Beau Weyers, Samuel Wong, Witold Mazur, Burak Ayva
Abstract – Outdoor concert and festival music events generally operate under the local legislative requirements, while touring artists are only interested in achieving their desired 100 dBA at front of house operating levels. This paper reviews 13 years of experience and more than 200 outdoor concert events and festivals, in the capacity of noise monitoring and live management, and discusses the insights gained regarding the interpretation of noise criteria and ability to achieve practical outcomes.
In review of the various venues, limits, parameters and expectations of interested parties, one recurring factor stands out: the inconsistency of noise criteria parameters across different jurisdictions in Australia. This variability complicates the efforts of event operators to meet regulatory requirements, often leading to confusion, frustration and non-compliance. The paper discusses the variety of adopted parameters utilised for noise limits, which are generally set on behalf of affected sensitive receivers. By reviewing these issues against the wealth of event experience, this paper aims to contribute to more effective and efficient noise management practices in the event industry, aiming for regulatory adherence, operator comprehension, and the minimization of unreasonable noise pollution impacts, with an overarching focus on how the Acoustician operates under the various expectations.
Published in the Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Australian Acoustical Society: Acoustics 2024 Acoustics in the Sun
