I can only tell ,you about England and southern Ireland. In England the law is rather vague, basically it's a goood idea to phone the police just to ask in each area, usually it's no problem, though the tend to warn that if you cause a large crowd you miht be asked to move on. In Birmingham city centre over the X'mas period, you may now be asked to audition and be assigned to a certain spot!

In Southern Ireland, it's a buskers paradise. Not only is it legal but warmly encouraged. There, if you cause a large crowd, ot only will you NOT be moved on, but the crowd may be moved. It used to be a sort of unwritten law that if a musician walked into a pub, he be given food and a free drink and a bed for the night. I have actually walked into 2 bars in Kilkenny and been given a free drink in the lsst couple of years. And I know of one backpackers hostel in central Dublin where, if you perform for an hour you get free accomodation. You can earn quite good money too there, such generous people