Government to Investigate Festival Noise Limits

The Dutch government is set to take a closer look at the maximum noise limits at concerts and festivals. It will also focus on enforcing these limits more effectively. In the meantime, wearing custom earplugs remains essential.

It has already been shown that hearing damage is a growing problem, particularly among young people. Although in most cases it could have been prevented, very little is currently being done about it. One option, for instance, would be to set a cap on the maximum number of decibels, but not everyone sticks to such limits. Meanwhile, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland have all established official regulations governing these threshold values.

Anne Kuik of the CDA party believes the Netherlands should follow their example. This is especially because, according to her, more than 90% of people who go out turn out to experience ringing in their ears, and hearing is not something to be taken lightly. It is a view we wholeheartedly share.

It is not yet clear when the study will be completed. Either way, we already see it as a good step forward. After all, festival noise levels are still difficult to map out, but new legislation could well bring about improvement here.

The government, incidentally, is not the only party concerned with hearing damage. VeiligheidNL is also actively committed to the prevention of hearing damage. For example, it published a study in collaboration with the Hoorstichting (Hearing Foundation) and ran a campaign on hearing damage among young people. The difference, however, is that the latter was not so much about festival noise limits, but rather focused on the use of headphones and the like.

Whatever is ultimately decided, it is always wise to take action yourself. Experts point out that wearing hearing protection while going out is highly sensible. If you are now considering wearing earplugs, you can read more about the options here.