Taylor Swift’s first Sydney Eras Tour show is just one day away but fans are being urged to don an unlikely accessory for the big night; earplugs.
Several Swifties have come out on TikTok saying that they will be blocking their ears at her Sydney shows with disposable foam earplugs to protect their hearing.
Watch the video above.
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But do you really need to wear earplugs at a Swift concert – or any, for that matter?
“If you’re going to the Eras Tour this is your friendly reminder to wear earplugs for it,” said Melbourne concertgoer Amy Wooller, @amy_wooller on TikTok.
“It will probably be the loudest show you will ever see in your entire life and it only takes one show to permanently damage your hearing forever. Trust me, I know from experience.”
She urged fellow fans to pick up a pair of foam earplugs at the concert venue – Accor Stadium for Sydney – which are usually cheap or even free.
“The concert will still be super loud with the earplugs in. It also might feel a little weird when you first start wearing them, but honestly you’ll get used to it,” she added.
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The Sydney Morning Herald later confirmed that Accor Stadium customer service staff will be offering free earplugs to concert-goers at all of Swift’s Sydney shows.
Fans can also grab cheap earplugs at local retailers like Chemist Warehouse, where another TikTok user picked up a pack of pink ones before one of Swift’s Melbourne shows.
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“This is really important,” said Bridget Hustwaite, who goes by @bridgethustwaite on TikTok.
“I don’t think people understand how loud it’s going to be in there with 86,000 screaming Swifties [for] a three hour show.
“It’s worth putting these in, you’ll still be able to hear everything, you’re just not going to damage your ears. It’s not worth damaging your ears permanently.”
WATCH THE VIDEO: Why Swifties are being urged to wear earplugs at concerts
Hearing loss is experienced by one in six Australians and even a few hours in a loud environment – such as a stadium concert – can cause hearing damage.
Concerts regularly exceed 105 decibels, which is only safe for human ears for about four minutes.
Swift’s Eras Tour shows run for about 3.5 hours, which is almost 53 times longer than the safe exposure time for such high-level sounds.
That’s why so many Aussies experience sore, ringing ears or temporary deafness after music shows, indicating some level of hearing damage. For others, it’s more permanent.
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Earplugs, even the cheap disposable foam kind, are a proven way to help prevent hearing damage in loud environments like Swift’s sold-out Eras Tour shows in Sydney this weekend.
Some fans are opting for trendier alternatives like Loop Earplugs, which are designed to help reduce noise in loud environments and preserve hearing.