How to protect your hearing at festivals

Denmark’s festival season is in full swing, with Heartland Festival underway on Funen and Copenhell, Tinderbox, and Roskilde Festival starting next week, reports DR.

Dorte Hammershøi, a professor at Aalborg University specialising in sound and hearing, warns that prolonged exposure to loud music can damage hearing. She offers four key pieces of advice for festivalgoers.

First, use high-quality earplugs designed to protect hearing without muffling the music. Hammershøi advises finding a pair that suits you and keeping them on hand.

Second, give your ears regular breaks. She explains that ears have a “sound budget” and can typically handle around 80 decibels over an eight-hour period, provided they get rest afterward. Concerts often reach 90–110 decibels, so pauses are essential. If you experience ear pain or ringing, it’s a sign to step away immediately.

Third, choose a quiet spot on the campsite and consider sleeping with earplugs if noise levels are high.

Finally, rest your ears in the days before and after the festival. Hammershøi notes that recovery from loud exposure can take several days, comparing the aftereffects to a “hearing hangover.”

According to Denmark’s National Health Profile, one in ten Danes aged 16–24 now report tinnitus, double the rate from 15 years ago.