Blockfest tightens noise controls after 60 complaints last year

Tampere’s Blockfest hip-hop festival is introducing stricter noise controls for its August event after receiving 60 complaints in 2025, Yle reports.

The organizer’s noise notice, approved by the city in June, acknowledges “significant challenges” with sound production last year, particularly with low-frequency bass that disturbed residents in Tampere and neighboring municipalities.

Measures include reinstating the 2024 speaker system, reangling suspended speakers downward, and updating delay speaker types and placement to better control sound dispersion. Subwoofers will be positioned to direct bass more precisely toward audience areas.

Noise will be modeled in advance using two stages simultaneously. If levels exceed the 75-decibel limit at the nearest residential sites, the system will be adjusted or volume reduced. Additional measurements will be taken inside nearby apartments during the event to assess actual indoor impact.

Residents will receive a detailed noise advisory by post in week 32, with expanded channels for real-time feedback. The festival has pledged faster responses to complaints.

Blockfest takes place at Ratina Stadium and Ratina Park in central Tampere, surrounded by residential buildings. Acoustics firm Akukon is handling noise modeling and on-site measurements.