Sziget Festival Wiki Information at StubPass.com

Your Location: Edit

All Locations

Enter Your Zip Code

Set Location

All Locations

Event

Help | About Us | Contact Us

1.0 History

2.0 Sziget Festival Now

QUICKSEARCH

Sziget Festival Wiki Information

The Sziget Festival (pronounced ['sig?t], similar to see'-get) is one of the largest music and cultural festivals in Europe. The festival is held annually in August in Budapest, Hungary and takes place on Óbudai-sziget ("Old-Buda Island"), a leafy island of 108 hectares (266 acres) on the Danube, thus Sziget stands for Island . Currently it boasts more than 1000 performances each year.

The week-long festival has grown from a relatively low-profile 1993 student event to become one of the definitive European rock festivals by the late 1990s, with about half of all visitors coming from outside Hungary, including the UK and France (11 000 French visitors in 2007 ^[1]). It also boasts a dedicated "party train" service (with resident DJ's) that transports festivalgoers from Western Europe. ^[2] The second event (1994), labeled Eurowoodstock , was headlined by performers from the original festival 25 years after. In 1997, Sziget attendancy rates surpassed the 250 000 mark, and in 2001, the 350 000 mark. The all-time peak year was 2009 with 390 000 visitors. ^[3] It is now being increasingly labeled 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") ^[4].

In 2002, Sziget branched out to Transylvania when its organizers co-created a new annual festival there titled Félsziget Fesztivál (Peninsula Festival ) that soon became the largest of its kind in Romania. ^[5]

SZIGET FESTIVAL TICKETS

BTS Tickets Rush Tickets Journey Tickets Shakira Tickets Bryson Tiller Tickets Earth, Wind and Fire Tickets

History

Following the end of the communist era 1989, there were no longer organised camps for musicians to meet up and play, and hence a music festival was proposed as a way to bridge this gap. The festival was started in 1993, originally called Diáksziget (Students' Island). This first event was organised by enthusiastic 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 Now

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 France. Many also come from the UK, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands and Ireland.

Being located on an island, some festival goers have tried to enter by swimming across the Danube or by paddling across in an inflatable raft. The organisers very much discourage these attempts claiming that it has never worked and that, due to the tricky nature of the fast-flowing Danube river.

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) ^[6] 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. ^[7], Babyshambles, Sex Pistols, Jamiroquai, Anti-Flag, Flogging Molly, Alanis Morissette, The Killers, The Kooks, Kaiser Chiefs, The Cribs, Pendulum and many other were also confirmed, the day of their performance is available at . The length of the festival was reduced so that the residents living in the neighbourhoods nearby would have less trouble because of the noise. The organisers 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. ^[8]

2009

Sziget 2009 is taking place from 10 to 17 of August. The festival has a 5+2 day schedule again. The "zeroeth day" has a Rock Against Racism concert, featuring mostly Hungarian bands. The "minus first day" has 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, Broterhood of Brass: Boban Markovi? 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

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

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. ^[9] 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	Number of visitors	Main artists
1993	Diáksziget '93	43,000	Hungarian artists only
1994	Diáksziget '94 - Eurowoodstock	143,000	The Birds Blood Sweat and 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 Rollins Band The Cardigans Toy Dolls
1998	Pepsi Sziget 1998	268,000	Boney M Chumbawamba Coolio Goldie Green Day Mory Kanté Paradise Lost Patti Smith Rammstein 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
2000	Pepsi Sziget 2000	324,000	Apollo 440 Baaba Maal Chumbawamba Bad Religion Bloodhound Gang Clawfinger Die Ärzte Guano Apes HIM K2R Riddim Lou Reed Oasis Suzanne Vega Therapy?
2001	Pepsi Sziget 2001	365,000	Ash Bomfunk MCs Jimmy Bosch Eagle Eye Cherry Faithless Freestylers Guano Apes HIM Ignite Khaled Moonspell Morcheeba Nightwish Noir Desir Omara Portuondo Placebo Värttinä
2002	Sziget 2002	355,000	Amorphis Baaba Maal Die Toten Hosen HIM Iggy Pop Jovanotti Kosheen Mory Kanté Muse Natacha Atlas Nightwish Pulp Stereo MCs The 69 Eyes The Cure The Gathering The Klezmatics Mission Tito and Tarantula Transglobal Underground U.K. Subs
2003	Sziget 2003	361,000	Apocalyptica DJ Rush Fun Lovin' Criminals Massive Attack Morcheeba Seeed Shaggy Slayer
2004	Sziget 2004	369,000	Addictive TV Amorphis Ash Basement Jaxx, Children of Bodom Faithless Freestylers Fun Lovin' Criminals In Flames Junkie XL Paul Oakenfold, Scissor Sisters Sugababes Bloodhound Gang The Gathering The Pet Shop Boys The Rasmus Tito and Tarantula
2005	Sziget 2005	385,000	Basement Jaxx Buena Vista Social Club Franz Ferdinand Good Charlotte Ko?n Natalie Imbruglia Nick Cave Paul van Dyk Sean Paul 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 Living Colour maNga Ministry Natacha Atlas Placebo Radiohead Robert Plant Scissor Sisters Sick of It All Sons and daughters The Prodigy The Rasmus The Skinny Bohemians Therapy? Wir sind Helden
2007	Sziget Festival 2007	371,000	Alpha Blondy Eagles Of Death Metal The What Cheer? Brigade Ennio Marchetto Faithless Fusedmarc (LT) Gogol Bordello Kispál és a Borz Laurent Garnier Madness Manu Chao Nine Inch Nails Pink Quimby Razorlight Sinéad O'Connor Tankcsapda The Chemical Brothers The Good, the Bad and the Queen The Hives The Killers The Rakes Tool
2008	Sziget Festival 2008	385,000	Alanis Morissette Anti-Flag Babyshambles Die Ärzte Flogging Molly Iron Maiden Jamiroquai Justice Kaiser Chiefs Kispál és a Borz Lauren Harris Mademoiselle K Millencolin Pannonia Allstars Ska Orchestra R.E.M. Róisín Murphy Serj Tankian Sex Pistols Tankcsapda The Cribs The Killers The Kooks The Presidents of the United States of America The Wombats MGMT URH Ziggi & The Renaissance Band

Other activities

In addition to music, the festival offers a plethora of other activities including cinema, dance, theatre, tattooing, Internet access, volleyball, tennis, football, bungee jumping and a life-sized foosball.

The island is conveniently located in the city of Budapest allowing trips to the city centre during the day.