Can You (Or Should You) Bring a Baby to a Concert?

Have you ever seen a baby or a young child at a very noisy event? Chances are you have. And often, these infants and young children are not wearing hearing protection. 

Recently, at a concert by the Colombian rapper and singer-songwriter Maluma, the show was stopped by the artist. He spoke to a parent in the audience, asking the fan, “Do you think it’s a good idea to bring a 1-year-old baby to a concert where the decibels are through the…roof, where the sound is blasting?” He then advised the parent to protect the child’s ears—or better yet, not bring the baby along.

Although there have been several occasions when celebrities have publicly promoted hearing protection for babies (Dominic Fike at Lollapalooza 2025, Drew Brees at the Super Bowl in 2010, etc.), the message does not seem to be getting through.

The typical dB level at a concert can range from 90-120 dB SPL, and at a sporting event, only slightly lower. As we know, dangerous levels of noise exposure start at around 85 dB and, depending on the duration of exposure, can cause permanent damage. Safe sound levels hover around 70 dB SPL. 

With that in mind, over-the-ear headphones with noise reduction of at least 20-30 dB are recommended for everyone in loud environments, especially young children. Infants and children cannot remove themselves from loud situations, so protection is necessary.  If you must bring your baby to a concert or sporting event, in addition to appropriate hearing protection, you may wish to download a sound level meter app to your phone to monitor the noise level in your seat. The best choice, however, is to leave the little ones at home.

Reference

Willets, M. (2026, July 12). Can You Bring a Baby to a Concert? Experts Warn Parents About the Risks. Parents. https://www.parents.com/can-you-bring-a-baby-to-a-concert-12016230