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 weekly live music sets back to Market Street with Busk It!

Connecting local performers and businesses on Market Street’s sidewalks between 5th and 10th streets, Busk It! brings energy and joy 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 still accepting artist applications for the 2026 season! Scroll down for details and to apply.

Since Busk It! returned, music is in the air in Mid-Market thanks to local Bay Area musicians.

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.

Find your favorite Busk it! artists on Market Street

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.

Click the map and schedule to enlarge.

@ukulenny photographed by Alyse Panitz Photography

Are you an artist interested in performing?

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: