On October 10, the 2024 Shanghai Street Art Festival officially kicked off, featuring passionate performances by street artists. The night was filled with diverse acts, including heartfelt renditions of “My Motherland and I,” lively African drum performances of “The Lion King,” smooth saxophone melodies of “Casablanca,” and guitar songs of “Moonlight in the City.”
The street performer licensing system in Shanghai began in October 2014. What started with just eight certified artists has blossomed into a vibrant community of over 380 licensed performers. These artists hail from across the globe, with many holding advanced degrees. In fact, nearly half of the street performers have a college education or higher. Among them, the youngest are from the post-2000 generation, while those born in the 1990s make up more than half of the group.
A decade ago, a plaque on the stone path beside the bronze bull in Jing’an Park marked the first licensed street performer, known as No. 1. Today, street performances have expanded far beyond Jing’an Park, spreading across multiple districts in the city. During the festival’s opening ceremony, ten performance locations, including Jing’an Park and Daning Music Park, received recognition as “Shanghai’s Most Beautiful Street Art Performance Spots.”
The street performances in Shanghai offer delightful surprises, and many artists are beloved by the public. They promote various art forms while spreading positive energy, enriching the city’s cultural atmosphere.
The Shanghai Performing Arts Industry Association, in collaboration with local departments, has formed a “Joint Working Group” involving cultural, public security, transportation, and urban management sectors to coordinate street performances in a new model of management. Over the past decade, every new artist must learn the “rules of street performance” and formally sign the “Fourteen Commitments” of street performing, ensuring that all performers adhere to the promise of maintaining a clean appearance, acting respectfully, and supporting one another. Additionally, street artists operate under a self-governance system that includes organized scheduling and performance oversight, with daily feedback and data management.
Since 2021, Shanghai has selected over 30 outstanding artists from among the best performers to form several small teams, actively participating in grassroots and public performances. This initiative has created a versatile team of “artistic light cavalry” capable of taking the stage, engaging in community events, or performing in commercial venues and outdoor settings.
Since its inception in 2015, the annual Shanghai Street Art Festival has attracted numerous artists from both domestic and international backgrounds, showcasing their talents side by side. The festival continues to strengthen its commitment to cultural exchange, having welcomed street performers from over 30 countries, including Germany, France, the United States, Spain, and Zimbabwe, as well as regions like Taiwan and Hong Kong.
