Wetherspoons bans customers playing music from phones in pubs

Wetherspoons has banned its customers from playing music out loud or taking calls on speaker, saying the noise was an increasing problem driving people “nuts”.

The company – which runs 792 pubs and bars across the UK – said that following complaints it has asked customers to switch their phones and tablets to silent or to use earphones.

Polling in recent years by various organisations suggests people are largely opposed to others playing music or taking calls on speaker in public spaces.

Wetherspoons told the BBC that staff will be asked to use “common sense” when enforcing the ban.

“We are not looking to ask anyone to leave a pub if they go against the ruling, but it is an option for managers if they refuse to do so,” the company said.

It follows a stricter, longstanding policy from rival pub chain Sam Smiths which bans no phone or tech use of any kind, in addition to a ban on swearing.

Wetherspoons does not play music in any of its pubs, with chief executive Tim Martin describing them as “an oasis of tranquillity and contemplation”.

The chain does play music in the evening at its 44 Lloyds’ bars. It confirmed that the ban on customers playing music and taking calls on speaker would also apply to those venues.

The number of Wetherspoons pubs has steadily fallen over the last decade from a peak of 955 in late 2015.

The firm has faced a financial challenges during those ten years from the Covid pandemic and inflation.

Last month, it told investors that profit for the year would be lower than expected because of higher costs for food, labour, repairs, energy, and business rates.