The much-maligned vuvuzela horn will be making a return to the World Cup in Russia this summer, but football fans don’t despair – the ear-splitting instrument won’t be heard at stadiums, only at a Moscow park.
The Moscow authorities are planning to install a nine-meter-long vuvuzela at Sokolniki park, which will blast out match commentary during games at this summer’s tournament.
The plastic instrument will be decorated in the white, blue and red of the Russian flag. It will sound “in honor of match winners,” as well as contain a microphone that responds to anyone who shouts into it, the city authorities said.
“In contrast to the classical vuvuzela, the tone will be higher and the sound softer. The sound won’t be higher than 120 decibels,” Sokolniki Park’s artistic director, Andrey Koposov, told the Moscow City website.
The reduced sound power will perhaps come as music to some fans’ ears, who will be eager to avoid the shrill blast of an instrument that first earned global attention at the South Africa World Cup in 2010.
It divided opinion at the tournament, with many believing that the horn, which is typically around 2ft long and emits a loud buzzing sound when blown into, was an essential part of South African football culture and was a welcome addition at stadiums.
Others, however, said the incessant bee-like drone meant that the atmosphere was ruined and that watching games gave fans a headache. Blasts from the horn can reach the level of 127 decibels when pressed to the ear – reportedly louder than a chainsaw at 100 decibels.
FIFA rejected calls for the vuvuzela to be banned, although since the 2010 World Cup the instrument has been a much rarer sight – and sound – at football stadiums around the world.
The World Cup kicks off in Russia on June 14 and runs until July 15. Games will be held at stadiums in 11 host cities.