diff --git a/pandas/io/common.py b/pandas/io/common.py
index 51323c5ff3ef5..32ec088f00d88 100644
--- a/pandas/io/common.py
+++ b/pandas/io/common.py
@@ -202,9 +202,37 @@ def get_filepath_or_buffer(
             filepath_or_buffer = filepath_or_buffer.replace("s3n://", "s3://")
         fsspec = import_optional_dependency("fsspec")
 
-        file_obj = fsspec.open(
-            filepath_or_buffer, mode=mode or "rb", **(storage_options or {})
-        ).open()
+        # If botocore is installed we fallback to reading with anon=True
+        # to allow reads from public buckets
+        err_types_to_retry_with_anon: List[Any] = []
+        try:
+            import_optional_dependency("botocore")
+            from botocore.exceptions import ClientError, NoCredentialsError
+
+            err_types_to_retry_with_anon = [
+                ClientError,
+                NoCredentialsError,
+                PermissionError,
+            ]
+        except ImportError:
+            pass
+
+        try:
+            file_obj = fsspec.open(
+                filepath_or_buffer, mode=mode or "rb", **(storage_options or {})
+            ).open()
+        # GH 34626 Reads from Public Buckets without Credentials needs anon=True
+        except tuple(err_types_to_retry_with_anon):
+            if storage_options is None:
+                storage_options = {"anon": True}
+            else:
+                # don't mutate user input.
+                storage_options = dict(storage_options)
+                storage_options["anon"] = True
+            file_obj = fsspec.open(
+                filepath_or_buffer, mode=mode or "rb", **(storage_options or {})
+            ).open()
+
         return file_obj, encoding, compression, True
 
     if isinstance(filepath_or_buffer, (str, bytes, mmap.mmap)):
diff --git a/pandas/tests/io/test_s3.py b/pandas/tests/io/test_s3.py
index a76be9465f62a..5e0f7edf4d8ae 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/io/test_s3.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/io/test_s3.py
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
 from io import BytesIO
+import os
 
 import pytest
 
+import pandas.util._test_decorators as td
+
 from pandas import read_csv
+import pandas._testing as tm
 
 
 def test_streaming_s3_objects():
@@ -15,3 +19,30 @@ def test_streaming_s3_objects():
     for el in data:
         body = StreamingBody(BytesIO(el), content_length=len(el))
         read_csv(body)
+
+
+@tm.network
+@td.skip_if_no("s3fs")
+def test_read_without_creds_from_pub_bucket():
+    # GH 34626
+    # Use Amazon Open Data Registry - https://registry.opendata.aws/gdelt
+    result = read_csv("s3://gdelt-open-data/events/1981.csv", nrows=3)
+    assert len(result) == 3
+
+
+@tm.network
+@td.skip_if_no("s3fs")
+def test_read_with_creds_from_pub_bucke():
+    # Ensure we can read from a public bucket with credentials
+    # GH 34626
+    # Use Amazon Open Data Registry - https://registry.opendata.aws/gdelt
+
+    with tm.ensure_safe_environment_variables():
+        # temporary workaround as moto fails for botocore >= 1.11 otherwise,
+        # see https://github.com/spulec/moto/issues/1924 & 1952
+        os.environ.setdefault("AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID", "foobar_key")
+        os.environ.setdefault("AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY", "foobar_secret")
+        df = read_csv(
+            "s3://gdelt-open-data/events/1981.csv", nrows=5, sep="\t", header=None,
+        )
+        assert len(df) == 5