Sziget Festival - winner of European Festival Awards 2012 - is the biggest festival in Central Europe. It had been changing rapidly in the last 21 years, and by today, the festival has established itself as a „cultural mini-state”. The event takes place on the 76 acre Hajógyári Island in Óbuda, that - for one week every year - works as a crazy republic of its own. It has its own mean of payment (the Festipay card, that provides a fast and easy cash-free payment), its own festival telephone that provides free calls between you and your friends at the festival (Festfone), after entering you get your Passport (which contains a festival map and all the programs and informations about Sziget), and believe me when I say: you will find everything you might need or desire during this one week – and even more.

photo: Sziget/Kálló Péter

It took 8000 people working for 3 weeks to prepare the area for welcoming up to 85 000 visitors a day, and to transform the island into Sziget Republic. They had to develope the island’s infrastructure – constructing the festival’s road network, optimizing the sewerage system, building up stages and arenas, developing public lighting. Hundreds of trucks have transported tools, containers, paving, cables, showers, fences and toilets. 20 truckloads of plastic covering was laid, while in some tents the ground got covered with wood paneling. Most used paths got covered with metal “carpets” on their surfaces, to prevent them from becoming dusty after only the first day.

There will be 255 offices, warehouses, locker rooms and storagerooms in the island, as well as an independent medical center – the overall healthcare preparedness competes with a medium-size Hungarian city’s health institutional staff (400 people will provide health service, including 16 clinic doctors, 50 nurses, 12 patrols with motorbike and 110 on foot), and the ambulance services of the festival corresponds to a major Hungarian city’s emergency center (with several ambulance cars and vehicles).

Everything will be bigger and brighter than last year – public lighting was also developed. In addition to the already existing permanent lighting, further of 35-40 km floodlight will impress the eyes and create a special mood, and a whole forest will be decorated like Christmas trees.

photo:Sziget/Csudai Sándor

The Festival Republic is famous for its unique visual world. International and domestic artists had been working on installing huge spacial statues, large wooden constructions, and various unusual works of art. Some of them will be interactive, so you can become a part of them, and leave your fingerprint on them. You can try bungee jumping or what it feels like being an artiste, or help decorating the 100 meter wall, commemorating the 25^th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall.

It will be impossible to get bored in Sziget Festival. I believe that this year’s line-up contains artists for everyone’s taste - with names like Blink 182, Queens of the Stone Age, Skrillex, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, La Roux, Bonobo, Korn, Placebo, and Lilly Allen among them (just to mention a few) -, and the accompaniing programs and the diverse wine&dine options will keep you entertained all week.

photo: Sziget/Mohai Balázs

Learn more about the festival – and get there in time: week-long passes got sold one week before the opening, and daily tickets are limited as well. Visit the official web-site of Sziget and check out the festival video, recorded to the music of one of our favorite bands, Ivan & the Parazol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxXQttp-_sg&list=UUFPuTxN3n9iesF0I6-gyOjA&index=9

For further details, visit http://szigetfestival.com/