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WIZZ MAGAZINE
JUNE-JULY 2012
GETTY
BUDAPEST
SZIGET FESTIVAL 6-13 AUGUST
Book your flight early, because as many as 400,000 music
fans from all over the world are expected to descend on the
Hungarian capital for the upcoming Sziget Festival. Now
in its 20th year, and recently voted best of its kind at the
European Festival Awards, Sziget (pronounced “See-get”)
partly owes its uniqueness to its location – the Óbudai Island,
located at the heart of Budapest, midway in the Danube.
It’s a leafy, uplifting idyll where no cash need to be carried –
you upload money onto a card, or a smart watch which you
swipe to pay for the (very cheap) beers, or anything from
the range of food options. It’s mainly about music, but you’ ll
also find many other artforms on offer, including theatre,
cabaret, fine arts and films… and you’ ll half expect Hobbit
Bilbo Baggins to make an appearance in this temporary
‘Paradise city’, as one reviewer called it. This year the party
starts earlier than ever with Day-2, presenting a Hungarian
allstar show called the Day of the Hungarian Song, followed
up by two more warm-up days (-1 and 0, the latter offering
a strong international metal line-up), before the five full
capacity regular days of the event. There will be hundreds
of international artists spread out over 50 program venues,
including five major stages. The UK presence is headed
by Friendly Fires, Glasvegas, Placebo, the Ting Tings and,
most anticipated of all, the currently reunited Stone Roses
(pictured above). Also confirmed are US bands Korn and The
Killers, besides a very strong genre-specific line-up at the
world music main stage and a whole host of cool DJs at the
mighty Arena. Sziget is all about the freedom to stay at a
smaller venue, even if a headliner plays on main stage right
at the same time. And maybe the coolest part of this week
long monster is the fact that it’s non-stop, so you better get
your sleep in before you get there.
www.szigetfestival.com
Words Clive Morris
Festival-goers can buy a CityPass for €29,
granting free entry and discounts to the Turkish baths,
spas and lidos and use of all public transport,
including the Sziget boat, for 13 days.
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