaces.

The ruling disturbingly described amplified busking as akin to “psychological torture techniques,” despite the fact that it did not legally determine that buskers had exceeded noise limits. This unprecedented move effectively penalises an entire creative community for the council’s failure to adequately manage and support its own licensing system.

Westminster's System Is Failing Us

Street musicians have spent the past few years trying to engage constructively with the council. We’ve offered feedback, suggestions and solutions—and been met with silence. The Westminster Busking & Street Entertainment licence, introduced in 2021, was meant to bring structure and fairness. But in practice, we’ve been suffocated:

• Only two locations (Trafalgar Square and Marble Arch) realistically allow for amplified performance, which is essential for many musicians.
• Iconic locations like Piccadilly Circus, Chinatown, and now Leicester Square are either off-limits or under threat.
• With so few viable pitches, performers are forced to compete daily just to secure a single slot. Thisenvironment is unsustainable and disheartening.
Now, with Leicester Square removed, the situation is desperate. We were already pleading to be heard. Now we’re being silenced completely.

Our Demands

We urge Westminster City Council to:

1. Appeal the noise abatement notice, and publicly acknowledge that buskers were not found in breach of legal noise limits.
2. Reopen historic and culturally significant pitches, including Piccadilly Circus and Chinatown.
3. Create new designated pitches to ensure that performers from all backgrounds can share their art with the public.
4. Establish consistent and open communication with the busking community, who have long been willing to collaborate in good faith.
Let’s preserve the spirit of London’s streets. Let’s keep them alive with music, movement and creativity—for performers, for residents, for visitors, and for generations to come.

Sign this petition and help us keep London’s streetculture open and thriving.