About Streetside

Streetside began with one performance in Kingsmead Square, Bath, UK.

A busker was playing while people gathered around him. He had captivated the whole square, with people sitting in the surrounding cafés listening, watching and clapping along. For over an hour, the square became what streets are meant to be: a place to pause, gather and be part of something happening in real life. It was a reminder of how live performances can bring people together in a way that feels increasingly rare.

What struck me was that while lots of people were listening, very few people tipped. Not because they didn't enjoy it, but perhaps because contributing is not always comfortable or convenient in the moment. You may not have cash, you may not want to interrupt, or you may feel awkward walking up to someone while they are performing.

After I gave him some money myself, I walked away and realised I had forgotten to look at his name. That felt odd. I had spent over an hour listening to his music, but now I had no way to find him again, follow his work, see where he might be performing next, or support him in the future. Unless I happened to stumble across him again, the connection was lost.

It also made me think about the artist's perspective. Artists can build an audience in a public square, but often have no simple way for those listeners to stay connected once the performance ends. Their work is local, live and memorable, yet it can be difficult to discover beforehand and just as difficult to find again afterwards.

Some of the best experiences in our towns and cities are like this: in-person, local, community-led and unticketed. They are often discovered by accident, easy to miss and hard to revisit. So I decided to build Streetside.

The mission is simple: to help people discover street performers, artists and live experiences happening around them, make it easier to support artists directly, and help great performances turn into lasting audiences rather than one-off encounters.

For listeners, Streetside means being able to save the artists they find, follow where they perform next and support them directly from their phone. For artists, it means turning fleeting encounters into lasting audiences, so the people who stop, listen and love what they hear do not disappear as soon as they walk away.

Streetside is built on the belief that the street should be a place to gather again: a place for music, performance, chance encounters and local culture. Streetside is a place where more people can find the live moments happening around them, and where the artists creating those moments can be seen, remembered and supported.

− Julia

Get in Touch

We'd love to hear from you. Whether you're an artist, a music lover, or just curious about what we're building, reach out at hello@mystreetside.com