How loud is the loudest basketball arena? 129.2–130.4 dBA max

What the numbers mean

How it was measured. Guinness World Records indoor record set before tip-off at a Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball game, Lawrence, Kansas, 13 February 2017 (130.4 dBA), with 129.2 dBA monitored during play; measurement position not stated.

Indoor arenas trap sound under the roof, so a full crowd can approach outdoor stadium records. The official 130.4 dBA reading came before tip-off, but the crowd was monitored peaking at 129.2 dBA during a tense game that Kansas won in overtime.

The indoor record rose steadily: in November 2013 Sacramento Kings fans registered a peak of 126 dBA against the Detroit Pistons.

Basketball also has a sharp noise source on court. Referees' whistles produce very high peaks at the referee's own ear, measured at up to 134.7 dB(C) after correction.

How long is safe?

NIOSH recommends no more than under 1 s a day at 130.4 dBA (1 s at 129.2). OSHA's legal limit is 1 min 46 s. This is a maximum, so a time limit based on it is a worst case.

Level	NIOSH limit (85 dBA, 3 dB rule)	OSHA limit (90 dBA, 5 dB rule)	UK/EU 80 dB(A) action value reached after	UK/EU 85 dB(A) action value reached after
129.2 dBA	1 s	2 min 6 s	under 1 s	1 s
130.4 dBA	under 1 s	1 min 46 s	under 1 s	under 1 s

Times are for a whole day’s exposure, with the rest of the day quiet. The workplace limits were written for adults at work, not for children. Work out a mixed day with the noise dose calculator.

Protecting your hearing

Bring foam earplugs to big games and fit ear defenders on children. The loudest seats are usually under the roof overhangs near the student sections.

Earplug and earmuff ratings (NRR in the US, SNR in the UK and EU) are lab figures; real-world protection is usually lower. How to read the ratings.

Compared with sounds nearby

Using midpoints of each range. Energy multiplies by 10 every 10 dB; perceived loudness roughly doubles (why).

Vuvuzela (113–131 dBA max): this has about 6× its sound energy and sounds about 1.7× as loud.
Motocross and monster truck show (120–125 dBA max): this has about 5.4× its sound energy and sounds about 1.7× as loud.
Stadium crowd (record) (142.2 dBA max): it has about 17× the sound energy of this and sounds about 2.4× as loud.
Aircraft carrier flight deck (130–160 dBA): it has about 33× the sound energy of this and sounds about 2.9× as loud.
Normal conversation (55–70 dBA): this has about 5.4 million× its energy and sounds about 106.2× as loud.

Questions

Which basketball crowd is the loudest?

Guinness World Records lists Kansas Jayhawks fans at 130.4 dBA, set on 13 February 2017.

How loud is a referee's whistle?

A study of basketball referees found corrected peak levels up to 134.7 dB(C).

Sources

Loudest crowd roar at an indoor sports event, Guinness World Records. Supports: dB_high: 130.4 dBA.The loudest crowd roar at an indoor sports event was 130.4 dbAChecked 2026-11-02.
Loudest crowd roar at an indoor sports event, Guinness World Records. Supports: dB_low: 129.2 dBA during play.the excitable crowd's noise was monitored peaking at 129.2 dbAChecked 2026-11-02.
Roar of the crowd: Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Sacramento Kings make for noisy two months, Guinness World Records. Supports: 126 dBA 2013.Sacramento fans registered a peak reading of 126 dbAChecked 2026-11-02.
Assessment of noise exposure for basketball sports referees, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (2016). Supports: whistle peak 134.7 dB(C).The corrected largest peak sound pressure level is 134.7 dB(C)Checked 2026-11-02.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have ringing in your ears, muffled hearing or any change in your hearing, see an audiologist or your doctor.