Shanghai plans to launch a pilot program to regulate street performances and give performers more legal spaces to present their shows, according to the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture, Radio, Film and TV.

For years, street performers such as singers have been holding shows across the city, but some of them were classified by the authorities as beggars.

In future, the city will provide artists with additional spaces for performances, including streets, urban green areas and subway stations, said Hu Jinjun, head of the administration.