At Roskilde Festival we party with consideration for the community. That is true for the stages, where we have upper limits for how many dB can blast from the concert speakers. That way, we ensure that everyone has a good experience, from audiences, volunteers and neighbours of the festival.
We also have a Sound Policy for the Camping Area, where many bring large, home-built music centres. We love the DIY approach, and we know that many spend endless hours (and a lot of money) on designing their home-built stereos, making them shine and able to reach those impressive speaker volumes. It is amazing that you want to contribute to the party by being the host at your own camp with your sound system.
However, being the party-starter comes with a responsibility. You live right next to a lot of people, who have also come to the festival to have a great time. Please take them into consideration. When the camp is set up, please make the rounds and meet your neighbours; have a conversation about what is cool for them, what parties you can have and what type of music you can agree on. How loud can you agree on playing? You are here together, so it’s important that everyone is having a good time.
How loud can the party be?
When we measure volume, we measure a unit called decibel. It can be difficult to understand, because it is a numerical value, which does not explain much. We really should be measuring volume in distance: How many meters does the sound of your party carry, and how many camps are drowned out by your music? In addition to that, we must include all the other sounds that blend into this musical chaos.
We have defined some time slots in which your party can be as loud as you want, and other time slots where you should give the speakers a rest:
09 – 02 Time for the big parties – equal to 94 dB(A)
02 – 05 Music should be audible in your own camp, with overflow to a few extra camps – equal to 88 dB(A)
05 – 09 Music should only be audible in your own camp, and we recommend it be turned off completely – equal to 84 dB(A)
If our hosts in the Camping Area ask you to turn down the volume, your music is too loud.
Rules are boring, we know, but it is important to party with respect for the community, to make room for everyone.
Which music centre can you bring?
As a rule, we allow most sound systems. However, we do have one requirement: You must be able to carry it to the Camping Area. If you need motor power to transport it, the stereo is too big. Systems that are built into vehicles belong in Caravan Camping.