Raves, music festivals, house parties, clubs…whatever your event of choice is, they all hold the same goal: to last all night. After all, there’s no point to a party if blinding sunlight doesn’t announce that time’s up.

That said, there are several hindrances that halt a party’s essence in its tracks. Yes, your neighbors are one of them. But let’s put ourselves in their shoes for a moment. Unsolicited noise can be a pain in the neck, particularly when it’s past bedtime for their kids. You can try to crank up the speakers, but chances are your party will end long before it gets exciting.

In a perfect world, we could listen to music of our choice all night long, meet new people and dance until the morning, without interruptions. Lucky for us, that’s the exact definition of a silent disco.

What is a silent disco?

Did you know that silent discos started way back in the ‘90s? They were an innovative way to avoid noise pollution and turmoil during late nights, and have become a big hit among party planners.

In standard parties, a DJ mix tracks while music blasts from the PA system, and everyone bops to the same beat, whether they dig it or not.

In a silent disco, however, all the partygoers get their own pair of headphones, so they can switch between channels and dance to whatever they want to listen to. Newcomers will wonder what all these folks are doing, bobbing their heads in plain silence. That’s exactly the point!

It’s a win-win situation. Noise curfews will no longer be a concern, and all the guests stick to their music preferences.

Throwing your own silent disco: what you need to know

If you’re a first-timer, the idea of organizing your silent disco might be overwhelming. What kind of event should it be? How many attendees? Where should I host it?

Good news: Quiet clubbing is a success, no matter if you’re hosting a college party or a wedding party. They make all kinds of events fun and memorable. However, you need to consider a few things during your planning session.

Location

Having an estimate of the number of attendees is essential. It doesn’t need to be exact, but just enough so you can rent a venue that fits that quantity, even if the place is on the smaller side.

Why is location important? If there’s a lot of empty space, things can get kind of awkward between guests — if that’s the case in regular parties, imagine how unapproachable someone dancing with headphones in silence would look.

Spaces too large or too small can give your disco a bad rap. You don’t want an empty party, but you also want to be able to breathe. Therefore, you should be meticulous on research. Venue should be your first concern when planning your event.

Equipment

The location is all set. Your guests have RSVP’d. What now?

Time to tackle the life of the party: the wireless headphones.

Silent disco headphones have multiple channels (usually more than three), all of which are supposed to play varied genres of music. That’s important because different tastes demand variety, and you don’t want people to get bored.

Don’t like the current song? Just flip the switch and listen to something different. It’s that simple.

If you search the web, you’ll find a lot of quality headphone rental services that are specific for silent events. They usually glow in the dark, thanks to the colorful LED lights on them. If your party is outdoors, glow products are the perfect match to the headphones and stage lighting — they look super inviting from afar!

When selecting a service, take into account:

• Sound quality (minimal distortion)
• Easy setup
• Lasting battery life
• Number of channels available

The cost may vary depending on the service you’re renting, including the shipping fee. Try to contact your company of choice a few weeks in advance to avoid last-minute issues. The disco is all about the headphones, so choose wisely.

Who’s in charge of the music?

In general, DJs are booked for this kind of event. Party people just love DJs. However, silent discos are so versatile that even full live shows can be listened to through headphones.

Ideally, there should be more than one DJ to manage all channels. Keep in mind that not all stage performers are familiar with this concept and its setup. In this case, you might want to book acts with previous experience in silent events.

Loss prevention measures

Of course, you want your silent disco to be a phenomenon — but you also want to safely return every single set of headphones when it’s over.

It’s very common for drunken guests to forget they’re even wearing anything in the first place. If you don’t want anybody breaking the equipment or potentially leaving with it, you should take a few precautions to avoid loss and damage.

• Be sure to formally warn attendees that they are responsible for the damage cost of the headphones handed to them. Placing a warning sign (or a lot of them) somewhere visible is a good way to communicate it.

• Have staff in charge of handing the headphones to people. Everyone who picks up a headphone gets a wristband — this way, whoever’s in charge will know who got them when it’s time to give them back. Security staff and wristbands are an additional cost, but less than what you’d pay for the loss of multiple sets.

• Some rental services have anti-theft devices installed in the headphones. Invest on that equipment for extra security.

Sure, all events carry with them a lot of responsibility. But you’ll soon forget about the pesky details when you remind yourself that you can make it awesome. Throw the best silent disco party ever, and show all your friends what they’ve been missing!