Experts launch initiative to protect live event industry as festival season begins

From the fields of Glastonbury to football stadiums packed with Oasis fans, this year is a big one for music lovers.  

A record 23.5 million music tourists – up 23% from the previous year – enjoyed live music and festivals in the UK last year, according to figures from UK Music, but just how detrimental are those loud songs, thumping sound effects and pyrotechnics to our hearing?    

Audio experts have launched a unique international research network that aims to improve the concert-going experience for all, with a focus on sound quality, hearing safety and community wellbeing.  

Led by academics at the University of Derby’s Electro-Acoustics Research Lab (EARLab), the initiative aims to advance education and research into live events to create high-quality but safe listening environments that also look to minimise noise pollution and foster productive relationships with local communities.  

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than one billion people between the ages of 12 and 35 are at risk for hearing loss due to recreational exposure to loud sound every year. At the same time, live events are finding themselves increasingly at risk due to noise pollution concerns, threatening the sustainability of the industry. 

Now, experts from the University of Derby have launched the ‘Healthy Ears, Limited Annoyance (HELA) Initiative’, which is supported by nearly 30 founding member organisations including WHO, Audio Engineering Society, Kulturrom and MusiCares.

In the UK, HELA is partnered with the Night Time Industries Association’s Listen For Life Campaign.  

Backed by almost half a million pounds of funding secured from the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) – with £200,000 of the budget reserved for collaborative feasibility studies – the initiative’s research arm, HELA Research Cooperative, will initially explore safe listening practices in music venues and events and examine music-based noise annoyance.  

Dr Adam Hill, Associate Professor of Electroacoustics at the University of Derby, said:

“Recent years have seen an increased focus on the hearing health of people attending live music events, both as audience members and staff, as well as the wellbeing of those living nearby. 

“In response, the HELA initiative was proposed as we discovered significant knowledge gaps and inconsistent practices globally, through work I led within the Audio Engineering Society’s Technical Committee on Acoustics and Sound Reinforcement, providing strong motivation to improve practices worldwide.

“Further impetus came from the World Health Organisation, whose Global Standard for Safe Listening Venues and Events, and Community Noise Guidelines highlighted similar shortcomings.

"The live event industry – whether it’s a world-renowned festival like Glastonbury or a concert in your local park – has exploded over the past century, but much of the research carried out hasn’t translated to end-user knowledge, with numerous fundamental gaps in knowledge remaining.

“Specifically, we identified knowledge gaps in the live event sector regarding sound exposure, noise pollution and the corresponding sound system design principles that needed filling, and through our research, we are aiming to address these issues.” 

Initial academic partners include the University of Nottingham, University of Manchester, Australian National University, German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research, Le Mans University in France, Technical University of Denmark, Ghent University (Belgium), Politecnico di Torino (Italy), SINTEF (Norway).

All funded research includes representation from academia, industry and end-users such as sound engineers, audience members, community members and local government. 

The project is tied to the initiative’s educational arm, HELA Certification; an online educational platform developed by experts around the world and led in Derby by Dr Hill and colleague Jon Burton, a veteran live sound engineer and Senior Lecturer. 

Its aim is to promote best practices for responsible sound management at live events. 

Jon Burton is keen to emphasise that while the research focuses on making events safe when it comes to hearing health, this won’t be at the expense of the audience experience. He said:

“The HELA Initiative will equip stakeholders – including venue staff, sound engineers, management, and performers – with a robust understanding of best practices for creating high-quality, safe listening environments while minimising noise pollution in surrounding communities and retaining a quality listening environment that fans can enjoy.

“More research into this field is needed, though, hence the HELA Research Cooperative, which will create a collaborative research network that not only supports the sustainability of live events but also prioritises public health and community wellbeing.

“It is an exciting project that will foster positive growth, strengthen research capabilities and enable knowledge transfer across the live event industry.” 

Learn more about research