What is a silent disco? Silent disco — also called a silent rave — is an event where people dance to music but instead of the music coming out of the speakers, they are grooving to the music that is coming out of wireless headphones that everyone in attendance is wearing. Music is broadcasted via a radio transmitter with the signal being picked up by the headphones. If you are not wearing a pair of headphones then you aren’t enjoying the experience since you will not hear any music.
In the earliest reiteration of silent discos, participants will only have access to one channel available for music play-through. Over time technology has evolved and allowed two or even three channels for separate DJs broadcasting their content at the same time.
Attending Your First Silent Disco
Silent discos are one of those things that are kind of strange to describe — but once you participate in your first silent disco, it all makes sense and you will wonder how come you never attended one after all this time. There are many event and ticketing websites that have put a spotlight on silent discos — and act as a perfect revenue for those who are interested in participating in their first rave. Some of the more popular websites for silent discos include Eventbrite, QuietEvents, and HushConcerts.
Alternatively, you can also have your own silent disco right at home. Oddly enough, you would think that silent discos are something akin to a party, where you will need a very large space. However, when it comes to the venue, bigger is not always better. With silent disco, the party will live and die based on the room size. If the space is too large and sprawling, then no one is going to have the confidence of actually dancing in the middle of the room. It is going to look very strange for patrons too — it is kind of odd to see a couple of people dancing on the dance floor in relative silence. Instead of booking a huge space, make a realistic goal of how many people will appear at attendance, then pick a room or space that will snugly fit the number of people.
Then comes the silent disco headphones. The headphones need to be able to transmit information and tap into specific radio frequencies. Depending on the setup, these headsets will work via Bluetooth or via an RF transmitter that can reach several hundred feet.
Why Are Silent Discos So Popular?
There are several reasons why silent discos are so popular. Not only are silent discos new — but they have become a mainstay instead of a trend. Not many people can say that they attended a silent disco, with each event being a little bit different from the next. It is an adventure going from one silent disco theme and then going to another with a completely different theme and party vibes.
It also allows venues to be open and not worry about noise curfews. This is particularly beneficial for those who want to have a silent disco on their private property or in their homes. Usually, at a normal party, the music is loud and people can be rambunctious. But in a silent disco, there is no noise that your neighbors need to worry about, and you have the advantage of partying all night without annoying anybody.
Silent Disco: History
Silent raves and discos actually have a very long history. One of the early references of this type of party scene was in the 1967 Japanese science fiction story, The Summer of 1993, where one of the characters goes to a party where the attendees are wearing headphones. Over time it became an actual thing, with environmental activists in the 1990s curating outdoor parties and events to minimize noise pollution. The 2005 Glastonbury Festival also used early technology to screen the World Cup after a sound curfew was enacted. Over time the technology was further refined and multiple channels were then used to transmit more than one audio message or song at the same time.
