Live Music Hearing Health Pledge

Why we are launching a Live Music Hearing Health Alliance Pledge.

During Tinnitus Week 2026, Tinnitus UK launched a new cross-sector commitment to protect hearing in live music: the Live Music Hearing Health Alliance Pledge.

This moment is not just symbolic. It marks a turning point in how we talk about live music, sound levels and long-term hearing health.

For decades, loud live music has been accepted as part of the experience. Ringing ears after a gig have been normalised. Temporary hearing changes have been brushed off as harmless. But for millions of people, those temporary symptoms become permanent: chronic tinnitus, noise-induced hearing loss, sound sensitivity and reduced quality of life.

The tragedy is that much of this harm is preventable.

From awareness to action

Our new report, Amplifying Awareness, sets out the scale of the issue in the UK. It brings together evidence, expert insight and lived experience to show that:

• Unsafe sound exposure at live music events is a real and growing public health risk
• Many people attending or working at events are not given clear information about that risk
• Practical, proportionate measures can significantly reduce harm without diminishing the joy, power or creativity of live music

The report does not call for silence, bans, or heavy-handed regulations. Instead, it calls for responsibility, consistency, and collaboration.

Live music is one of the UK’s greatest cultural strengths. Protecting hearing is not about turning the volume off, it is about making sure people can keep enjoying music for a lifetime.

Why a pledge?

One of the clearest findings from the report is that no single part of the system can fix this alone.

Promoters, venues, artists, sound engineers, health bodies, researchers, regulators and campaigners all have a role to play. Right now, good practice exists, but it is patchy and inconsistent. Some events actively promote hearing protection and manage sound well – others do very little.

The result is a postcode lottery for your ears.

The Live Music Hearing Health Alliance Pledge, led by Tinnitus UK, is designed to change that by creating a shared foundation for action.

It brings together organisations across hearing health, music, public safety and policy around five simple but powerful commitments:

• Collaborate rather than work in silos
• Act on robust scientific evidence
• Speak with a coordinated voice to decision-makers
• Prioritise prevention, not just treatment
• Have the people with lived experience of people affected at the heart of what we do

This is not a vague statement of intent. It is a practical commitment to work together, set measurable goals, and build consistent standards for safer listening.

Why now?

Two things are changing.

Firstly, the evidence base is stronger than ever. We know much more about safe exposure levels, effective hearing protection, and how to reduce risk without harming the live experience.

Secondly, public awareness is rising. More people recognise tinnitus and hearing loss as serious, life-altering conditions rather than minor inconveniences.

However, what has been missing is a coordinated mechanism to turn that knowledge and awareness into system-wide change.

Launching the pledge alongside Amplifying Awareness is deliberate. The report sets out the “why” and the “what needs to change”. The pledge creates the “traction for real life action”.

Protecting the future of live music

At its heart, this is about sustainability.

A sustainable live music sector is not only financially and culturally healthy, it is healthy for the people who create it, work in it and love it. Hearing health must sit alongside crowd safety, fire safety and structural safety as a basic responsibility, not an optional extra.

By committing to shared standards, shared learning and shared advocacy, signatories to the pledge are saying something simple but profound:

Lifelong hearing damage and tinnitus should not be the price of participation in live music.

If we act together now, we can ensure that the next generation grows up with both unforgettable gigs and healthy hearing.

That is why this pledge matters, and why this launch is only the beginning.

We are working with the following organisations to drive real change: