Wetherspoons ‘bans playing music or taking calls on phone loudspeakers’ after drinkers complain they were ‘driven nuts’

WETHERSPOONS has banned customers from playing music or taking phone calls on loudspeaker. Complaints from punters who say they were “driven nuts” by the disruptive noise have led the pub to prohibit this antisocial behaviour. Wetherspoons has become the first pub chain to ban loudspeakers Credit: Alamy Sir Tim Martin wants his pubs to remain a calm environment Credit: Christopher L Proctor – Commissioned by The Times It is the first pub chain to forbid people from using loudspeakers on its premises, reports The Times. This includes phone calls being taken on loudspeaker, and playing videos or music out loud without headphones. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! All 792 pubs have installed signs telling customers to use headphones or put their phones on mute. Speaking to The Times, a spokesperson for Wetherspoons has urged customers to turn their phones on to silent when enjoying a meal or drink at one of their pubs. They said: “Following complaints from customers, who are being driven nuts by other people’s videos and amplified phone conversations, Wetherspoon has asked customers to switch their phones to silent or to use earphones.” Sir Tim Martin, the pub chain’s founder and chairman, said it was important Wetherspoons’ establishments remain a calm environment where people can enjoy themselves in peace. He said: “In a world dominated by other people’s music and amplified sound, Wetherspoon pubs are an oasis of tranquillity and contemplation. “In order to avoid customers being driven chicken jalfrezi by a cacophony of sound, we are kindly asking phone users to pipe down.” Most read in Money It is unclear if customers who don’t abide by the new rules will be removed from the premises. The Sun has contacted JD Wetherspoon for comment. This comes after Transport for London (TfL) launched a “Headphones On” awareness campaign last year. It aimed to target passengers who play music, videos, or speakerphone calls out loud, causing disruption. The Lib Dems have previously suggested fines of up to £1,000 for “headphone dodgers” who play music out loud on buses and trains. Railway byelaws already ban loud sounds that cause annoyance to other passengers but their effectiveness has been questioned. A poll of 6,816 people by YouGov in 2025 found that 29 per cent strongly support a fine for nuisance phone noise, while 33 per cent said they somewhat support it. The problem has inadvertently been made worse by better 4G and 5G connectivity near train lines across the UK. Comment now