This year marks the 30th time we cross the now iconic K-Bridge to the Island of Freedom, where over 1,000 programs await us at 50 locations, showcasing a diverse range of genres. The lineup includes artists like Kylie Minogue, Liam Gallagher, Martin Garrix, and Sam Smith. Once again, there will be the Grand Street Theatre and the always fantastic Cirque du Sziget, and this year, music will even play in one of the shower blocks.
Main Stage
The Sziget Main Stage offers an exceptionally strong and diverse program this year. The headliners include “the eternal queen of pop,” Kylie Minogue on the first day, followed by Halsey, one of the most versatile performers of her generation, and Liam Gallagher with Oasis’ debut album material. Saturday will feature the superstar DJ known for his massive shows, Martin Garrix, and Sunday’s headliner is the unique contemporary pop icon, Sam Smith. On the closing day, the hottest producer of modern electronic pop music, Fred again.., will take the stage. Earlier slots on the Main Stage will feature artists such as Stormzy, Louis Tomlinson, Janelle Monáe, Fisher, Skrillex, Bebe Rexha, Tom Odell, Joker Out, Yves Tumor, Becky Hill, and Raye. Hungarian performers will also bring unique productions to the Main Stage, including Beton.Hofi, Margaret Island, and after many years, a Hungarian concert will return to the prime slot with Azahriah performing before Halsey on Thursday.
Free to Be… Special on the Main Stage
Over the past three decades, Sziget and its audience have become an international community that has realized the “dream state” now known worldwide as the Island of Freedom. Sziget is a welcoming community of free Szitizens, a place where we can be ourselves. This is now framed by “Free To Be…”. The special parties return to the Main Stage this year under the name Free To Be… Special, offering 10-minute performances and brief speeches during intermissions to highlight social changes and collective responsibility. Vincenzo Turiano’s “Unique” performance emphasizes that we are not different but unique and special. The next day, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Kat Graham will give a talk. “Peace, love, and fun(k) – that’s what life is about,” says the Ghetto Funk Collective’s “In Funk We Trust” performance. On August 10, there will be a big sing-along with the Superar children’s choir. Copenhagen Collective’s “The Genesis” performance will highlight the importance of human connections, and on the festival’s closing day, we will celebrate the diversity of Szitizens with 5,000 flags.
Revolut Stage, Bolt Party Arena, Yettel Colosseum
The Revolut Stage (formerly FreeDome) will feature alternative music acts such as Big Thief, Fontaines D.C., Marc Rebillet, L’Impératrice, Aurora, MØ, Crystal Fighters, Barry Can’t Swim, and Four Tet on the closing day. The Bolt Party Arena is a haven for electronic music lovers, hosting world-famous party brands daily, including elrow, Q-Dance, Awakenings, Martin Garrix’s STMPD, and Rampage. The Yettel Colosseum, designed to resemble ancient amphitheaters, will showcase the crème de la crème of alternative electronic music with over 50 performers, including Richie Hawtin, Honey Dijon, Ellen Allien, Sven Väth, Nico Moreno, and Måneskin’s bassist VICTORIA with her solo project.
Additional Music Venues
The dropYard is the Sziget stage for hip-hop and rap. The ibis × ALL presents The Buzz is the new name for the Europe Stage, showcasing bands that have already achieved significant success in their home countries but are less known internationally. At the heart of Sziget, the Global Village awaits everyone with various cultures, sounds, and colors. The Jukebox by Snowattack continues the success of the Tribute stage in recent years. The Sziget Beach Chill Zone is the place to retreat from the hustle and bustle for some peace and relaxation. The LightStage, located in the shady northern tip of Sziget, will feature concerts during the day and DJ sets at night.
Beyond the Music
This year, several locations have been organized into thematic “zones” to help visitors easily find programs that match their interests. For example, the Civil Sziget, Think for Tomorrow, and XS Land will be part of the FutureGrounds zone, focusing on social issues from young people’s perspectives and highlighting the special problems of people with disabilities. The ArtFusion Field zone will feature the ArtGarden (formerly ArtZone), the theatre venue, the Grand Street Theatre, the Museum of Applied Arts, Cirque du Sziget, and the Wandering Carnival. Daytime and community-building activities will be found within the PlayGround zone, including the SportZone and
GameLandHub.
The Magic Mirror presented by NYX has been celebrating love, joy, and acceptance for over two decades. With a vibrant performance arts scene, dance, theatre, and music will now have an additional early evening slot. Accordingly, the Sziget Comedy stand-up program and Mirror Talks cultural-social discussions will start earlier, following the highly successful brunch program from last year: the versatile drag queens of Queens Brunch Vienna will kick off the Mirror’s magic carpet for three days this year. There will also be a “Before I Die” wall at Sziget, encouraging community engagement where individuals can share their desires, hopes, fears, and stories.
Welcome Zone, Szitizen Care, and More…
A new Welcome Zone has been established to improve guest-centered and smoother customer service. This perfect meeting point also houses the renewed City Center, where all essential services are available to help visitors navigate the festival. It includes the information center, lost and found, customer service, the Szitizen Center, and a grievance office for security issues. New “help zones” have been created to provide calm environments and professional assistance to those in need. The City Center includes the Mental Care Corner for those needing to regain their mental balance and the Hangover Care Corner next to the Bolt Party Arena for those who may have exceeded their alcohol tolerance. The First Aid Center aims to provide a safety net for those with health issues, ensuring safe entertainment for people with disabilities, diabetics, or those requiring medication.
Maintaining and enhancing last year’s developments, Sziget is prepared with a variety of offerings, comfort services, and “wallet-friendly” foods. The food will be offered in kitchen blocks or food courts similar to last year, ensuring everyone finds something suitable. There will be traditional Hungarian flavors and international dishes. Each food vendor must offer at least one wallet-friendly dish, pre-agreed with the organizers, and the offerings are continuously monitored. Environmental awareness remains a key aspect of food services, with partners using paper or eco-friendly, biodegradable materials instead of plastic bags, disposable plates, and cutlery. Food vendors are encouraged to choose energy-efficient solutions, use eco-friendly materials for their stands, and prioritize sustainability in sourcing ingredients. This year, vendors will be checked against stricter criteria to foster a more environmentally conscious food service with a significantly smaller carbon footprint, while also promoting visitor awareness.
Enhanced Visitor Experience
To prevent the concert experience from being overshadowed by unpleasant queuing, the organizers have introduced new solutions for crowd management. Last year, the biggest challenge was the K-Bridge, which needed renovation and was limited in capacity for safety reasons, slowing down visitor exit after major concerts. A new route will direct the audience from the Main Stage dance floor towards the exit. Digital information boards will be installed at several points to provide real-time information on how long it takes to reach the exit or taxi services. On high-demand festival days, pedestrian traffic will also be opened towards the H-Bridge to avoid congestion. Night bus services will run from the H-Bridge towards Margaret Bridge, boat services will be increased, and there will be changes in taxi services, including a new BOLT taxi rank in the direction of the H-Bridge.
Sziget by the Numbers
With a daily capacity of 95,000, Sziget is Hungary’s 10th largest “city,” welcoming guests from over 100 countries. The festival features 600 performances from 54 countries across 52 program venues over six days. There will be 200 Hungarian concerts and performances, with many acts from the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, 29 performers from the USA, and artists from Senegal, India, Tanzania, New Zealand, and Benin.
The largest venue at Sziget is the approximately 1,000 m2 Main Stage, with a viewing area three times the size of the Puskás Arena’s 11,000 m2 floor, making it 33,000 m2. The Main Stage features a 600 m2 LED wall and hundreds of intelligent lights. The largest structure is the 5,700 m2 tent of the Revolut Stage, the Bolt Party Arena covers 4,000 m2, and the Yettel Colosseum is built from 3,000 pallets.
To improve concert enjoyment, the mixing tower (FOH) in the middle of the audience area will be replaced by smaller structures on either side of the audience. No outdoor festival of this size has ever done this in Hungary.
In total, the organizers will cover 46,855 m2 of ground at Sziget, equivalent to 59 standard handball courts. During the festival, 46 km of temporary water and sewage pipelines will be installed, serving 132 water containers and over 500 shower stalls for guests.
More than 200 office and storage containers will be set up in the festival city, requiring around 15 cubic meters of leveling material for their setup. Half a megawatt of temporary electricity will be needed to power the festival, equivalent to the energy consumption of about 600 families, supplied by 300 km of cable and 1,500 energy distribution points.
The 30th anniversary of the Sziget Festival will be celebrated in style from August 10-15, 2023, featuring a diverse program and several innovations to enhance the visitor experience and a special focus on addressing social issues and sustainability.
(Sziget Festival)
