Music down at 10pm? Goa’s tourism industry has a lot to say about this ban

When honeymoon couple Harmeet and Veena Singh came to Goa from Noida, little did they know that their hopes of partying till dawn at the beach shacks would get washed away with the 10pm noise ban. “Hum goa mein toh party karne hi aye the, otherwise we could have gone anywhere else,” says a fuming Harmeet. They are not alone in their plight. Goa has seen a multitude of disappointed tourists with the 10pm ban, which was brought into force after the high court of Bombay at Goa passed the order in the first week of December. The ban has been applied to both North and South Goa districts, and action has been taken against violators playing loud music beyond the permitted time.
This order was in response to the complaint filed by locals against the playing of loud music at late night. “It is noticed that violations of the Noise Pollution Rules are at their peak during months of November, December, and January,” reads the high court statement. But, while the locals breathe a sigh of relief, with sound sleep, what does the ban mean to the tourism industry? We talk to the stakeholders to find out more.
Party hoppers left unhappy as parties end by 10pm
Goa’s party peeps are clearly not happy about the new order. Many, especially tourists, have been dismayed that their plans of partying near the beach have been dashed. “Goa is known for its beaches and its chill vibe, and also its wide range of music one can choose from. But if you shut the music at 10, what’s the point of coming to Goa? We are here for a long holiday till around New Year’s, and it was really disappointing to known that this ban will be in force,” says Ajay Maletriya, from Delhi.
Harmeet says that Goa wasn’t his first choice, but the couple came here to party. “Bangkok and Thailand were initially on our list, but we decided on Goa instead to have a longer holiday. But this rule is upsetting. During the day, we go to visit beaches, do sightseeing, and then head to the shacks early at around 7-8 pm and party till around 10pm to make up for the time. The whole idea of coming to Goa was to party,” says Harmeet.
Though there are no restrictions on the indoor music, Irene Lakra says there is no difference between coming to Goa and staying back in Delhi or going to any other place to party. “Humko toh khulle mein party karna hai. If I wanted to party in a closed space, I could have done it in Delhi. Why come to Goa? Tourists come to Goa only because of the ambiance and beaches – other states have beaches too. Also, Goa is much more expensive as compared to other places, why should I waste my trip here then?”
Locals like Sarah Dias and her friends from Panaji too have been disappointed after the order. “I have never been to parties before 10-11pm. And for us working crowd, there are no places to go now, as we wind up with work at around 6pm and then go out clubbing. Now we have to look for other ways to unwind instead of going to clubs,” she says.
Clubs shift action indoors
“The 10pm ban has always been there, most of our places are indoor and well insulated to any sound spillage. I think a good balance is required where tourists can party at open venues till 10pm and then move to good indoor venues,” says Sahil Adwalpalkar of a popular club chain.
A club manager in Baga pointed out that the season had picked up after Diwali, but is worried the ban will affect the profits. “We were expecting a big crowd but the news of the music ban has caught the attention of people all over and this could be a downfall for the industry. During the pandemic, most of the places were shut and businesses were badly affected, now would have been the time to make money and make up for the losses.” Advait Naik, director of a Nerul nightclub, has been following the order diligently and shifts the party indoors post the prescribed time limit, “The ban is not for indoor venues, so most will continue their party with the Bollywood and EDM music post 10pm. Most party places have transitioned into indoor venues or have opted for innovative ideas to work around the ban, like headphone parties.”
Shacks too face a brunt of this order, with sales dropping, “People would come for the music here, but now some eat at the shack and go to indoor clubs to party,” informs Sashi, who runs the shack in Baga. Anil, a waiter, says that people give less tips now as well. “We would make most of our salaries through the tips that people pay, but if the place will have no music, people will eat and go early, which means less food served, less tips.”
The rise of headphone parties and sundowners
Some clubs have resorted to headphone parties to counter the losses caused by the court order. Some have been a hit, while others haven’t. “Headphone parties are generally accepted by guests, but most are not thrilled about it, as they want to party with loud music. Tourism holds a major stake in Goa’s revenue; due to this ban people have stopped visiting here, and unless measures are taken to remedy the situation, we will be severely affected in the future. In the last 15 days itself, owing to the less revenue, I had to downsize on my staff strength,” says Aniket Sakpal, GM of a high-end club in Vagator.
Advait adds that clubs are competing with casinos, indoor clubs, and other indoor places, and so the outdoor clubs have to find innovative ways to sustain. “A new change will always create discomfort initially during the transition phase, but eventually this will give birth to new venues, methods, and culture in the nightlife industry. I recently visited a headphone party in Anjuna and was fascinated with it, such new things need to be explored and experimented with.”