Theoretically: Street performing in Amsterdam is license-free :-)
Practically: Non-EU performers still can not do their show :-(

Since the change in the Amsterdam by-law (APV) street performing is officially license-free. Basically, this means every performer can do their show on the streets of Amsterdam, without a license, and so regardless of their nationality and status.

This is a result of the desire of the Amsterdam City Council to stop banning non-EU performers from performing on the streets of Amsterdam. See the proposal (Dutch) of Amsterdam Anders / de Groenen.

BUT ...

Nowadays, practically every circle show performer needs some kind of special allowance, for example to juggle fire torches, a chainsaw, or use amplification for voice or some routine supporting music. Part of the accepted proposal was to somehow allow these kind of privileges also to non-EU performers. However, this is still a problem; except fire, all other special allowances will not be licensed to non-EU performers.

In reality, this means that non-EU performers still can not do their show how they want, contrary to EU performers, who can get a license for the needed special allowances. This is NOT what was meant and agreed.

The Mayor now says that the 'majority of artists' can do their show in Amsterdam, regardless of their nationality. Further it is just 'unfortunate and inevitable' that for 'some exceptions' the old problem remains.

This is a purely theoretical approach, though. Reality is that the majority of non-EU performers can NOT do their show, unless they stick to 'a red nose and three balls'; in 2007 such performers won't even get an audience...

The Mayor declares to have gone 'to the max' and seems to be satisfied. We are not. We will see what to do next...

Read the latest news (updated March 31, 2010).