When: Wednesday–Tuesday, 10–16 July, 2016.
Where: Budapest, Hungary.
Sziget is one of the biggest festivals in Europe, but oh boy it’s about so much more than just the music. The daily entry limit is a whopping 90.000 guests, but given that the fun lasts for full seven (7!!) days, we are talking about something huge here. The festival is held on an island in lovely Budapest (here’s what to do in the city!) which is dedicated to the event, a beautiful piece of nature in the urban jungle. Check out our summary below to find out why you should be heading to Hungary this August to unwind ⬇️
Atmosphere
The slogan of the festival is “island of freedom”. In my mind, there’s no better way to describe it. Guests come from every corner of the world, it’s truly a place where all cultures meet. Yet, as soon as they cross the bridge to the island, they all belong to one nation. Heck, you even get a Sziget passport — it won’t keep you in the EU if you Brexited, but it shows you the lineup, maps and everything else that’s useful. This little book will be your best friend for the week, a must have in your back-pocket.
Once on the island, people transcend to a different mindset: everyone is there to have a great time, it’s like being surrounded by old friends you haven’t seen since high school (but without the awkwardness). Strangers chat to each other, you make new friends wherever you turn: queuing to a food stand, standing next to someone before a concert, chilling in a hammock, you name it. And then I haven’t even mentioned those who will be camping next to you, your new family for the week, sharing breakfast in the morning and booze in the evening 🍻
The party doesn’t stop for a whole week. The last concerts finish at 5am, but the morning chill sets start at 9am, with yoga and capoeira sessions at 11am. There’s really not much time to rest, so try to sleep like a wombat BEFORE you come to the festival. But it’s guaranteed that it will be an experience you’ll never forget 🚀
Artists
There are 13 stages for music, ranging all the way from blues through hard rock to house. You will get to discover tons of new artists, and enjoy a wider variety of genres than you’ll find anywhere else. It doesn’t matter if your friends listen to different music than you, it’s easy to get them on board because their favourites are guaranteed to be there as well 😉 Below are the top 3 main stage acts for each day to give you an idea:
For the lovers of electronic and house music, Nicky Romero, Afrojack, Yves V, Fedde le Grande, Dillon Francis, Laidback Luke, Tujamo, Crystal Castles come to the rescue. Editors will also be playing for those who prefer rock, and Bullet for My Valentine will represent heavy metal at the festival.
Entertainment
There are soo many things besides music on this island. To try to summarise it, there are:
- two theatre stages
- a circus
- sandy beach with sun beds and courts to play volleyball
- a TEDx stage slash cinema with a mixed schedule of TED talks and Hungarian films with English subtitles
- a queer stage with discussions about minority issues and human rights, film screenings concentrating on refugees and migration, variety shows by night
- a bunch of NGOs have their tents as well, offering fun games, freebies, and educating the public about social and environmental issues
These programmes are starting already in the morning, and going on all day long, giving you plenty of reasons to not just sleep (/suffer) through the day. The festival is just as lively in daylight, like a fun-fair.
Bake yourself a Waffle at Sziget
Get hyped already, start chatting now about Sziget on Waffle. Join the conversation on what’s going to be the hottest show this summer on the island. Start planning your trip, and find out what to see in Budapest from those who’ve been before. Meet the people you will be partying with, and greet them like old-friends at the gates.
If you can’t make it this year but still want to stay up to date with the latest topics, head over to Waffle to join the banter about Sziget. Check out the second best thing after being there yourself, and feel part of the experience.
Tickets
The original price for the 7 day passes was €269, before they sold out. BUT on Ticketswap you can still get yours with a zero to small mark-up if you are quick enough. Daily passes are still on sale for €59 on the official site. Finding your way to Budapest will also cost you a bit as the flight prices are all up in the skies because of the festival. To make you feel a bit better, since Sziget is hugely popular every year, you couldn’t have saved too much anyway even if you booked your travel wayyy in advance.
Hot or Stale?
Head over to Waffle to start chatting about Sziget. Meet people before going to this crazy festival, or just join the conversation and give YOUR two cents.
