Did you know that - despite its storied history at the centre of London’s live music scene and as the birthplace of so many sounds that went on to conquer the world - Camden is now among the hardest places in the country to simply come and play your heart out on a street corner?

Nick Broad is a researcher and advocate that runs The Busking Project, a non-profit devoted to solving the technological and political needs of street performers. Their website, busk.co, is used daily by hundreds street performers worldwide.

I’ve been speaking to Nick for a long time about how Camdenist might help improve the situation for all, and now the political jostling ahead of May’s potentially seismic local elections seems to have finally pushed the debate front and centre.

So, for this week’s edition, Nick takes over our occasional Guest Editor slot, following conversations he’s had with the local Lib Dems. He’s currently also seeking comment from representatives of the other parties in Camden, so look out for that in more depth over on busk.co in the weeks ahead…

For what is probably the first time in British political history, a major party has put support of street performers in an election manifesto.

The Camden Lib Dems have pledged to “liberalise the council's approach to busking”, because they say the current policy “undermines Camden's reputation as a centre of music and free expression.”

Why does this need a manifesto commitment? Because the licence is broken and the situation on the ground is getting worse.

When the rules were first passed in 2013, the borough became one of the least-hospitable places in the UK in which to busk. To get a licence, street performers had to apply online, pay £19 and wait at least five business days for a licensing committee to assess whether they were “a fit and proper person”. Non-compliance could risk a £1,000 fine and having their equipment confiscated, which the council could then sell if the fine wasn’t paid within 28 days.

On a call the other day, Cllr. Tom Simon, leader of the Liberal Democrats in Camden, laughed when I reminded him of the severity of the rules. He told me that maybe there had been a problem with some performers at Camden Town tube station “being obnoxious and too loud”, but that “you don't solve that problem effectively by introducing a borough-wide policy requiring people to pay money for a licence.”

He’s right. Data revealed by a Freedom Of Information request shows that annual licence applications between 2014 and 2024 collapsed by 90%, from 194 per year to just 21. Meanwhile, complaints rose by 422% to 606 in 2024, the worst year on record.

The only people prosecuted for breaching the terms of the licence were champion beatboxers Fredy Garcia and Alex Hackett in 2016. Hackett reported he hadn’t got a licence because he simply couldn't afford to lose a non-refundable fee on a rejected application and was only busking in Camden because he was at risk of homelessness. The council sought £1,000 plus costs, but the magistrates reduced the pair’s penalty to £220.

Despite the licence’s evident failings, Camden Council is literally “doubling down”, according to a spokesperson, handing out official warnings and threatening a “crackdown” on unlicensed performances.

But in 2023, they lengthened the approval delay for a licence to at least 20 business days and increased the fee from £19 for one year to £150 to two, an eightfold increase in upfront costs, making it the most expensive council-run busking licence in the world.

These are not the actions of a council looking to get street performers to play along.

Contrast this with how the policy was sold when it was being debated in 2013. One Labour councillor described it in her speech as a “measured, orderly approach” and as “light touch regulation”. Another dismissed over 6,000 signatures on a petition opposing the licence as “ultra-libertarian angst”, an ironic take by an ostensibly leftwing politician responding to a grassroots initiative launched by low-income artists and supported by an actual union.

The evidence Labour used to justify the licence was weak: 58 people had made 116 complaints over a period of 12 months, of which a quarter had been submitted by just three individuals.

The council also circulated a public consultation for feedback on the proposed rules, which started by making the surprising claim that buskers posed a risk to public safety and created opportunities for crime. And yet, even then just 16% of respondents agreed with all of the council's proposals, 62% objected to the application requirements, and 68% to the licence conditions.

During the debates, street performers acknowledged that certain buskers were causing a noise nuisance but argued that a licence was the wrong response. The late busking campaigner Jonny Walker, who led the Keep Streets Live campaign against the policy, pleaded with the council to first convene “a public forum between residents, business owners, musicians, artists and professional bodies to address problems through dialogue”.

The Musicians’ Union also tried to get the council to slow down, asking for a trial period to develop a code of practice cooperatively.

These weren't radical demands; they were common-sense suggestions, and they’re still Camden’s best option. The council has tried repression. They’ve tried enforcement. But whomever wins in May, if elected officials want to protect Camden’s lively street culture while dealing with the situation in a way everyone can get behind, the most sensible starting point was already on the table thirteen years ago: community and collaboration.

David Gray, one of the directors of Keep Streets Live, agrees. He told me he thinks “Camden's policy has not worked, and the sad fact is that this was all entirely foreseeable. It was never designed to be effective – it was designed to look as if [Camden Council] were doing something. It must be scrapped, and they should start again by bringing businesses, residents and buskers together to create a workable solution for everyone.”

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MUSIC: 🎤 It’s the return of he mighty London International Ska Festival 2026 across the longer Easter weekend 2nd - 4th Apr, with events at The Dome in Tufnell Park, aboard legendary Thames pleasure boat The Dixie Queen, in the reborn Camden Assembly and culminating with a party to celebrate the Rock Against Racism 50th anniversary featuring headliner Misty In Roots and Cimarons at the Electric Ballroom on Sat 4th.

FAMILY: 🐰 Looking to take the edge off the extended holidays with some younger, impossibly energetic members of the family? Head to the free Easter celebrations at Camden Market on Sat 4th and Sun Sun 5th Apr to find activities, workshops, rides, street circus performers, egg hunts and loads to eat and drink, too.

MARKET: 🎪 Silly me, forgetting to add the all important date to the link that actually got the most clicks last week: Camden Town Brewery and Go East Vintage are bringing their popular Flea Market to the mews under Kentish Town West Overground. It will take place of Sat 18th Apr, with a focus on sustainability and one-of-a-kind vintage pieces, plus vintage clothing, bags, accessories, art, jewellery, mid-century furniture, ceramics, stoneware, glassware, rugs and home decor - alongside a fair few pints of Hells, of course.

BAR: 🍸It’s a suntrap rooftop that locals really shouldn’t overlook, and now The Dark Horse terrace is back open again - a sure sign that summer is on the way.

STAGE: 🎸 Queer musical immersive club theatre show, Girl Kisser, explores a complex web of addictive hookups, innocent discoveries and the lines of friendship being blurred, set against a backdrop of the East London music scene, and Gen-Z's struggle for employment. Expect live music from femmes playing guitars, dancing and kissing galore at The Lion & Unicorn Theatre from Tues 7th - Sat 11th Apr.

CLUB: 🪩 Grammy-winning reformed DJ duo Deep Dish, aka Dubfire and Sharam, make their KOKO debut with a special Easter Sunday all nighter on 5th Apr.