Performers in cities across six continents are to unite with musicians in London for a celebration of busking and street performance. The Mayor of London has announced that on Saturday 21 July cities from Sydney to Reykjavik and Tokyo to Rio will follow London’s lead and showcase their busking talent at celebrations to mark the third International Busking Day.

This global showcase of talent is part of an initiative established by the Mayor and builds on the success of the Busk in London programme and Gigs busking competition.

In London the internationally renowned artist Newton Faulkner will perform at Wembley Park alongside international and home-grown busking talent, with more names to be announced ahead of the festival.

The main event will be held outside The SSE Arena in Wembley, the leading music venue at the heart of Brent, which has been named the Mayor’s London Borough of Culture for 2020.

A free and family friendly day of celebrations in Wembley will feature music, circus and dance. There will be the chance to get involved and learn a new busking skill with a dance participation session, loop pedal clinic, guitar tutorial and a circus skill session available throughout the day.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “London has one of the most vibrant and diverse busking scenes in the world. This will be a great day for families across the city – and around the world – to get together and enjoy a fantastic showcase of the city’s talent, music and street performances.

“We are joining forces with other great cities to show that buskers make a huge contribution to creativity and culture. Ahead of Brent becoming London Borough of Culture in 2020, this celebration will play an important role in inspiring the next generation of musical talent in London, and goes to show that creativity is in every corner of our city.”

Busking has increased in popularity over the years and many up and coming artists see it as a way to develop their performance skills, engage with a new audience and to earn money. Through the universal language of music, International Busking Day at Wembley Park is about celebrating and supporting the talent we hear on our streets and showcasing the very best in live music in a free public setting.