A woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat, large sunglasses, and colorful jewelry singing into a microphone outdoors with a city background.
Three sparkling star icons in green, and yellow with a black outline

Busk It

Market Street Arts brings live music to Mid-Market with Busk it! 

Connecting local performers and businesses on Market Street’s sidewalks between 5th and 8th streets, Busk it! brings energy and joy to the streets.

Busk-It is a live performance program that brings music and performance directly into public space—activating sidewalks, plazas, and storefronts with pop-up performances that are free and accessible to the public. The program supports working artists while contributing to a vibrant, welcoming streetscape and reinforcing Mid-Market as an emerging arts and entertainment corridor.

Launched in March 2024, Busk it! debuted with a full-day, live music-filled kick-off event. Check out some of the press coverage for a recap of the festivities: SF Chronicle, NBC Bay Area.

Market Street Arts has since brought this successful program back on an annual basis, continuing to put dollars directly into artists’ pockets while supporting our Mid-Market Businesses, enhancing the pedestrian experience, and building community.

Busk it is now seeking artist applications for the 2026 season! Scroll down for details and to apply.

Tori Roze & The Hot Mess perform at Sams American Eatery as part of the Market Street Arts Busk it! program. Courtesy KPIX CBS News Bay Area.

Busk it! directly supports local musicians and live performers with a living wage and creates a dynamic, joyful environment for patrons, residents, and those who work or visit the area.

The Busk it! music experience on Market Street.

@ukulenny photographed by Alyse Panitz Photography

Market Street Arts is seeking local musicians for the 2026 Busk-It season, launching late February as part of SF Music Week and running through June in San Francisco’s Mid-Market neighborhood.

 Selected artists will:

  • Perform at scheduled Busk-It activations in Mid-Market

  • Artists will be paid $100 per hour, per musician, for up to three musicians per act.

  • Gain visibility with new audiences in a high-traffic urban area

  • Be part of a season launching alongside San Francisco Music Week

We welcome applications from solo performers, duos, and small ensembles across a wide range of genres and performance styles. Artists should be comfortable performing outdoors and engaging with a diverse, public audience.

Program Dates: Late February – June 2026
Location: Mid-Market between 5th and 9th, San Francisco

Artists of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to local Bay Area artists.

Musicians can apply and will be selected on an ongoing basis through April 1st.

APPLY HERE
Artist FAQ

Market Street Arts is an initiative of the Mid-Market Business Association & Foundation.

Street performer dressed in silver, playing guitar and sitting on a metal chair outside a storefront with glass windows and doors, with street art posters and a banner nearby.
A woman singing into a microphone during a street event, wearing sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat, and a plaid blazer, with a street signs banner in the background.
A street performer playing the violin in front of an audience on a Market Street sidewalk, with a green leafy backdrop and a brick wall.

Levitation Violin

Busk it! is one of several projects aimed at transforming the experience in Mid-Market. Market Street Arts led a pilot series of Busk it! in 2023 and launched the official program in 2024.

Program Partners: