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Jack White has banned phones and smartwatches from his concert in Dublin tonight. Alamy Stock Photo
Your Say
Should smartwatches be banned at concerts?
Concertgoers attending Jack White’s gig in Dublin tonight have been told that their phones and smartwatches will be locked away for the duration of the show.
A NUMBER OF musicians have taken to banning phones at their concerts in recent years – but smartwatches appear to be the latest device to be prohibited.
People set to attend Jack White’s gig at Dublin’s 3Olympia Theatre tonight have been informed via email that they will have to lock their phones and smartwatches in a pouch that they will keep on them for the duration of the event.
The pouches will be unlocked at the end of the show. The organisers said if someone really needs to use their device, they can go to a “designated phone-use area” within the venue.
It isn’t the first live event to do this in Ireland. When US comedian Kevin Hart’s ‘Acting My Age’ tour came to Dublin last May, all phones and smartwatches were also locked in a pouch for the show.
Artists have said that a “phone-free experience” makes their show better for everyone attending. While many smartwatches don’t have in-built cameras to take photos or records videos, most can record audio.
So today we’re asking: Should smartwatches be banned at concerts?
Poll Results:
Yes (229)
No (227)
I'm not sure (62)
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