The sun’s shining, the parks are chockablock with merry tinny-swiggers, and artists are globe-hopping from gig to gig like human yo-yos: yes, we’re fully in the swing of festival season.
But which to attend? At times, the choice on offer can feel overwhelming – after all, the UK alone has more than a hundred festivals, and most will cost you more than a hundred pounds for a ticket. If you’re looking to combine an overseas holiday with the chance to see some truly massive names in music, on the other hand, then Sziget might be the place to go.
Even better, this year’s lineup is looking stacked: here’s what to know.
Why go?
First things first: the scale. Sziget is one of the biggest festivals in Europe, pulling in a whopping 450,000 punters over the course of its five day runtime. For context, Glastonbury attracts about 210,000 – and Sziget makes sure its massive audience have plenty to do.
Last year festival-goers got to see Lorde, Billie Eilish, Loyle Carner and Florence + The Machine, with more performances from Sam Fender, Caroline Polachek, Imagine Dragons and Niall Horan.
Just like Glasto, Sziget also boasts more than 50 stages for attendees to visit, and it’s not just about music: there are also art installations, cabaret, comedy shows, talks on social justice ,and panels featuring guests from all around the world. Plus, for the truly dedicated, there’s also the option of booking a spot on one of the boat parties, or even one of the Castle Parties, where techno DJs take over the legendary Fisherman’s Bastion in the city centre on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights.
Where and when is it?
This year, the festival takes place between August 7 – 12. Located in the heart of Budapest, it’s on Óbuda Island (or if you want to get super technical, Május 9. park, Budapest, Hungary, 1033). Perfect for both sightseeing and seeing your favourite artists.
Who’s on?
Sziget’s 2024 lineup is full of big hitters, who range from pop to rap, by way of R’n’B.
For the pop fans, Kylie Minogue will be headlining the festival on the Wednesday night, followed by Halsey on Thursday, a Liam Gallagher/ Stormzy double bill on Friday and Martin Garrix on Saturday. On the Sunday, Janelle Monáe and Sam Smith will be taking to the stage as well.
They’re only the tip of a very busy iceberg: Barry Can’t Swim, Louis Tomlinson, Becky Hill, Modeselektor and Bebe Rexha are also slated to make appearances over the course of the week.
The biggest day for electronic music fans is arguably the closing day, Monday August 12, when electronic wunderkind Fred Again.., Four Tet and Skrillex will be performing one after the other at the festival’s biggest two stages. Given their penchant for spontaneous three-way B2B performances, chances are good it’ll happen here too…
But if that’s not your cup of tea, rest easy: soul singer Raye, jungle and breakbeat queen Nia Archives and fellow electronic-heads Overmono will also be performing.
Where can I get tickets?
Tickets can still be bought at szigetfestival.com.
There are a range of options available: a full festival pass costs €339 (£286), while a three day pass start at €289 (£244). Or, if you just fancy heading for a day, €99 (£83).
