Everything a tourist should know about Fremont Street buskers

Kassidi Robertson, decked out in a light purple bikini and headdress, called out compliments to passersby as she walked down Fremont Street on a recent afternoon.

Robertson has been a showgirl for five years – a job that calls on her and another woman in a matching costume to take pictures with tourists then ask for a tip. While she usually gets small bill tips, sometimes she can hit big. She said her biggest tip came recently: $1,300.

“I always say I’m good luck,” she said. “If they hit a jackpot, they can come find me.”

Some tourists may be confused about who street performers work for – and what to pay them – before visiting downtown Las Vegas. Here’s everything you need to know about Fremont Street buskers:

How does it work?

A 2015 city ordinance created a registration and lottery program to run the busker system at the Fremont Street Pedestrian Mall, which runs the five blocks between Main Street and Las Vegas Boulevard. The ordinance was established after several court decisions determined the pedestrian mall is a public forum, despite its private management.

Street performers register in a lottery system online, run by the city, that allows them to claim a 6-foot circular space for two hours, between 3 p.m. and 1 a.m.

What do they perform?

Buskers typically dance, sing, dress in costumes and pose for pictures, weave palms and flowers and draw caricatures, among other performance forms. Others will simply panhandle with a cardboard sign.

Because it’s a lottery system and they can do whatever is protected by free speech, the variety is nearly endless and depends on the time and day. But without fail, tourists can expect to see showgirls and other costumed characters willing to pose for photos.

Do you have to pay performers?

The buskers are just that – buskers. They’re not employees of Fremont Street, as signs around the mall will let you know, and they can’t force you to pay a specific amount, according to the Fremont Street Experience, the entity behind the pedestrian mall’s marketing and SlotZilla zipline.

“Street performers are not employed by Fremont Street Experience,” it said in a statement. “Guests and visitors to Fremont Street Experience are welcome to tip these private entities at their own discretion but are never under obligation to do so.”

What should you tip performers?

Most performers will get small bills as tips. Steven Thurston, a Fremont Street Experience worker who sometimes dons a nearly 10-foot-tall inflatable gorilla suit for tips, said he can usually expect to make about $300 in two hours on a weekday.

“We’re all here to have a good time,” Thurston said. “We want to make Vegas memorable, and then the tips will come.”

Contact McKenna Ross at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X.