18th Sziget Festival in Budapest

Károly Gerendai’s baby has come of age: the Sziget Festival celebrates its 18th birthday this year. Perhaps that explains why the programme has a rather more grown-up feel to it this time around, as European politics share centre stage with rock ‘n’ roll.

Party politics

Three countries that will hold the rolling EU presidency, Belgium, Spain and Hungary have chosen the Sziget as a platform to make European citizens, and youngsters in particular, more aware of its political decisions. This year the festival will “represent cultural diversity and give visitors a sense of European identity” even more than before, the Belgian prime minister’s communications chief Olivier Alsteens told the Sziget press conference last Thursday.

Diplomatic incidence

Belgium in particular will feature prominently, as the festival takes place during the country’s six months of the rolling presidency. A high-ranking representative from Belgium will visit the festival, Alsteens added. “It’s a good feeling to also be noticed in Brussels,” Sziget boss Gerendai said.
The Sziget organisers will also set up a European Meeting Point at the centre of the festival site, where various European diplomatic and civil representations will have stalls. In the evenings the meeting point will turn into a huge pan-European party venue with Europe’s best DJs, Sziget programme director Fruzsina Szép said.
A bistro will serve culinary specialities from Belgium, Spain and of course Hungary. Anyone wanting to find out more about the latter simply needs to head to the Hungarikum Village, which was one of the five most popular venues among national and international guests last year, Szép added. Festival-goers will have the chance to learn folk dances, taste traditional Hungarian foods and wines and observe Hungarian customs. The themes this year are harvest and bread, and the week will culminate with a “harvest ball”.

The lineup

Madness and Public Image Ltd, the post-punk band of Sex Pistol Johnny Rotten, have been added to the line-up that includes Muse, Faithless, Thirty Seconds to Mars, UB40 and Nina Hagen. Local and international musicians will pay tribute to the memory of legendary Hungarian singer and songwriter Cseh Tamás, who died last year, on “Zero Day”.
This will be preceded this year by a “Minus One Day”, when indie stalwarts Kispál és a Borz will play a farewell concert.
The festival, which will take place from 11-16 August, will also boast a 3D disco, literature stage, contemporary design displays and a museum quarter as well as the very best performers both from the Hungarian and world music scenes.
This time around the metal scene will also be well represented at the Sziget Festival, following strong criticism last year, Gerendai promised.

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