Busking and other forms of street entertainment are part of the Bath ‘experience’, creating an enhanced atmosphere for the city centre.  Buskers and Street Entertainers in Bath are asked to follow the Guide to Busking and Street Performance in Bath.

On occasion, however, particularly for people living or working in the city centre, busking may be intrusive, annoying, indecent and offensive.  As a result, both the Local Authority and the Police receive many complaints about the volume and sometimes the nature of busking and street entertainment.  Please note that disturbance of noise from an cumulative impact of amplification from multiple buskers cannot be investigated.

Environmental Protection team can investigate if a particular performer is causing regular and unreasonable noise disturbances affecting your home or business. Officers would take into consideration the regularity of occurrence, duration as well as volume of impact as part of the investigation process. You will need to provide the following details in order to proceed with make a complaint:

1) Your full name and address

2) Description and photograph of performer causing regular disturbance. 

3) Location of where the performance disturbance is taking place

Environmental Protection team will try to make contact with the specific performer to advise of complaint with the aim of seeking an informal resolution. If the noise persists from your perspective, we would look to gather evidence from your perspective to assess if more formal enforcement action against the performer is required.

Further details on how to make a complaint is available in the link below.

https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/environment/pollution/noise-pollution

Who to Contact

If you encounter problems with Street Entertainers please contact the relevant service as follows:

Further Information

• Street Trading:  If you wish to sell CDs on the street you will need to apply to the Council's Licensing team for a street trading consent.  Further details and an online application form can be found on the street trading page at www.bathnes.gov.uk/street-trading.  If you are wishing to busk in Bath, the Council have no remit with regards to licensing / authorising your performance unless you are wishing to sell CDs or raise money for charity of which you would need to contact licensing team. 
• Guide to Busking and Street Performance in Bath