Event Report
Demonstration Test for Live Viewing
Calming Booth Held
at K-Arena
A Space to Choose Between Rest and Enjoyment
at Your Own Pace
The Creative Center, in collaboration with Sony Music Solutions Inc. (SMS) and Vision Design Lab, the R&D division of NOMURA Co. Ltd. (Vision Design Lab), installed an entertainment-focused Live Viewing Calming Booth as part of a demonstration test exploring new concert-going experiences. It was set within the CENTRAL STAGE area of the new urban music festival CENTRAL MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT FESTIVAL 2026*, held at K-Arena Yokohama from April 3 to 5, 2026.
The project was designed with input from individuals with lived experience of sensory discomfort, and brought to life through the integration of a video and audio adjustment system designed by the Creative Center; a mobile calm-down booth developed by the Vision Design Lab.; and SMS's on-site expertise in entertainment settings. It introduces a new way to experience concerts for individuals with sensory sensitivities or who find crowded environments challenging. Users can adjust the intensity of live audiovisual stimuli, allowing them to enjoy the excitement and unity in the venue without interruption.
What is the Live Viewing Calming Booth?
The Live Viewing Calming Booth began with a survey, conducted in collaboration with Ledesone LLC, of individuals with sensory sensitivities. While "attending concerts" ranked highly among the entertainment experiences they wished to pursue in the future, many respondents also shared concerns about doing so: "I want to feel the excitement of a concert, but the stimulation was too much for me" or "There aren't any spaces for me to rest during the event."
Until now, calm-down booths have primarily functioned as temporary spaces where individuals with sensory sensitivities can go and regain a sense of calm when overstimulated. A key challenge regarding calm-down booths at concert venues was that entering the booth interrupts the concert experience. This project addresses that issue by reframing the calm-down booth not just as a temporary space for calming down, but also as a space where individuals can continue to enjoy entertainment in a way that suits their own needs.
Individuals with sensory sensitivities and experts were invited to participate in this pilot program. Participants entered the booth either alone or in pairs and settled in comfortably. They were able to experience two modes: "Concert Mode," which streams a video of the concert in real-time, and "Bubble Mode," which offers calming visual content.
A prototype sensory bag to support sensory regulation while experiencing the actual live concert was also available for loan.
Participant Feedback
Feedback from individuals with lived experience and experts who took part in both the concert and the Live Viewing Calming Booth pointed out how reassuring it was to have a place to rest, and the novelty of being able to stay connected to the performance even while taking a break. They also found themselves wanting to go to live concerts again - something they had given up on until then.
- - I was able to go to the Calm-Down Booth [during the concert] and adjust the sound there. I was able to comfortably enjoy the concert.
- - I was tired from walking around in an unfamiliar environment, but the Bubble Mode visuals helped me relax.
- - It can be lonely when a friend gets overstimulated and goes to the first-aid/quiet room on their own. It was nice to be able to enter the Live Viewing Calming Booth with them and enjoy the concert together.
- - In the Calm-Down Booth, even though we were watching through a screen, we were seeing the audience from the artist’s perspective, which made the experience feel truly special.
- - A space like this makes it easier to invite friends who don't like crowds.
- - I sometimes skip concerts when I'm not feeling well, but if I know I can take a break, I might still want to go.
Voices from the Project Team
The project began in response to feedback from individuals with sensory sensitivities who said, "I want to go to live concerts." Seeing it take shape in an actual live venue was a deeply moving moment unlike anything we had experienced before.
One participant told us, "Until now, it was all or nothing—either I went or I didn't. But now I feel like there's a gradient, where I can enjoy about 30% of the live experience." Hearing this made us realize that we were right to aim not simply to create a place to rest, but to design a system that allows people to participate in the entertainment experience itself.
We also felt there was potential for the Live Viewing Calming Booth to satisfy a wide range of needs—not only people with sensory sensitivities, but also those attending with children or those who find crowds challenging.
We want to use the feedback and data we gathered through this pilot to move into the next phase and continue working toward delivering this experience to more artists and fans.
This demonstration test is part of Sony's efforts to explore new approaches to accessibility in entertainment through inclusive design, and to create environments where everyone can enjoy concerts in their own way.
Building on participant feedback, the project will combine the spatial and technical approaches of the Live Viewing Calming Booth with item- and tool-based approaches such as the sensory bag. Through this, the project will further verify—from multiple angles—the potential to enhance inclusivity in entertainment experiences.
Project Overview
- Venue
-
K-Arena Yokohama
CENTRAL MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT FESTIVAL 2026
In CENTRAL STAGE - Dates
- April 3 (Fri.), 4 (Sat.), and 5 (Sun.), 2026
- Format
- Demonstration test within concert events
- Installation
- Temporary booth with capacity for two people
- Participants
- Individuals with sensory sensitivities along with their family members and invited experts.
- Demonstration test
-
- Verifying concert experience in Live Viewing Calming Booth
- Verifying new artist merchandise experience through sensory bags
- Reference URL
- https://central-fest.com/s/central/?ima=5013
- Partners / Support
-
- Kabin Lab/Crystalroad Inc. (Support for development of sensory bag)
- PLAYWORKS Inc., Ledesone LLC, Sony Kibou/Hikari Corporation (Research/workshop)
- BASSDRUM inc. (Technical support)
- NOMURA MEDIAS Co., Ltd. (Design/production support for Live Viewing Calming Booth)
*CENTRAL MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT FESTIVAL 2026 is a new urban music festival that featured a number of independent events, each with a different artist lineup and concept, and took place across four major venues in "city of music" Yokohama: K-Arena Yokohama, Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse Red Brick Park Special Venue, KT Zepp Yokohama, and Rinko Park.