Residents give authorities ultimatum – soundproof or silence |25 August 2022

The Music Stadium

While artists and music fans look forward to the first ever musical show at the new Music Stadium, residents of the English River district are concerned over noise nuisance from loud music, echoing through nearby residential communities. 

The stadium, a project undertaken by government in response to the persistent requests from the artist community, has in the past been heavily-criticised for numerous reasons, including the fact that it is not soundproof.

Residents, in a public meeting held on Monday, issued to the authorities an ultimatum to either resolve the nuisance by finding ways to soundproof the facility, or to cease all musical shows, until necessary works have been completed to address the issue.

Saturday’s show which features a line-up of at least 20 artists is to be another trial event, after which the parties are to once again convene to discuss the way forward.

It must be noted that the first trial was held long before the Covid-19 pandemic, while the stadium was in its finalisation phases.

“I reside in Mont Buxton, and my property is somewhat adjacent to the stadium. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic they held rehearsals a few times, and we can hear it all, so that means that I will remain sleepless on Saturday. I hope that the new agency have learned a big lesson with regard to the stadium,” one resident expressed, highlighting problems with the design and build and the inconveniences caused to residents.

Among their demands, they propose the surrounding boundary walls be built higher, or renovating the structure once again to completely cover it.

Alternatively, residents put forward their views as to how the facility can be converted for other purposes, allowing government to still generate revenues from economic activities, while also ensuring that residents’ right to peace remains undisturbed.

For his part, executive director of the Creative Seychelles Agency (CSA), Emmanuel D’Offay, stated the need to have the facility operational and available for rent for events if government is to make a return on its significant investment.

The facility carries a rental fee of R60,000 for musical events at present.

“We have a mandate to make the facility operational. We could have cancelled the show, but we wanted to have the trial.  We have to find ways to minimise noise for you. In its current state, the building is incurring costs for government.”

“There is plenty of vacant land around the Music Stadium and it is our intention to also develop this land. There are other buildings planned around, two or three storeys high, thereby minimising the noise,” Mr D’Offay said.

Upon concluding the meeting, both parties agreed to monitor the situation throughout Saturday’s event and to return for a follow-up post-mortem meeting. Based on the outcomes of the upcoming meet, a report is to be presented to the relevant authorities, inclusive of recommendations and proposed actions in going forward.

Monday’s meeting was called for by member of the National Assembly for English River, Andy Labonte, and saw the presence of district administrator Jancy Volcère, as well as some music promoters.

The music stadium project was initiated by former Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St Ange in 2012 to provide artists with their own space since the previous Stad Lanmizik had been converted into the Peace Park.

Construction of the music stadium was initially forecasted at a total cost of R5,154,478 for the first phase with the total project cost estimated at R9 million.

Later requests from the department of culture for amendments in the design and details, mainly in regards to an upgrade of the stage and the main building, in October 2015, drove the estimated cost for the first phase to R13,529,963.

The project was tendered in November 2015 and the contract was awarded on December 2015 to the lowest bidder Allied Builders Seychelles Limited (ABSL) for a sum of R11,048,857.

The final cost of the project amounted to over R22 million in the end.

Laura Pillay