Innovative European, and a few American, party promoters are utilizing a novel way for late-night party people to raise the roof without raising the ire of neighbors. On the other side of the Atlantic, where densely populated urban centers foster communities with a lower tolerance for late-night noise, a new trend is proving a clever remedy for cranky neighbors and prematurely abandoned parties. The first “silent disco” was put on by a Dutch party company called 433fm, which began touring the European continent with a lineup of popular DJs and high-quality headphones in 2002.
DJs broadcast their beats to a local radio channel, the wireless headphones are tuned to the station, and the party is instantly transformed from a circus of blaring speakers to the innocuous sound of shuffling feet and partiers singing under their breath. The company hosted a few high-profile events at festivals like Glastonbury and De Parade, and the concept started blowing up across Europe.
Parisians in particular have taken to the idea because police officers in the French capital strictly enforce a 10pm noise curfew that makes putting on all-night music events somewhat complicated. A French party organizer called Silence Events is putting together a packed summer lineup at some of the trendiest outdoor venues in Paris, like Wanderlust and La Rotonde Stalingrad.
Read more: Matador Network