Six dates on Beverley Knight’s ‘Born to Perform’ tour will have Bluetooth’s Auracast available, in what’s being described as “the world’s first live music tour” to offer the technology.
Unlike standard pairing, Auracast allows for an “unlimited” number of compatible devices – including hearing aids, headphones and earbuds – to connect to one audio broadcast.
The assistive listening technology has already been installed at the National Theatre and Sydney Opera House, and trialled at Bristol Temple Meads station and Frankfurt Airport.
It’s estimated that over a million venues will offer “inclusive listening experiences” with Auracast by 2029.
The “Shoulda Woulda Coulda” singer and theatre star – whose mother is a cochlear implant user – shared the news in a post to her Instagram account on Monday, in which she wrote that she is “excited to see the possibilities of this new technology”.
She said: “Over the years my mum lost the ability to hear, and now wears a cochlear implant. Following along to conversations in everyday life and listening to gigs has proved to be a challenge.
“I spoke to my Sound engineer Adam Waller who did some thinking, and I am proud to say that along with his company Open Door Audio I am able to present a series of shows on my Born To Perform tour which are suitable for a brand new technology called Auracast.
“It allows folks with hearing devices such as cochlear implants to experience a gig with a clarity that was until now unimaginable.”
The first Auracast-enabled show of the tour will take place on Tuesday in Bath, with the technology also available for performances in Bristol (19 June), London (21 June), Southend-on-Sea (23 June), Cardiff (27 June) and Wolverhampton (30 June).
Open Door Audio added: “Open Door Audio is proud to partner with Beverley Knight’s Born to Perform tour to become the world’s first live music tour to offer Auracast broadcast audio at selected venues.”
Fans attending the six Auracast-enabled venues are invited to register their interest in the technology via a Google form, with those going to dates where Auracast is not yet available also encouraged to submit a response.
“If people register their interest at other venues, we’ll do our very best to extend availability across additional dates on the tour,” the form reads.
Images: Lewis Shaw.