Fremont Street performers now are restricted to 6-foot performance circles under new rules that took effect November 17.
Although Fremont Street is a designated free speech area, city officials in September enacted the new performance zones, which restrict street performers to limited performance spaces chosen via a lottery system.
Now, instead of freely roaming Fremont Street in search of handouts from visitors in exchange for some type of entertaining performance, the street performers must wait for visitors to come to them as they perform inside their circles for two hours at a time.
Once they have performed at a location for two hours, the street performers rotate to another location, and they must stay at least 40 feet away from other street performers.
City officials enacted the performance zones to make the downtown area more family friendly and in response to complaints from visitors and business owners, who found the lewd outfits and performances done by some to be offensive.
The new rules have driven some street performers out of Las Vegas, but others told the Las Vegas Review Journal they will adapt and continue performing for the public.
