EARLY this month, 28-year-old Denise Africano enjoyed an entirely new experience: a silent disco. 

The marketing professional posted about it on her TikTok account, and the video quickly garnered over 85,900 views in just a few days, with 4,628 likes and 50 comments thus far.

She’s rated the experience 4.5 out of 5 overall – something she’d highly recommend to drinkers and curious types.

While the term “silent disco” was only established in 2005, people have been hosting silent parties since the early 1990s. 

It was first held because of noise pollution concerns and was then integrated into the Glastonbury Festival back in 1994, the first festival ever to do so. Here, different DJs played different genres of music, while attendees listened separately through headphones. 

The term continued to grow more popular over the years, even making appearances in shows like Brooklyn 99 and Atypical, before slowly starting to make its way to the Philippines.

Unforgettable experience

Africano works as a digital marketing and e-commerce manager, so when she came across Monkey Shoulder’s pop-up event in Bonifacio Global City on November 10, she couldn’t help but join in on the fun.

“As a marketing professional, I am just a sucker for well-done activations; all the elements in it [were] on-brand,” she said.

“I liked that it was a cute, quick stop before going to work. I [got] to experience the silent disco with a nice view of High Street,” added Africano.

She explained that the silent disco was only one of the features of the pop-up she attended, and it was a great first weekend. Since she works in BGC, she’d been able to see how the event was constructed weeks before it opened.

At the event, Africano praised the attention and care the organizers placed on health and sanitation, saying that there were shower caps for the people using the headphones and that the headphones were sanitized after each use.

She was also able to enjoy a fun night out with her friends, buying drinks and participating in a community wall art. 

Though she loved the experience, Africano felt that some things could be improved for the future. 

“It could get really hot with the alcohol kicking in and the absence of [an] aircon or fan, [and] the quality of the earphones could’ve been better too, but it was forgivable given it’s only a pop-up booth,” she said.

“It [was] just a quick stop because, with the headphones on, you can’t chatter with your friends. The size of the booth is small and the bar is on the first floor, which could be a hassle if you want to keep ordering and doing the disco.”

Despite this, Africano still sees it as something she’d tell her friends about, and even attend once more given the chance.

Everyone can enjoy 

At a silent disco, everyone in the room is wearing headphones, and you can enjoy your music alone whilst still being surrounded by a crowd of people. But why is this important, exactly? Why do silent discos matter?

Aside from avoiding noise pollution, silent discos are a great way for introverts to have more fun on their night out. Africano noted that during her time at the silent disco, it was hard for her to talk to her friends because she was wearing headphones, but for some people, this would be more ideal. 

Attending a silent disco means being given the choice to have less interaction with the people around you. If you wish to talk to people, you can just take off your headphones. 

Silent discos have also been shown to help people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, or other Sensory Processing Disorders.

This is because, by using headphones, you have more control over your music: you can adjust the volume, add white noise or other low-sensory sounds, or just remove it if it all starts to feel a little too much.

“Silent disco headphones are often used to create events that are more inclusive by giving guests more control over their own sensory experiences,” said Party Headphones, a company that specializes in creating headphones meant specifically for silent discos.

“Inclusivity matters – everyone should be comfortable attending school dances, weddings, birthday parties, and other fun events.” 

In times like these, it’s important to remember the privilege you might hold. Going to a club may be an average Friday night out for you, but for others, it might be a terrifying, overwhelming experience. 

Making silent discos more popular and accessible in the Philippines is just one way to make more inclusive spaces. Hopefully, in the future, more steps will be taken to put into consideration all types of partygoers. 

As Party Headphones said, everyone deserves to have fun, no matter who they may be or what they’re going through.