We are strong supporters of Civic Responsibility and want to be good temporary residents of the community we are visiting. We have worked hard with our neighbours to come up with clear rules about the level of sound during certain hours of the event and we ask that you help us to keep our impact on the surrounding area to a minimum.
While we’ve laid out sound guidelines, you may still be asked to turn the volume down—or off—at any time by our Sound Team. Please work with us if this happens. It’s not about ruining the fun, but to preserve our relationship with our neighbours and help ensure SideBurn can continue for years to come.
Sound Hours
| Date | Time Range | Sound Limits & Restrictions |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, May 15th | Noon – 11 PM | 100dB at 10 meters, subwoofers permitted. |
| 11 PM – Midnight | 80dB at 10 meters, all subwoofers off. | |
| Friday, May 16th | Midnight – 1 AM | 80dB at 10 meters, all subwoofers off. |
| 1 AM – 9 AM | QUIET HOURS – all sound off. No speakers of any time. | |
| 9 AM – Midnight | 100dB at 10 meters, subwoofers permitted. | |
| Saturday, May 17th | Midnight – 3:30 AM | 80dB at 10 meters, all subwoofers off. |
| 3:30 AM – 9 AM | QUIET HOURS – all sound off. No speakers of any time. | |
| 9 AM – Midnight | 100dB at 10 meters, subwoofers permitted. | |
| Sunday, May 18th | Midnight – 3:30 AM | 80dB at 10 meters, all subwoofers off. |
| 3:30 AM – 9 AM | QUIET HOURS – all sound off. No speakers of any time. | |
| 9 AM – 11 PM | 100dB at 10 meters, subwoofers permitted. | |
| 11 PM – Midnight | 80dB at 10 meters, all subwoofers off. | |
| Monday, May 19th | Midnight – 1 AM | 80dB at 10 meters, all subwoofers off. |
| 1 AM – 9 AM | QUIET HOURS – all sound off. No speakers of any time. | |
| 9 AM – Noon | No amplified sound. Event officially ends at noon. |
Sound & Open Camping
If you want to listen to some music at your tent using a small personal speaker that is allowed, but please be mindful of your neighbours and keep your music to a volume respectful of those around you. If your neighbour asks you to turn it down, please be willing to work with them to find a volume you can both be comfortable with.
Quiet Hours apply to the whole event, including open camping. During quiet hours no speakers of any kind may be used. If you want to listen to something, use headphones. no exceptions.
Sound Squad & Sound Leads
The Sound Squad will be monitoring and working with sound camps throughout the event. Measurement will be done by a handheld meter. The sound squad highly recommends you use a properly calibrated sound-monitoring app to manage your own sound to keep infractions minimized. The readings on sound squads readers will be taken as actuals and documented.
Camps Leads, DJs, and 2 Strikes
- Camp Leads: We recommend that you have someone from your camp with authority over the DJs and sound at all times while music is playing. If possible, please let the sound squad know who this person is and who to direct concerns/converse with about issues throughout the event.
- DJs: All camps are responsible to inform their DJs that they must adhere to sound requests from anyone in the sound squad (those wearing the yellow SideBurn shirts).
- 2 Strikes: If the DJs are spoken to (in the event that a camp lead cannot be found immediately) and they do not heed the warning, that is a strike against the camp. If your camp receives a second strike, your sound will be shut off for the rest of the night. Failure to comply with their requests will be grounds for removal. If the police arrive with noise complaints, they may be directed toward camps that are violating sound policies.
Read more about our sound policy.
Please note: These rules are subject to change depending on site conditions. If there are significant changes, they will be communicated to registered Theme Camps only and shared through the appropriate channels.
If you have any questions, email the Sound Team at sound@sideburn.ca.
