Should you wear earplugs to concerts? episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 10, 2026 · 11 MIN

Should you wear earplugs to concerts?

from What in the World · host BBC World Service

According to the National Institute of Health, long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 dBA can cause hearing loss. The noise levels at a big concert or live music gig typically fall between 90 and 120 dBA, according to the British Academy of Audiology. These levels depend on things like the type of music, whether the venue is indoors or outdoors, and how close you stand to the speakers. So what impact is this level of noise having on our ears and can the trendy, visible earplugs that are booming online protect you from hearing loss. We speak to Andrew Rogers from BBC Newsbeat who has been reporting from gigs and festivals across the UK and speaking to earplug users.BBC Health Correspondent, James Gallagher gives us a full explanation on what happens inside our ears when we are in loud environments.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Lucy Davies, Benita Barden,Eleanor Sly and Liv Cleal Editor: Verity Wilde

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jul 10, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

Should you wear earplugs to concerts?

0:00 11:49

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of What in the World?

This episode is 11 minutes long.

When was this What in the World episode published?

This episode was published on July 10, 2026.

Can I download this What in the World episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!