Electric Picnic revellers urged to pack ear plugs for Laois festival

People coming to Laois to the Electric Picnic are being urged to add ear protection to their festival packs because of the risk of damage to their hearing that can result in tinnitus.

As the festival season rolls into Stradbally,  Specsavers say research they commissioned revealed that 81% of festival goers admit they often leave such events with their ears ringing, which could be damaging to their hearing.

Of those surveyed, 14% love the sheer noise of a festival, with 22% saying there is nothing better than the feeling of the bass running through their bones or standing in the middle of a crowd. Almost half of those surveyed are convinced that their hearing has been damaged because of the loud noise.

Specsavers say research also revealed that 67% of people have never worn ear plugs or ear defenders at a festival or a concert. A total of 92% of those questioned also didn’t know that it can take just five minutes for hearing damage to occur at a festival, with half also admitting they have never had a hearing test.

Picnicers are urged to protect their hearing was at the bottom of the list of festival essentials for those surveyed, with only 15 percent saying they would bring ear plugs and even fewer (10%) saying they would prioritise taking ear defenders.

Simon Baker was a successful DJ/producer and had releases on labels such as Kompa Kt, Cocoon and Last Night On Earth. He developed tinnitus due to over-exposure to loud noise.

“I had what you could call a dream career. Working in the music industry as a touring DJ, music producer and sound engineer, I had been surrounded by loud music for years and never thought much of it. I wasn't particularly taking that much care of my health in my early days, and I wasn’t too aware of the impact my lifestyle could have been having on my health, and then I developed tinnitus which led to a lot of stress.

My tinnitus started low level but increased over time, it really made me worry about the impact it could have on my life and career. Now, I want to encourage everyone to be aware of how to prevent tinnitus. The most important things are to wear ear protection in loud places and get your ears tested regularly."  

 The top essentials on the festival packing list included:

• Water bottles (70%),
• Sunscreen (67%),
• Sunglasses (64%),
• Wet wipes (55%)
• Toothbrush (55%)
• Hat (46%),
• Painkillers (53%).

Martina McNulty, Specsavers Ireland Audiology Chairperson, advises: “Hearing loss affects people of all ages and unfortunately the longer we leave hearing issues, the worse they can become. Therefore, it is vitally important to look after your hearing, especially when at festivals, gigs, concerts or anywhere just in general where’s there’s loud music or noise. Wearing hearing protection, such as ear plugs can really help, and having regular hearing checks can help identify and manage hearing loss symptoms and minimise any long-term impact.”   

Electric Picnic make big surprise announcement linked to Cold Play

Specsavers say the survey of 2,000 UK and Irish adults was commissioned was conducted by Perspectus Global in June 2023.