# Sziget Festival

Sziget Festival (Hungarian: Sziget Fesztivál, lit. 'Island Festival', pronounced) is one of the largest music and cultural festivals in Europe. It is held every August in northern Budapest, Hungary, on Óbudai-sziget ("Old Buda Island"), a leafy 108-hectare (266-acre) island on the Danube. More than 1,000 performances take place each year.
The week-long festival has grown from a relatively low-profile student event in 1993 to become one of the prominent European rock festivals, with about half of all visitors coming from outside Hungary, especially from Western Europe. It also has a dedicated "party train" service (with resident DJs) that transports festival-goers from all over Europe. The second event (1994), labelled Eurowoodstock, was headlined by performers from the original Woodstock festival. By 1997, total attendance exceeded 250,000, and by 2001 reached 360,000. In 2018 that record was broken when 565,000 visitors attended the festival. Since the mid-2000s, Sziget Festival has been increasingly labelled as a European alternative to the Burning Man festival due to its unique features ("an electronically amplified, warped amusement park that has nothing to do with reality").
In 2011, Sziget was ranked one of the 5 best festivals in Europe by The Independent. The festival is a two-time winner at the European Festivals Awards in the category Best Major European Festival, in 2011 and 2014.
In 2002, Sziget branched out to Transylvania when its organisers co-created a new annual festival there titled Félsziget Fesztivál (Romanian: Festivalul Peninsula) that soon became the largest of its kind in Romania. In 2007, the organisers co-created Balaton Sound, an electronic music festival held on the southern bank of Lake Balaton that quickly gained popularity.

## History

Following the end of the Communist era in 1989, the formerly lively summer festival scene in Budapest faced a crisis due to a sudden loss of governmental funding. A group of artists and rock enthusiasts proposed the Sziget event as a way to bridge this gap. The festival was started in 1993, originally called Diáksziget (Student Island). This first event was organised by music fans in their spare time and ran well over budget, taking until 1997 to repay the losses. From 1996 to 2001 it was sponsored by Pepsi and renamed Pepsi Sziget. It has been called Sziget Fesztivál ("island festival") since 2002.
A comprehensive survey was done and published on the risktaking behaviour and mood of Sziget visitors (2007) by the National Institute for Health Promotion (OEI). The survey revealed amongst others that the last sexual encounter of 9.4% of its participants was unprotected.
Sziget Festival is notable in that it contains acts from many different genres. 2006 saw, among others, a blues stage, a jazz tent, a world music stage, alongside the main stage with more typical popular rock acts.
The festival is popular with west Europeans. Around 50% of visitors come from outside Hungary, with the largest group coming from the Netherlands. Many also come from Belgium, the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Ireland and Romania.
Being located on an island, some festival goers have tried to enter by swimming across the Danube or by paddling across in inflatable rafts. The organisers discourage these attempts as it is dangerous due to the tricky nature of the fast-flowing Danube river.
In 2024, an American private equity group, KKR has agreed to buy the company behind Sziget Festival (together with other European music festivals).

## 2008

In 2008, Sziget Festival lasted from 11 to 18 August. The festival, instead of 7+1 days as in 2007, was 5+2 days long, with a "zeroeth day" that featured one major gig (Iron Maiden) and a special "minus first day" called "Day of Hungarian Songs" that headlined a number of popular Hungarian rock bands (including LGT and Beatrice). As well as Iron Maiden, R.E.M., Mass Hysteria, Babyshambles, Sex Pistols, Jamiroquai, Anti-Flag, Flogging Molly, Alanis Morissette, the Killers, the Kooks, Kaiser Chiefs, the Cribs, Speak and many other were also confirmed, the day of their performance is available at the Sziget website. The length of the festival was reduced so that the residents living in the neighborhoods nearby would have less trouble because of the noise. The organizers plan to take further steps to reduce noise: the metal stage will be open until 11 pm only and noise filtering walls will be built near the noisiest stages.

## 2009

Sziget 2009 was 10–17 August 2009. The festival had a 5+2 day schedule again. The "zeroeth day" had a Rock Against Racism concert, featuring mostly Hungarian bands. The "minus first day" had one major gig again, this time the 20th anniversary concert of Hungarian rock band Tankcsapda.
The Lineup:
Main Stage
IAMX, Nouvelle Vague, Ska-P, Snow Patrol, Lily Allen, Miss Platnum, The Ting Tings, Die Toten Hosen, Bloc Party, Fatboy Slim, Haydamaky, Jet, Primal Scream, Pendulum, The Prodigy, The Subways, Editors, Klaxons, Manic Street Preachers, Placebo, Disco Ensemble, Danko Jones, Maxïmo Park, The Offspring, Faith No More
World Music Main Stage
So Kalmery, Napra, Oi Va Voi, Calexico, 08001, Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club, Figli Di Madre Ignota, Zamballarana, Amadou & Mariam Speed Caravan, Woven Hand & Muzsikás, N&SK, Khaled, Vieux Farka Touré, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Brotherhood of Brass: Boban Marković Orkestar + Frank London's Klezmer Brass Allstars
A38-WAN2 Stage:
Blasted Mechanism, De Staat, La Troba Kung-Fú, Matatu, Miloopa, Muchachito Bombo Infierno, Squarepusher, Tricky, White Lies, Babylon Circus
* White Lies' performance of "The Power and the Glory" from Sziget Festival was later used as the music video for the song.
Rock Stage:
Backyard Babies, Brujeria, Deathstars, Donots, Expatriate, Life of Agony, Satyricon, Turbonegro, Turisas
Party Arena:
Armin van Buuren, Birdy Nam Nam, Coldcut, Dillinja, Eric Prydz, Grooverider, Jose Padilla, Paul Oakenfold, Pete Tong, 808 State

## 2011
### Mainstage

Prince, Thirty Seconds to Mars, The Prodigy, Pulp, Chemical Brothers, White Lies, Kasabian, Kaiser Chiefs, Manic Street Preachers, Dizzee Rascal, Interpol, Flogging Molly, Kate Nash, British Sea Power, Skunk Anansie, Gogol Bordello, La Roux, Rise Against, The National, Hadouken!, Good Charlotte, Batucada Sound Machine.

### Worldmusic Stage

AfroCubism, Rotfront, Ojos de Brujo, Gotan Project, Eliades Ochoa, Hurlements d’Leo, Debout Sur Le Zinc, Goran Bregovic Wedding & Funeral Band and Shtetl Super Stars.

### Party Arena

Crystal Castles, 2 Many DJ's, Empire of the Sun, Goose (Belgian band) and Zombie Nation.

### Europe Stage

Söhne Mannheims, Verdena, Go Back to the Zoo and Triggerfinger.

### A38/Wan2 Stage

De Jeugd Van Tegenwoordig, Baskerville, DeWolff, Kees van Hondt, Selah Sue, Marina and the Diamonds, Bloody Beetroots, Death Crew 77 and Hurts.

### Metal Mainstage

Deftones, Lostprophets, Within Temptation, Sonata Arctica, Judas Priest and Motörhead.

## 2014
### Mainstage

Monday, August 11: Ivan & The Parazol, Leningrad, The 1975, Tankcsapda, Blink-182
Tuesday, August 12: Anti-Flag, Ska-P, Queens of the Stone Age, Deadmau5
Wednesday, August 13: Jake Bugg, Imagine Dragons, Placebo, Skrillex
Thursday, August 14: Mary PopKids, Bastille, Lily Allen, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Friday, August 15: Die Fantastischen Vier, CeeLo Green, Manic Street Preachers, Korn
Saturday, August 16: Bombay Bicycle Club, Punnany Massif, Madness, The Prodigy
Sunday, August 17: Triggerfinger, The Kooks, Outkast, Calvin Harris

### A38 Stage

Tuesday, August 12: Brody Dalle, A Day to Remember, Casper, Jimmy Eat World, The Bloody Beetroots, Deniz Koyu, Thomas Gold (DJ), Sikztah
Wednesday, August 13: Girls in Hawaii, The Big Pink, Tom Odell, Miles Kane, Clean Bandit, R3hab, Madeon, Andro
Thursday, August 14: Michael Kiwanuka, Fink, Irie Maffia, Bonobo, Stromae, Kavinsky (Outrun Live), Axwell, Muzzaik
Friday, August 15: Palma Violets, Band of Skulls, Angel Haze, Kelis, Klaxons, Sandro Silva, Laidback Luke, Dave Martin
Saturday, August 16: Starlight Girls, The BossHoss, Jagwar Ma, Wild Beasts, Crystal Fighters, Quentin Mosimann, Fedde le Grand, Julia Carpenter
Sunday, August 17: INVSN, Mount Kimbie, NOFX, La Roux, Darkside, DJAIKOVSKI ft. TK Wonder & MC Wasp, Ian Autorun, Borgore, Black Sun Empire, Jade

## Lawsuit

Dr. Tamas Derce, the mayor of Újpest, the 4th district of Budapest, has sued Sziget Festival, claiming that the event is so loud the locals cannot sleep at night. The mayor wants to force the organisers by court decision to cease every program between 6 pm and 10 am - which virtually means closing down the festival. The mayor already lost a similar case against Sziget at court in 2002. The organizers of the 2008 festival promised local officials that the main stage will shut down at 11 pm and no music on that stage will be played after that. For this reason the Iron Maiden concert was taken from its original starting time of 9:30 pm to 9:00 pm.

## Previous years

| Year | Name | Visitors | Main artists |
| 1993 | Diáksziget '93 | 43,000 | Hungarian artists only |
| 1994 | Diáksziget '94 Eurowoodstock | 143,000 | The Birds Blood, Sweat & Tears Eric Burdon Grandmothers of Invention (Frank Zappa's band) Jefferson Starship Jethro Tull Ten Years After |
| 1995 | Diáksziget '95 | 173,000 | Clawfinger Jeff Healey John Cale Kava Kava Stranglers |
| 1996 | Pepsi Sziget 1996 | 206,000 | Iggy Pop Slash Sonic Youth The Bates The Levellers The Prodigy The Stone Roses Therapy? |
| 1997 | Pepsi Sziget 1997 | 260,000 | David Bowie Chumbawamba dEUS Faith No More Foo Fighters Motörhead New Model Army (band) Rollins Band The Cardigans Toy Dolls Tankcsapda |
| 1998 | Pepsi Sziget 1998 | 268,000 | Boney M Chumbawamba Coolio Goldie Green Day Mory Kanté Paradise Lost Patti Smith Rammstein Tankcsapda Shane MacGowan and the Pogues Therapy? |
| 1999 | Pepsi Sziget 1999 | 297,000 | Apocalyptica Asian Dub Foundation Baaba Maal Brand New Heavies Faithless Guano Apes Kool and the Gang Liquido Paradise Lost Rachid Taha Suede Tankcsapda Troitsa |
| 2000 | Pepsi Sziget 2000 | 324,000 | Apollo 440 Baaba Maal Chumbawamba 16 Horsepower Bad Religion Bloodhound Gang Clawfinger Die Ärzte FreshFabrik Gods Tower Guano Apes HIM K2R Riddim Lou Reed Oasis Suzanne Vega Tankcsapda Therapy? Troitsa |
| 2001 | Pepsi Sziget 2001 | 365,000 | Ash Anathema Bomfunk MCs Jimmy Bosch Eagle Eye Cherry Faithless Freestylers FreshFabrik Guano Apes HammerFall HIM Ignite Khaled Moonspell Morcheeba Nightwish Noir Desir Omara Portuondo Overkill Placebo Rage Värttinä Run DMC Tankcsapda |
| 2002 | Sziget 2002 | 355,000 | Amorphis Baaba Maal Destruction Die Toten Hosen Edguy FreshFabrik Gamma Ray HIM Iggy Pop Jovanotti Kreator Kosheen Mory Kanté Muse Natacha Atlas Nightwish Pulp Savatage Stereo MCs The 69 Eyes The Cure The Gathering The Klezmatics Mission Tito and Tarantula Transglobal Underground Troitsa U.K. Subs Tankcsapda |
| 2003 | Sziget 2003 | 361,000 | Annihilator Apocalyptica Circle II Circle DJ Rush Fun Lovin' Criminals Massive Attack Morcheeba My Dying Bride Napalm Death Seeed Shaggy Slayer Sonata Arctica Testament The 69 Eyes Troitsa Tankcsapda |
| 2004 | Sziget 2004 | 369,000 | Addictive TV Amorphis Anthrax Ash Basement Jaxx, Cannibal Corpse Children of Bodom Faithless Freestylers Fun Lovin' Criminals Grave Digger In Flames Junkie XL My Dying Bride Paul Oakenfold Saxon Scissor Sisters Sugababes Bloodhound Gang The Gathering The Pet Shop Boys The Rasmus Tito and Tarantula |
| 2005 | Sziget 2005 | 385,000 | Accept Basement Jaxx Buena Vista Social Club Franz Ferdinand C.F.F. e il Nomade Venerabile Almamegretta Good Charlotte Ignite KoЯn Natalie Imbruglia Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Obituary Opeth Paul van Dyk Saxon Sean Paul Sentenced The 69 Eyes Underworld Wickeda |
| 2006 | Sziget 2006 | 385,000 | 17 Hippies Addictive TV Cradle of Filth Craig Evergrey Fear Factory Franz Ferdinand Gogol Bordello Hadag Nahash Iggy and the Stooges Jovanotti Kispál és a Borz Leningrad Les Doigts de l'Homme Lila Bloom La Ruda Living Colour maNga Ministry Natacha Atlas OneRepublic Placebo Radical Face Radiohead Robert Plant Scissor Sisters Sick of It All Sons and daughters Sunrise Avenue The Gathering The Prodigy The Rasmus The Skinny Bohemians Therapy? Tryo Wir sind Helden |
| 2007 | Sziget Festival 2007 | 371,000 | Alpha Blondy Eagles Of Death Metal What Cheer? Brigade Ennio Marchetto Faithless Fusedmarc (LT) Gogol Bordello The Good, the Bad & the Queen Kispál és a Borz Laurent Garnier Madness Manu Chao Nine Inch Nails Pink Quimby Razorlight Sinéad O'Connor Tankcsapda The Chemical Brothers The Hives The Killers The Rakes TNMK Tool |
| 2008 | Sziget Festival 2008 | 385,000 | Alanis Morissette Apocalyptica Avantasia Mass Hysteria Anti-Flag Babyshambles Carcass Die Ärzte Exodus Flogging Molly Iced Earth Iron Maiden Jamiroquai Justice Kaiser Chiefs Kispál és a Borz Lacrimas Profundere Lauren Harris Mademoiselle K Meshuggah Millencolin Pannonia Allstars Ska Orchestra R.E.M. Róisín Murphy Sabaton Serj Tankian Sex Pistols Tankcsapda The Cribs The Killers The Kooks The Presidents of the United States of America The Wombats MGMT URH Volbeat Ziggi & The Renaissance Band |
| 2009 | Sziget Festival 2009 | 390,000 | The Prodigy The Offspring Faith No More IAMX Paul Oakenfold Žagar Coldcut Birdy Nam Nam Fatboy Slim Lily Allen Ska-P Tricky Placebo Nouvelle Vague Buena Vista Social Club White Lies Armin Van Buuren Al Di Meola Crystal Method Haydamaky Manic Street Preachers Pendulum Bloc Party Klaxons José Padilla The Ting Tings Tiken Jah Fakoly |
| 2010 | Sziget Festival 2010 | 382,000 | 08001 Thirty Seconds to Mars Amparo Sanchez Antytila AWS Bad Religion Billy Talent Cankisou Children of Bodom Csík zenekar és vendégei Danko Jones Death Valley Screamers Enter Shikari Faithless Fear Factory Gorillaz Sound System Gwar Ill Niño Infected Mushroom Iron Maiden Jaune Toujours Kamelot K.I.Z Kasabian Kati Kovács & The Qualitons Kries Lyapis Trubetskoy Madness Miz Monster Magnet Ez3kiel Muse Papa Roach Paradise Lost Ska-P Skindred Subsonica The 69 Eyes The Freelancers The Hives |
| 2011 | Sziget Festival 2011 | 385,000 | Prince Pulp Interpol La Roux Good Charlotte Kasabian Hurts The Chemical Brothers Crystal Castles Xiu Xiu British Sea Power Skunk Anansie Dizzee Rascal The Prodigy Hadouken! Kate Nash Kaiser Chiefs Thirty Seconds to Mars Peter Bjorn & John Gogol Bordello The National Manic Street Preachers White Lies Marina & The Diamonds Judas Priest Motörhead Within Temptation Deftones Lostprophets Go Back To The Zoo Tankcsapda Quimby Oi Va Voi Gotan Project Flogging Molly |
| 2012 | Sziget Festival 2012 | 379,000 | The Paperboats Snoop Dogg Sum 41 The Stone Roses Placebo Hurts Crystal Fighters The Horrors The Subways Mando Diao Noah and the Whale Friendly Fires The Vaccines Two Door Cinema Club Korn Magnetic Man dEUS Steve Aoki Bebel Gilberto Axwell Beatsteaks Caro Emerald Ministry The XX Anna Calvi The Ting Tings Glasvegas LMFAO Paolo Nutini Fink The Orange Fandangos The Killers DJ Fresh Maxïmo Park Dimmu Borgir HammerFall Molotov |
| 2013 | Sziget Festival 2013 | 362,000 | !!! Bad Religion Bat For Lashes Biffy Clyro Blur Boys Noize live David Guetta Enter Shikari Deichkind Die Ärzte Dizzee Rascal Editors Empire of the Sun Everything Everything Franz Ferdinand Hadouken! Little Boots Leningrad Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Nicky Romero Mika (singer) Oscar Mulero Parov Stelar Band Regina Spektor Seeed Skunk Anansie Tame Impala The Bots Triggerfinger Woodkid Dubioza kolektiv |
| 2014 | Sziget Festival 2014 | 415,000 | A Day to Remember Anti-Flag Axwell Bastille Blink-182 Borgore Brody Dalle Calvin Harris Caparezza Clifford Irving Cornerstone Roots Crystal Fighters Deadmau5 Fedde le Grand Fink Imagine Dragons Jake Bugg Jimmy Eat World Klaxons Korn La Roux Leningrad (band) Lily Allen Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Madness Miles Kane NOFX Outkast Placebo Queens of the Stone Age Rumatera Ska-P Skrillex Stromae Tankcsapda The 1975 The Big Pink The Kooks The Prodigy |
| 2015 | Sziget Festival 2015 | 441,000 | Alesso Alt-J Asaf Avidan Avicii Blasterjaxx C2C Dropkick Murphys Ella Eyre Ellie Goulding Enter Shikari Florence and the Machine Foals Gentlemen & the Evolution Gogol Bordello Hollywood Undead Interpol Kasabian Kings of Leon Kraftklub Knife Party Limp Bizkit Major Lazer Marina and the Diamonds Martin Garrix MØ Nervo Paloma Faith Passenger Rudimental Robbie Williams SBTRKT Selah Sue The Script The Ting Tings Turrentine Jones W&W |
| 2016 | Sziget Festival 2016 | 496,000 | Afrojack Bastille Bring me the Horizon Bloc Party Bullet for My Valentine CHVRCHES David Guetta Editors Hardwell John Newman Kodaline M83 MØ Muse Naughty Boy Nicky Romero Noel Gallagher Parkway Drive Parov Stelar Rihanna Sia Sum 41 Sigúr Ros Teapot Industries The Last Shadow Puppets The Lumineers Zedd |
| 2017 | Sziget Festival 2017 | 452,000 | Alex Clare Alex Vargas Allah-Las Alt-J Andy C Bad Religion Bear's Den Biffy Clyro Billy Talent Birdy Breaking Benjamin Cashmere Cat Chef'Special Courteeners Crystal Fighters Danny Brown De Staat Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike DJ Shadow Dubioza Kolektiv Flume Fritz Kalkbrenner George Ezra GTA GusGus HVOB Interpol Jagwar Ma Jamie Cullum Kasabian Kensington Léon Mac DeMarco Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Major Lazer Mando Diao Marteria Metronomy Nothing But Thieves Oh Wonder P J Harvey Pink Punnany Massif(hu) Quimby Rone Rudimental The Chainsmokers The Kills The Naked and Famous The Pretty Reckless The Strypes The Vaccines Tom Odell Two Door Cinema Club Tycho Valentino Khan Vince Staples Watsky Weval White Lies Wiz Khalifa |
| 2018 | Sziget Festival 2018 | 565,000 | Above & Beyond Arctic Monkeys Bastille Blossoms Bonobo Borgore Cigarettes After Sex Clean Bandit Dua Lipa Fever Ray Fran Palerom Gogol Bordello Gorillaz Kendrick Lamar King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Kygo Lana Del Rey Liam Gallagher Little Big Little Dragon Milky Chance Mumford & Sons Parov Stelar Shawn Mendes Sofi Tukker The Kooks The War on Drugs Wolf Alice |
| 2019 | Sziget Festival 2019 | 530,000 | Ed Sheeran Foo Fighters Post Malone Florence + the Machine Martin Garrix The 1975 twenty one pilots James Blake Macklemore Michael Kiwanuka 6LACK The National Tove Lo Jain Franz Ferdinand Mura Masa Tom Odell Years & Years Catfish and the Bottlemen Honne |
| 2020 | cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic | cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic | cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic |
| 2021 | cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic | cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic | cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic |
| 2022 | Sziget Festival 2022 | 452,000 | Dua Lipa Stromae Arctic Monkeys Kings of Leon Tame Impala Lewis Capaldi Justin Bieber Steve Aoki Alan Walker Nina Kraviz Sam Fender Kensington Dirtyphonics Apashe Remi Wolf Milky Chance Rilès Anne-Marie Rüfüs Du Sol Snax Yung Lean Woodkid FKJ |

## Other activities

In addition to music, the festival offers a plethora of other activities including cinema, dance, theatre, tattooing, Internet access, volleyball, tennis, football, indoor rowing, rock climbing, bungee jumping and a life-sized foosball.
The island is located in the city of Budapest allowing trips to the city centre during the day.