Department of Cultural Affairs

Street performers are windows for showcasing the vitality of a city’s cultural energy. Last year, Taipei City has changed the street performer licensing system to a registration system. It also held the Taipei Buskers Festival, providing street performers with an opportunity to compete with and learn from one another on the same stage, while also giving the public a chance to see more varied and exciting street art.
 
The slogan for the 2021 Taipei Buskers Festival was “Street Art in Flow”. Yang Yuan-Ching (楊元慶), Taiwan yo-yo champion who holds a Guinness World Record, curated the carnival. The design concept was to create a wonderful street experience that will transform individual moments of art into a single continuous experience for visitors.
 
What we call “street art” in fact begins from one person performing in the street and ends with a crowd watching the performance. Thus, the 2022 Taipei Buskers Festival was given the special slogan “Be the One”. The One might be a person, a crowd, or the essence of street art. Through street art, the performer and the audience become one in the moment.
 
To encourage outstanding street performers to challenge one another, and to give rookie street performers more exposure and performance opportunities, the 2022 Taipei Buskers Festival used an audition process. Street artists wishing to participate could submit their profiles describing their performances. The profiles were assessed and the best selected to perform at the carnival.
 
The event will take place at the outdoor venue at Yuanshan Park on August 27 and 28 and will include a Performance Stage and Street Art Gallery. The Performance Stage will be a platform for performances by street artists working in performing arts, while the Street Art Gallery will be a space for street artists working in craftwork and visual arts to showcase their work. Aside from the audition process, this year’s Performance Stage will include a Street Battle category, open to applicants whose profiles were not selected to avoid missing out on good talent. It will also enable street performers who wish to showcase their talent to have another chance to get up close and personal with an audience.
 
The auditions for the 2022 Taipei Buskers Festival came up with stand-out performers, including both seasoned and rookie street artists, such as the duo Gentlemen’s Craze, composed of Little Green Man and Chen Sheng Wei (陳聖崴), who took the audience by storm during the 2021 Taipei Buskers Festival. It’s hard to imagine how a performance combining juggling, mime and contortion could be so charming.
 
Mr. Banana is a backpacking street artist who has performed in over 20 countries as a balloonist, clown and mime artist, with experience performing at the Edinburgh International Festival and Festival d’Avignon. After returning to Taiwan, he devoted himself to street art and became famous in the inner circles of Taiwan street art.
 
Ever imagined seeing “flair bartending” in the streets? You can see it in Taiwan’s street art. Flairbartending Jonas (梁嘉仁) is a flair bartender with nearly 10 years of experience. His exciting performance is a combination of flair bartending, special effects and LED lighting, along with audience interaction, a true spectacle that Jonas hopes will give positive energy to everyone who stops to watch.
 
Next-generation rookie diabolo street artist Ivano Huang (黃翊) captured hearts at last year’s Taipei Buskers Festival with his elfin appearance and light and dazzling diabolo techniques. He has been selected again this year and is expected to once more bring a wave of surprises on stage. In addition, the well-loved Toy Capsule Machine activity from last year’s carnival will also make a comeback this year: simply fill out a carnival questionnaire indicating your favorite street artist to receive a door gift. The most popular street artist will receive a commendation at the end of the carnival.
 
This year’s Taipei Buskers Festival also coincides with the Taipei Expo, covering all comers from urban design to urban culture. Want to get up close and personal with the beauty and warmth of urban street art? Want to know who the most popular street artist will be over the two days? Come join us and Be the One at the 2022 Taipei Buskers Festival at Yuanshan Park on August 27 and 28!