While a UK summer may not promise abundant sunshine or heat-soaked days at the beach, it can guarantee one thing: a lively festival season with events to suit every taste.
From Glastonbury to Boardmasters, Creamfields to Reading and Leeds, this summer will see festivals popping up around the UK. Proportionally, the majority of festival goers sit in a younger age bracket; research has found that 51% are between the ages of 18 and 34 and at the same time the World Health Organisation warns that 1.1 billion young people (12-35) are at risk of permanent hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices when enjoying recreational sound such as music. This raises an important question: how much are festivals contributing to noise-induced hearing loss in young people?
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Festivals and noise induced hearing loss: what’s the link?
A 2022 BMJ study found that around the world, one billion people aged 12-34 are at risk of noise-induced hearing loss due to their attendance at loud music events (without adequate hearing protection).
Typically, festival volumes can rise up to 90-100dB when outside. Step inside a festival tent and that level can rise again, from 95-110 dB or even higher. There is no doubt that this is dangerous for your hearing: you risk hearing damage if you stay in an environment of 80dB for eight hours. As that sound level increases the sound intensity doubles every three dB, which means damage occurs much faster. You could experience serious hearing damage at a 100dB festival in less than five minutes.
“There is significant evidence to show that noise exposure at festivals has a direct correlation with noise-induced hearing loss. While there are several things that people can do to reduce their risk – such as wearing ear plugs, taking regular breaks and standing at least three metres away from speakers – ultimately more needs to be done to regulate safe noise levels at these kinds of events. In the meantime, we strongly recommend that young people prioritise their hearing care and have regualr hearing tests, especially if they enjoy attending loud music events such as festivals,” said BIHIMA Chairman, Paul Surridge.
Although noise-induced hearing loss can be temporary (many will experience a buzzing in their ears after a music event which, with time, may pass) it may cause permanent damage to a person’s hearing. These individual instances of damage which can go unnoticed but regular occurrences will accumulate over time. In fact, after age-related factors, exposure to loud sounds is the second leading cause of hearing loss.
“We also know that noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus frequently occur together – over exposure to extremely high levels of sound can quickly trigger tinnitus. If tinnitus symptoms persist following attendance at a music festival, we strongly advise you to visit an audiologist and have your hearing carefully and comprehensively tested,” said Paul.
That’s why hearing health organisations – such as BIHIMA and Tinnitus UK – are calling on young people to better protect their hearing this festival season.
The Tinnitus UK Plug’em campaign aims to encourage wearing earplugs at gigs, festivals, clubs and anywhere you’re exposed to potentially dangerous noise levels. Speaking of the motivation behind the campaign, Jo March, Head of Brand and Communications at Tinnitus UK, said:
“If you’re a music lover (and who isn’t?!), festivals are the ultimate playground to let loose, relax, and have a blast. But let’s keep it real — nobody wants to leave with tinnitus as an unwanted festival souvenir. Those epic festival beats and thumping bass can do some serious damage to your ears, leading to tinnitus, which can really mess with your life. We get it, your love for music shouldn’t come with a downside.
“Think about it: you slap on sunscreen to protect your skin and rock those shades to shield your eyes, right? Your ears deserve the same love! Grab some earplugs—they’re super effective, budget-friendly, and designed to keep the sound quality intact while protecting your hearing.
“I regularly talk to people whose tinnitus started with loud music, and they all wish they’d used earplugs sooner. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Protect your hearing now so you can keep enjoying festivals for years to come!”
Are audiologists REALLY seeing more young people with cases of hearing loss?
An audiologist study – led by BIHIMA – found that 32% of respondents had seen more patients under 30 in the past year. While age is the strongest indicator of hearing loss in the UK, more and more young people are suffering from some form of hearing loss.
Paul said: “Typically when we look at the stats around hearing loss, they are split into adults and children. Within this we may see 50+ and 70+ age brackets – but it is rare that there will be specific findings for those under 50. We think this is a missed opportunity. As an industry, we want more young people to get their hearing checked (and sooner).
Without awareness around how many people are actually impacted by hearing loss in younger people – particularly those under 35 – it’s hard to connect with these communities and encourage them to investigate their own hearing.”
In addition, research from WHO indicated that among those aged 12-35 years, up to 50% are exposed to unsafe levels of sound from the use of personal audio devices and around 40% are exposed to potentially damaging levels of sound at entertainment venues.
“As they go about their daily lives doing what they enjoy, more and more young people are placing themselves at risk of hearing loss,” said Dr Etienne Krug, WHO Director for the Department for Management of Noncommunicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention. “They should be aware that once you lose your hearing, it won’t come back. Taking simple preventive actions will allow people to continue to enjoy themselves without putting their hearing at risk.”
(Read more about WHO’s findings here).
What can we do to prevent the problem of noise induced hearing loss for young people?
Fortunately, there are many organisations already playing their part to reduce the number of young people at risk of noise-induced hearing loss.
- Last year, RNID launched a ‘protect your hearing’ campaign throughout festival season featuring a free online hearing health check
- Tinnitus UK run their Plug’em campaign, encouraging people to wear earplugs at gigs, festivals and clubs
- WHO continue to deliver the Make Listening Safe initiative and are currently holding a petition to adopt new safety regulations for headphones in the UK
- In 2023, NTIA launched the “Listen for Life” campaign to engage and inform everyone working in or enjoying music rich environments on how they can stay safe and hear the music they love for as long as possible.
Here at BIHIMA, we make it a priority to share content that helps people better protect their hearing. From highlighting the growing risk of not protecting your hearing, to the importance of safe ear wax removal, how to look after your hearing instruments on holiday and the links between dementia and hearing loss, we aim to provide a hub of information on all facets of hearing health.
For more information about our mission, you can explore our website.
