Silent disco

[1] Rather than using a speaker system, music is broadcast via a radio transmitter with the signal being picked up by wireless headphone receivers worn by the participants.

[citation needed] Silent discos are popular at music festivals as they allow dancing to continue past noise curfews.

[citation needed] A series of silent discos taking place in cathedrals and historic buildings around the UK and Europe was organised in 2024.

The idea was the brainchild of the project manager from Proquip, who supplied the giant screen, and engineers from Moles Recording Studio in Bath, Somerset, who were working with Radio Avalon.

[citation needed] In May 2000, BBC Live Music held a "silent gig" at Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff, where the audience listened to a band, Rocketgoldstar, and various DJs through headphones.

[14] The idea originated in 1997 when Erik Minkkinen,[15][16] an electronic artist[17][18] from Paris, streamed a live concert from his closet over the internet to three listeners in Japan.

This continued on their "International Music Against Brain Degeneration Revue" tour with mixed results, with technical problems including dead batteries and intoxicated audience members having trouble tuning to the correct frequency.

[25] The event featured bands going directly head-to-head, with a stage at each end of the venue, allowing gig-goers to choose which group they wished to listen to.

In 2013, Metallica performed live in Antarctica utilizing headphones instead of traditional concert amplification, due to concerns about harming the environment.

In 2009, with the help of SilentArena Ltd, Feral Productions began using an experimental approach – a mixture of narrative-led performance, sound art and guided exhibit.