By Bryan Manabat
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
A NEWLY formed group of street performers has begun busking in Saipan, bringing live music and interactive shows to the island’s main tourist district.
Calling themselves Music Buskers, the group was formed in early January 2026, founder Patrick Fieldad said. Busking, the practice of performing in public places for voluntary donations, is most commonly associated with musicians playing on sidewalks, plazas, or parks but can include a wide range of street performances.
Fieldad said the group’s goal is to give tourists “a different kind of experience” during their visit to Saipan. The Music Buskers perform on various nights throughout the Garapan tourist district.
“We perform on different nights and at different places, sometimes at I Love Saipan, OHAS, or Kinpachi Restaurant. We ask for their permission,” Fieldad said. “We interact with tourists through song performances, and sometimes we invite them to sing with us. They sing and dance, and we give them that experience of singing on the streets of Saipan. We also give them Music Buskers stickers if they sing with us.”
He said the group feels rewarded when tourists tell them, “This is the best night” or “I enjoyed tonight.”
Local hangouts, such as Nam Dae Moon, Morae, and Surf Club have also allowed the group to perform on their premises.
“Most of the places where we do our busking are free; we don’t charge. It’s up to them if they want to give. All we put out is a tip jar,” Fieldad said.
For performance schedules, the group can be found on Facebook with the handle “Music Buskers.”
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
