This March, running in tandem with World Hearing Day 2025, a new festival launches that spotlights immersive events that reimagine the way we listen, feel, and connect.

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Here are three standout experiences worth checking out:

🔸 Immersive Gong Bath: A Deep Listening Experience (March 6, 4 PM, St Peter’s Church, FREE)

Let the rich vibrations of the gong wash over you in this deeply relaxing sound journey. Whether you sit, lie down, or simply absorb the resonance, this experience is designed to soothe the nervous system, quiet the mind, and create space for reflection. A must-try for those seeking stillness in a noisy world.

🔸 Intimate Sensory Workshop (March 6, 5 PM, St Peter’s Church, £5)

Ever wondered how sound shapes intimacy? This interactive 80-minute workshop dives into the connection between sound, touch, and emotion, exploring how sensory experiences impact arousal, relaxation, and communication. Blending science with hands-on activities, this session offers a fresh perspective on connection—whether sound is present or not.

🔸 Sownd Affects: The Main Event (March 6, 7 PM–Late, St. Peter’s Church, £12.50 + bf)

A multisensory evening of live music, interactive talks, and experimentation centred around noise sensitivity. Opened by the Mayor of Hackney, enjoy stripped-back acoustic performances in a serene, non-amplified setting;an audience participation exploration of how sound influences taste with gastrophysics expert Charles Spence, and gain insight into noise sensitivity and its impact on social experiences.

With accessibility and audio inclusion at its heart, Sownd Affects Festival is a space for discovery, relaxation, and deeper listening. The festival has been funded by The Arts Council and supported by the UK Noise Association, ADHD UK and The Environmental Business Network. Don’t miss this unique festival reshaping the conversation around sound and inclusion in London this March.

To buy tickets visit: here

About the festival:

Did you know, a staggering 30 % of the population is noise sensitive? This includes individuals who are hard of hearing, neurodivergent (e.g. ADHD, autism) over 50, or living with conditions such as misophonia.

This unique festival has been curated in collaboration with Hackney Council and the World Health Organisation’s World Hearing Forum, underlining the global significance of addressing hearing wellness and noise sensitivity. It has been funded by The Arts Council to make venues more audio inclusive so that the community can engage in live music and social experiences without the intrusion of noise whilst taking care of their hearing health. Hackney aims to set a new standard as the first audio-inclusive borough in the UK, demonstrating its commitment to health and accessibility for all.
Quotes: “The Hearing Wellness Festival is an important step towards making Hackney a more inclusive community. By addressing the needs of our noise-sensitive residents, we’re leading the way in creating spaces that everyone can enjoy,” Deborah Barnett, Head of Equity, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, Hackney Council.

“This festival sets a vital example of how communities can come together to address the often-overlooked issue of noise pollution and its impact on hearing health,” Marion Marincat, World Health Organisation World Hearing Forum Facilitator.

“Often people with Neurodivergent conditions have a lower “that’s too loud” threshold for noise. We welcome this event for bringing awareness and understanding to the different noise challenges of Neurodivergent people and mindfully creating experiences that everyone can enjoy”. Henry Shelford, CEO and Co-Founder of ADHD UK.