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Freedom is calling – Sziget, one of the largest music festivals in Europe, awaits.

The main entrance to the Sziget FestivalShipyard Island – ÓbudaGreater Budapest

Experience the sense of total freedom with the many colourful events at one of the continent's most popular festivals, Sziget Festival.

You won’t find many programmes in the world with over 100 nations participating with their shared love of music, with a vibrant mix of cultures and more than 1,000 fantastic performances over a week, on over 60 different stages. But we do know where you can find one like that: Sziget. It’s worth visiting Hungary just to experience it.

Sziget Festival: for the programmes here, the sky is the limit

Did you know that the very first Sziget was held in 1993? At that time, only a very small and select audience could enjoy the shows. Since then, however, this series of events has become one of the largest music festivals in Europe, having won the Best Foreign Festival award at the UK Festival Awards in both 2018 and 2019. The award was certainly well deserved, since Sziget offers colourful, exciting and high-quality programmes for visitors (sometimes called “Szitizens”, in a Hungarian play on words), guaranteeing that they will return home with memories that will last a lifetime.

In front of the stage

There can be no doubt that of all the arts, music is the one that plays the biggest role at the Sziget Festival, a celebration held every year on Hajógyári Island in Budapest. The organisers seem to consistently outdo themselves, featuring an amazing line-up of internationally renowned performers. No wonder, then, that just about everyone feels like becoming a true Szitizen for a few days. In recent years, artists such as David Guetta, Rihanna, Robbie Williams, Ed Sheeran, Green Day, Pink, and even Prince have played on the island; almost every musical trend has seen some of its greatest representatives perform on stage here, much to the delight of an audience appreciative of the varied and colourful styles of music. If you’d like to know which stars are expected to perform next at the Sziget Festival, take a look.

 

It’s important to note, however, that you don’t have to be crazy about music to have a good time on the Island of Freedom: festival-goers can also find a wide variety of art to appreciate. Theatre, various museums, dancing, circus, the fine arts venues and sports facilities – all provide visitors with unparalleled entertainment. We can confidently say it’s impossible to be bored for a moment at Sziget.

Wide variety of fun on the Island of Freedom

A sense of freedom – with a smaller ecological footprint

The organisers of Sziget are not only interested in keeping the Szitizens entertained, but also in protecting the environment, which is a key part of daily life at the festival. The Island of Freedom aims to create a community that cares about the environment. And in order to achieve this...

 

  • The ‘re-cup’ programme makes sure festival-goers don’t have to litter;
  • Interesting workshops and presentations await visitors in the Green Island Centre;
  • On the last day of the festival, tents, mattresses and sleeping bags are collected for those in need;
  • Organic T-shirts, bags and bottles are sold, printed with plastic-free ink;
  • Cycling enthusiasts are provided with free storage, express service and rental opportunities;
  • Participants are encouraged to save water when showering;
  • Drinking water points are set up, to minimise the use of plastic bottles;
  • Commercial units are provided with recycling opportunities and energy-efficiency advice;
  • The organisers do composting, and pay special attention to preventing waste from being thrown from the Island into the Danube River.

Things you will definitely find at the Sziget Festival

In summary, here are some things you can expect at the Sziget Festival, one of the most popular music and cultural festivals in Europe: over a thousand shows, a massive selection of programmes, spanning all genres of music and branches of art – no matter what your preference is, you are sure to find a performer who will speak to your soul, a unique multicultural environment, with friendly people all around, a massive selection of food and drinks, a multitude of activities designed to educate and edify.

Welcome on Island of Freedom

Visit Sziget Festival’s Instagram page, where you’ll find a little taste of just why they call this the Island of Freedom.

 

 

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