Sziget Festival 2018

[Fabrizzo]

4 hours ago, Noeliam said:

Gorillaz at Boomtown

 

This is really important,if Gorillaz are touring in August, Sziget MUST  put them in the lineup, it's a question of credibility, a bit lost after last year's lineup...

[amfy]

Boomtown and Sziget are usually the same weekend but I know Bohemian Betyars managed to do both in 2016. They have a video on YouTube of them getting to both festivals!

[Noeliam]

2 hours ago, amfy said:

Boomtown and Sziget are usually the same weekend but I know Bohemian Betyars managed to do both in 2016. They have a video on YouTube of them getting to both festivals!

Hehe seems funny! Sziget is 7 days so it's easy to share bands, especially headliners.

[ConorC]

Interested in this for next year.

How many days is it recommended to go? Not sure about being able to do the full 7 because of work, would 3 days be a reasonable amount of time there or is it not worth bothering?

Also what's the camping like? Better or worse than somewhere like Benicassim?

Cheers.

[NomadicMan]

13 minutes ago, ConorC said:

Interested in this for next year.

How many days is it recommended to go? Not sure about being able to do the full 7 because of work, would 3 days be a reasonable amount of time there or is it not worth bothering?

Also what's the camping like? Better or worse than somewhere like Benicassim?

Cheers.

It’s brilliant, best festival I ever attended. Do the full 7 days if you can handle it but if not go for the 5 day ticket option..

[NomadicMan]

14 minutes ago, ConorC said:

Interested in this for next year.

How many days is it recommended to go? Not sure about being able to do the full 7 because of work, would 3 days be a reasonable amount of time there or is it not worth bothering?

Also what's the camping like? Better or worse than somewhere like Benicassim?

Cheers.

And camping is variable as you can camp where you like so choose carefully if you want any sleep.

[thetime]

Just now, NomadicMan said:

It’s brilliant, best festival I ever attended. Do the full 7 days if you can handle it but if not go for the 5 day ticket option..

Agree with this.

been going to fests for nearly 25 years and sziget is the best I’ve attended.

[thetime]

1 minute ago, NomadicMan said:

And camping is variable as you can camp where you like so choose carefully if you want any sleep.

Was in vip this year, big mistake. 

[ConorC]

Cheers, good feedback. Looking at 5 days minimum then.

[curlyjake]

11 minutes ago, ConorC said:

Interested in this for next year.

How many days is it recommended to go? Not sure about being able to do the full 7 because of work, would 3 days be a reasonable amount of time there or is it not worth bothering?

Also what's the camping like? Better or worse than somewhere like Benicassim?

Cheers.

We are seriously considering this as our Glastonbury replacement next year, always heard good things. Want to get it booked before the price goes up in the new year.

I'm also wondering about the camping situation, is it worth an upgrade? 7 nights is a long time if it's tough going to sleep. I've seen a few people stay in apartments for the week and come into the festival each day, how easy is that to travel to and from? Any advice would be much appreciated.

Only been to NOS Alive as an overseas festival and it seems the campsite we had there is luxury compared to friends' experiences elsewhere (swimming pool, lots of shaded areas to camp, onsite supermarket etc)

[ConorC]

2 minutes ago, curlyjake said:

We are seriously considering this as our Glastonbury replacement next year, always heard good things. Want to get it booked before the price goes up in the new year.

I'm also wondering about the camping situation, is it worth an upgrade? 7 nights is a long time if it's tough going to sleep. I've seen a few people stay in apartments for the week and come into the festival each day, how easy is that to travel to and from? Any advice would be much appreciated.

Only been to NOS Alive as an overseas festival and it seems the campsite we had there is luxury compared to friends' experiences elsewhere (swimming pool, lots of shaded areas to camp, onsite supermarket etc)

Likewise I've only been to Benicassim as far as camping abroad goes. Didn't love it tbh, no shade and rock-hard uneven floors, couldn't sleep past 9am due to the heat etc.

Hoping that it's a little better (I.E shaded and comfortable) at Sziget.

Edited December 7, 2017 by ConorC

[NomadicMan]

10 minutes ago, curlyjake said:

We are seriously considering this as our Glastonbury replacement next year, always heard good things. Want to get it booked before the price goes up in the new year.

I'm also wondering about the camping situation, is it worth an upgrade? 7 nights is a long time if it's tough going to sleep. I've seen a few people stay in apartments for the week and come into the festival each day, how easy is that to travel to and from? Any advice would be much appreciated.

Only been to NOS Alive as an overseas festival and it seems the campsite we had there is luxury compared to friends' experiences elsewhere (swimming pool, lots of shaded areas to camp, onsite supermarket etc)

I think if you do your research and buy the early move in ticket you can get a good spot. First time I camped there behind the main stage figuring the main stage finished early enough so I’d get sleep at a decent time. Bad move as the bars by the main stage stay open till 5 am pumping out very loud dance music. Managed 4 nights using ear plugs and sleeping pills before abandoning camp for a night in a hotel....we are likely to do it again this year but this time I’m taking an apartment...campings not suitable for these old bones...

[NomadicMan]

38 minutes ago, thetime said:

Was in vip this year, big mistake. 

What’s the problem with VIP camping?

[NomadicMan]

34 minutes ago, ConorC said:

Likewise I've only been to Benicassim as far as camping abroad goes. Didn't love it tbh, no shade and rock-hard uneven floors, couldn't sleep past 9am due to the heat etc.

Hoping that it's a little better (I.E shaded and comfortable) at Sziget.

Oh and travelling to and fro is really quick and easy as taxis can come into the site....plus it’s nice to have the mornings in Budapest as it’s a beautiful city...

 

sorry all for spamming this thead 

[thetime]

9 minutes ago, NomadicMan said:

What’s the problem with VIP camping?

It was next to the telekom arena... 

[Noeliam]

Sziget is the best! Go for the full 10 days for the whole experience: you get to chose a great camping spot under trees, you familiarize yourself with the island, and the 3 days before the fest are more or less empty so you get to do things that you couldn't when it gets crowded.

 

I wrote a few articles about Sziget! Check this one for more informations

https://backpacknstuff.wordpress.com/2015/12/13/sziget-festival-2015-services/

[Davidoff]

1 hour ago, curlyjake said:

We are seriously considering this as our Glastonbury replacement next year, always heard good things. Want to get it booked before the price goes up in the new year.

I'm also wondering about the camping situation, is it worth an upgrade? 7 nights is a long time if it's tough going to sleep. I've seen a few people stay in apartments for the week and come into the festival each day, how easy is that to travel to and from? Any advice would be much appreciated.

Only been to NOS Alive as an overseas festival and it seems the campsite we had there is luxury compared to friends' experiences elsewhere (swimming pool, lots of shaded areas to camp, onsite supermarket etc)

Hi,

I went last year and loved it. We stayed in the city and it was cheap accommodation and easy to get to the festival every day. If you take this option get the city pass and this allows access to the boat and train up to the Island and this takes about 15/20 minutes.  I spoke to a few people who were camping and they were happy with the site but again this depends on your own preferences there is a big Aldi store to buy tents if you want to do camp and stay in the city. There are lots of shaded parts and the Island is not that big that you will be close to the Arena . As I never stayed I am unsure how load it will be around the place after the bands have finished but I would assume to camp as far away from the dance tent would help. I agree with the other comments if you are not doing the 7 days do not get a 3-day ticket at the start of the Festival, try and get from the Friday for 5 days or from then on with the 3 days option. The place is quieter for the first two nights. There is normally a big Female act on the first night and the second night is also good and for the price difference I would recommend going the full 7.

[amfy]

@curlyjake It's actually fantastic to stay in the city because it's such a beautiful charismatic city and I actually feel you miss out a bit by being on site! (This as a 30 year Glastonbury camper who thinks it's all part of the fun usually!)

transport in Budapest is good. The train to Filatorigat next to the festival runs all night. If you need a second train to your apartment you may struggle more later on, but instead of queueing for a taxi on site - go to Filatorigat and head one stop back towards the city - there are always a few taxis there. The queues on site get long, and although we never did this, we saw the short train hop to a taxi as a good potential way to get home last year.

To get the best combination of festival and city I recommend centring your accommodation search in Margrit Hid (Margaret Bridge). You can get the train back to there all night, but it is also only a short walk from the city centre bars, restaurants etc. The boat also always goes to and from there but is more hit & miss for other stops. Having said that - we loved staying near Petofi square - it's so close to the city stuff, and it was fine on the train.

One day we needed to flit home during the day band it was actually a shorter round trip on the train to the city and back that the time it would have taken me to get from The Pyramid to my tent and back at Glastonbury!

Don't fall into the trap of staying as close as possible to the festival though - it's a pretty soulless part of town. Last year we stayed in fabulous apartments right across the river from Sziget, but we missed the Budapest buzz of our first year, and to top it off, it took as just as long to get there once we had to head down river for a bridge!

The city pass is a marvellous thing. It's a wristband so you never have to worry about having it with you. As well as getting you everywhere you need to go all week, you get one free visit to a Spa, and reduced entry thereafter, as well as other sightseeing discounts.

our favourite Spa is on Margrit Sziget - Ther are more spectacular old ones architecturally, but this is a new one with an amazing range of pools - swimming, waves, fountains, play, slides, thermal - all set in landscaped gardens. The island itself is lovely too with some great places to eat on the riverside. (I almost wish I hadn't put that because the traditional spas get very packed but this one didn't)

Its hot in Budapest in summer - don't be fooled by it not being in the med - it's hot, camping is hot. Those who have camped seem to have found that the more expensive options look great but are right next to some of the all night noisier parts of the site.

Hope this is helpful - we are dong Nos for the first time this year, but Sziget was our first festival abroad and we loved it so much that we'd booked for the following year before we even got home from our first one. Still - it is important to try different things, but I will be jealous of everyone at Sziget next year! Do it!

[curlyjake]

1 hour ago, NomadicMan said:

I think if you do your research and buy the early move in ticket you can get a good spot. First time I camped there behind the main stage figuring the main stage finished early enough so I’d get sleep at a decent time. Bad move as the bars by the main stage stay open till 5 am pumping out very loud dance music. Managed 4 nights using ear plugs and sleeping pills before abandoning camp for a night in a hotel....we are likely to do it again this year but this time I’m taking an apartment...campings not suitable for these old bones...

We are pretty much sold on it just wanted to wait for a first lineup announcement. We wouldn't be after a dead silent camping spot or anything like that, was mainly with the different camping options do we need a specific upgrade to find the shade. Also, would only be the two of us so would be after a relatively small space. We will do the 7 days and if the first couple line-up wise isn't to our fancy it is an opportunity to explore Budapest, I'd hate to book the 5 day ticket option and miss somebody I'd love to see. 

My bones are not too far off the dreaded 3.0 so that's why I'm starting to think of these things!

Thanks for all the info.

[NomadicMan]

13 minutes ago, curlyjake said:

We are pretty much sold on it just wanted to wait for a first lineup announcement. We wouldn't be after a dead silent camping spot or anything like that, was mainly with the different camping options do we need a specific upgrade to find the shade. Also, would only be the two of us so would be after a relatively small space. We will do the 7 days and if the first couple line-up wise isn't to our fancy it is an opportunity to explore Budapest, I'd hate to book the 5 day ticket option and miss somebody I'd love to see. 

My bones are not too far off the dreaded 3.0 so that's why I'm starting to think of these things!

Thanks for all the info.

No trouble at all finding shade. Most of the camping spots are in amongst the trees. No need to buy an upgrade but early move in gives you the pick of the best camp spots.

[amfy]

44 minutes ago, curlyjake said:

We are pretty much sold on it just wanted to wait for a first lineup announcement. We wouldn't be after a dead silent camping spot or anything like that, was mainly with the different camping options do we need a specific upgrade to find the shade. Also, would only be the two of us so would be after a relatively small space. We will do the 7 days and if the first couple line-up wise isn't to our fancy it is an opportunity to explore Budapest, I'd hate to book the 5 day ticket option and miss somebody I'd love to see. 

My bones are not too far off the dreaded 3.0 so that's why I'm starting to think of these things!

Thanks for all the info.

Tbf - the festival doesn't really get going til about 4pm so there is always an opportunity to trip into Budapest earlier on one or two of the days even if you like the headliners every day!

[ConorC]

So I've found out that I'd need to be in work till Friday 10th. If I flew out on the Friday then went to the festival for the 5 days from 11th-15th would that be a decent enough plan? Or am I missing out on too much if I'm not there for the first couple of days?

[amfy]

@conorC - I think you would struggle to camp because the best spots would be gone & you could end up with no shade or on a mad slope! 

Othere than that - the best headliners can be any day - except the last night when it is always a crap DJ! (Although we have had the best time at The World Stage both years for the finale - there is something magical about being in a crowd for a band you've never heard of, singing in a language you don't understand, with a crowd who know every word!)

[Davidoff]

28 minutes ago, ConorC said:

So I've found out that I'd need to be in work till Friday 10th. If I flew out on the Friday then went to the festival for the 5 days from 11th-15th would that be a decent enough plan? Or am I missing out on too much if I'm not there for the first couple of days?

You will not miss much it depends on flight times for the Friday. You will maybe a few acts but as the previous post said nothing really happens until 16:00 on the first two days and the only thing you will miss is the acts.  From the Airport to the city takes about a hour and to the site a extra half hour. All very well laid out and get the city pass and there is a bus that takes you straight there from the Airport. 

[thetime]

1 hour ago, curlyjake said:

 

My bones are not too far off the dreaded 3.0 so that's why I'm starting to think of these things!

 

It’s strange as the legs didn’t feel that tired, festivals 3/4 days have been a lot worse and I’m 43.

 I think it helps that the bands don’t start until late afternoon, so your legs aren’t just in one place all day.