iN NUMBERS: How buskers are regulated in Okanagan, Kamloops

The weather is getting nice enough in the Okanagan and Kamloops for buskers to hit the streets. If you’re thinking of grabbing your guitar and a hat to earn some extra cash, depending on which city you live in you may need a permit.

For those who don’t like buskers, what happened to your sense of whimsy? If a guy playing a bunch of buckets like a drum kit makes you want to call a bylaw officer, please don’t, leave him alone.

Busking is about people freely expressing themselves, so here are the numbers surrounding the regulation of busters in Kamloops and the Okanagan:

  • 120: Dollars for a season-long license to busk in Penticton.
  • 10: Bucks for a six-month permit to busk in Vernon.
  • 0: Permit required to busk in Kelowna.
  • 16: Is the minimum age for a busker in Kelowna, sorry kids.
  • 10: Official “busk stops” in downtown Kelowna.
  • 500: Dollar fine was issued to a busker in Kelowna back in 2017, but it was later revoked.
  • 6: Years ago Kamloops voted down a busker bylaw.
  • 10,000: People typically attend Kamloops International Buskers Festival.
  • 100: Dollar minimum fine for buskers in Kelowna.
  • 1: Audition is required to busk in Penticton and your talent will be evaluated by city staff.
  • 14: Activities don’t count as busking, according to the City of Penticton, including blowing bubbles and fortune telling.

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Jesse Tomas

Jesse Tomas is a reporter from Toronto who joined iNFOnews.ca in 2023. He graduated with a Bachelor in Journalism from Carleton University in 2022.