​3,000-strong silent disco “keeps neighbours awake” in Cornwall

Over 1,000 people staying at a campsite in Cornwall were alleged to have been “kept awake” by a three-day rave, which organisers have now said was actually a silent disco.

Owners of a five-star campsite complained about noise levels of the event which took place in a neighbouring field, alleging that “loud rave music” could be heard after 2:AM keeping 1,000 of its guests awake.

Event organisers said that this was simply “untrue”, explaining: “Our site remained quiet throughout the night – we hosted a silent disco until 2:AM, but this does not emit any sound.”

The annual music and car festival Run To The Sun took place in Newquay, Cornwall, last May, with plans to return this spring. The event’s licence may now be revoked due to complaints.

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Treloy campsite owners Abby and Richard Paull wrote to the council’s licensing department claiming that “unregulated loud rave music of the 2023 event continued beyond 2am at an incredibly high disturbing volume.”

They went on to add that “the type of unpleasant noise it created made it feel as if there was an illegal garage type noise in an adjacent field to our five-star family-friendly campsite.”

The Paulls complained that all “1,000+ camping and caravanning guests were unable to sleep”, and that they were unable to find a contact for the organisers to raise concerns despite phone numbers attached across the event’s social media pages.

Run To The Sun, which first began in 1987, returned to Cornwall for the first time in 10 years last spring, taking place across three days over the May bank holiday weekend. The revival attracted more than 3,000 people.

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Event organiser Andreas Christopheros told the council: “Claims that we had ‘loud rave music’ playing beyond 2am seem rather unjust and clearly there is no evidence to back this up.”

“If the guests at Treloy were being disturbed by ‘loud rave music’ past 12am then this was not from the RTTS site,” he added. “I am sorry that the objectors were unable to locate a phone number – I am usually very contactable and I am surprised that this was an issue for them.”

Christopheros went on to add that RTTS will not be growing in size for its 2024 event to remain boutique, and have vouched to move music equipment away from the campsite.

The campsite owners are urging the council’s licensing team not to permit a one-year licence for the event, meaning RTTS 2024 could be in danger of cancellation or forced to move location in May.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag’s Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter