Sziget 2019

[thetime]

34 minutes ago, everest said:

Yesterday (13.8.) was my first visit to Sziget festival and I'm very satisfied. Bands were really good, Frank Carter, Johnny Marr, Twenty One Pilots (don't like them), Idles great and Foo Fighters awesome as always.

Beer are cheap, but food is expensive, almost everything is around 3000 ft or more, except pommes and small hamburgers. I tried some hamburger for 3000 ft and it sucks, meat and sauce are okay, but bun was a disaster. 

I will return some day, but it depends on lineup

I was quite surprised on how expensive the food was, didn't check until yesterday. I'm lucky enough I dont do fests on a budget, but a chicken and fries was like 12 euros. Its perhaps why its pricing out hungarians, which is a shame.

Coffee more expensive then a beer. ?

I might be back next year, depending on how 'poppy it is'. Promised my daughter who will be 11 sziget or werchter next year, although would only do 5 days at sziget as I did 10 days and it was a struggle.

[thetime]

4 hours ago, Baxxx said:

btw: kinda 'funny' that the island of love and freedom uses fascist scum as securities.

one of the guys during the national had a black sun tattoo

another guy (sec. #310) had a good time treatening crowdsurfers like dangerous criminals while idles ... twisting their arms, etc.

 

Worst think I saw was a irish lads giving it the big one, they had IRA on there flag. 

Over all good atmosphere though.

[thetime]

I didn't see as much music as I wanted to, some great sets this year though.

First time I've seen catfish and chvrches, folk on here saying they were boring. I found both excellent and put on a good show, especially catfish. Johnny Marr was good, crowd wasnt into it but that was expected with the 2 following bands. But for a guy in his 40s who loved the smiths it was a treat and half.

I skipped most of the headliners, the national was the only one full set I caught who were fantastic.

How fantastic are Idles though, very old school and he reminds me off spud from trainspotting.

We stayed in Bridge Camping which was ideal, bit away from the stages. So if you want to sleep I would reccomend this one highly.

Last few days the dust was a big problem, but I knew sziget was like that with hot weather.

Sziget isca bit about the story/Instagram, saying that I think most festivals of that type are like that now.

Chances are I will be back next year, but will do it differently with the 11 year old daughter in tow.

 

 

[activean]

3 hours ago, thetime said:

We stayed in Bridge Camping which was ideal, bit away from the stages. So if you want to sleep I would reccomend this one highly.

I was gonna ask that, thx! 

Also Sziget veterans, which toilets are the best one to use near main/A38? 

My first Sziget also (just yesterday), it's huge, great atmosphere, tons of different stuff to do, quite spectacular.

On the other size i found festival to be a bit overcrowded. 

As said before, cheap beer but food quite expensive. Reusable cups and wristband with chip works are useful and effective. 

Also meet @everest shortly for the first time, next time beer dude, at PRH if not before ?

Edited August 14, 2019 by activean

[thetime]

31 minutes ago, activean said:

 

Also Sziget veterans, which toilets are the best one to use near main/A38? 

I found them all to be ok, except the ones up by basic camping going towards the beach direction.

[activean]

The week-long Sziget festival in northern Budapest’s Óbuda (Hajógyári) Island drew an estimated 530,000 visitors this year, the organisers said.

That means this year’s attendance will fall short of last year’s record of 565,000 visitors, chief organiser Tamás Kádár said on Tuesday.

The festival’s budget exceeded 10 billion forints (EUR 30.8m), with organisers spending 500 million forints more on headliners than last year, he said.

[thetime]

31 minutes ago, activean said:

The week-long Sziget festival in northern Budapest’s Óbuda (Hajógyári) Island drew an estimated 530,000 visitors this year, the organisers said.

That means this year’s attendance will fall short of last year’s record of 565,000 visitors, chief organiser Tamás Kádár said on Tuesday.

The festival’s budget exceeded 10 billion forints (EUR 30.8m), with organisers spending 500 million forints more on headliners than last year, he said.

Be amazed if that was true, other than sheeran and foo fighters day it seemed much quieter. Which I preferred as it got a bit to much on 2 busy days.

On a side note I noticed how they were blocking of entrances in food fighters day(by the merchandise stall by a38), redirecting to to the other side.perhaps that was from the complained of the poor crowd control on Sheeran's day.

[Deckard]

I have to say I really enjoyed this year's Sziget which I think was my twelth.

Have never seen such a big crowd there as for Sheeran - people were standing on the side roads peering at the screens through gaps in the food stalls!! Not my cup of tea but I found plenty to enjoy on most of the days. Highlights for me were Frank Turner, Pale Waves, Chvrches, Welshly Arms, John Digweed, Yeasayer, The National, Coheed & Cambria, Big Thief, Frank Carter, Johnny Marr, Idles and various assorted DJs in the Colosseum and various World Music acts in the poorly attended Global Village.

The dust was a real problem for me particularly on day 5 and 6 tho. Maybe they need to extend the plastic walkways around the mainstage area?    

 

  

[Baxxx]

anyone else suffering from the festival flu?

It slightly startet on sunday evening for me and peaked on wednesday. still sick af  but slightly getting better.

that said I tried everything to avoid it - eat healthy, get vitamins in daily, wash hands a lot, etc.

same as 2 years ago ... I guess my body is too weak for a 7 day festival

[adequate8]

1 hour ago, Baxxx said:

anyone else suffering from the festival flu?

It slightly startet on sunday evening for me and peaked on wednesday. still sick af  but slightly getting better.

that said I tried everything to avoid it - eat healthy, get vitamins in daily, wash hands a lot, etc.

same as 2 years ago ... I guess my body is too weak for a 7 day festival

I’ve got a cold, all the dust on Tuesday was a killer! Face mask next time

[OllieR]

What were people’s best performances?

mine were probably the national, 1975, Richard Ashcroft and jungle. (I only did first 5 days) 

[thetime]

7 minutes ago, OllieR said:

What were people’s best performances?

mine were probably the national, 1975, Richard Ashcroft and jungle. (I only did first 5 days) 

Xavier Rudd

The National

Ashcroft

Marr

 

[activean]

On 9/14/2018 at 2:22 PM, Yelo, the Parmiggiana said:

- Coldplay (as big bill name, in place of AM last year)

- Ed Sheeran (as big ass pop name, in place of Lana del Ray last year)

- Foo Fighters (as rock name, in place of Gorillaz last year)

- Eminem (as big ass exclusive, in place of Mumford and Sons last year)

- Florence + The Machine (as generic medium-tier headliner, as Kendrick Lamar last year)

- Twenty One Pilots (as minor headliner / co-headliner, in place of Dua Lipa last year)

- EDM random (maybe co-heading with something smaller but relevant, as Tame Impala)

 

Well done ?

Hope your 2020 prediction turned out to be true as well, it would be solid lineup. 

[Yelo, the Parmiggiana]

1 hour ago, activean said:

Well done ?

Hope your 2020 prediction turned out to be true as well, it would be solid lineup. 

Awwww ❤️

 

Thanks a lot! I see I was over-optimistic with Sziget budget, but 5 on 7 is good! And I had the scratch of Eminem/Coldplay even back than!

[IvaS]

Hi there, 

My name is Iva Shopova and I am currently a student with the University of Northampton conducting my thesis into the motivation of visitors to attend the Sziget festival. I would be extremely grateful if you could please take a few minutes to complete my survey to contribute to my research and support me in producing a trustworthy and meaningful academic paper. 

I have attached the link below and I thank you in advance for your support.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/TZ7SMPH

Iva 

Edited August 20, 2019 by IvaS

[eyebrain]

Performing arts acts were brilliant this year. I'd even go that far and say that instead of music, this year my biggest highlights came from circus and theatre.

Cirque Alfonse was mind-blowing (although my friend went to see the show a few days later and said it was not good at all, as they had many mistakes)

Have to give credits here to "Elephants Laugh" (the one where they were inside water-cabins) at the theatre and dance tent as well.

And mad respect to "Gravity and Other Myths", too! I think literally everybody who walked by stayed to see the show. 

The new venue Fulldome was a great addition. Even though the line to get in seemed to be way too long, it actually went pretty fast. 

We did see a few acts at the Global Village, but it really seemed to be lacking audience. I think there were like 50 of us watching Ezza. I think the issue with Global Village was that it was just in a white plain tent. They had some great decorations inside, but it did not attract people walking by. Outside, it did not really look something you'd call a "global village". Why would you wonder inside a random white tent if there's so much more going on at a festival? The whole area around the venue could be used for some amazing visuals to keep people around. Instead, there was a huge empty field around the venue, disappointing

[Yelo, the Parmiggiana]

I spent too little time at the fest this year to be able to make an analysis of the fest as a whole, but in over 30 days in total I spent on the island, countless hours and shows, those 10 minutes have been the most iconic, energic and unforgettable ones I ever assisted experienced.

[swelsbyuk]

3 hours ago, Yelo, the Parmiggiana said:

I spent too little time at the fest this year to be able to make an analysis of the fest as a whole, but in over 30 days in total I spent on the island, countless hours and shows, those 10 minutes have been the most iconic, energic and unforgettable ones I ever assisted experienced.

Watching this live, when the first chords of Everlong begun, I got tears in my eyes. That has never happened to me in 35 years of going to gigs!

It was a combination of the two people being invited on stage, the majesty of the lightning storm going on around us, the realisation it was the end of the festival and probably a little too much beer!

But the creation of a memory that will last a lifetime.

[activean]

Agree, what a evening that was?

Moooooore bubbles 

[swelsbyuk]

2019 was our first Sziget and we enjoyed it very much. So much so that we are considering going back next year. However, while we were at the festival we got speaking to two or three sets of other Brits (all of which were first time visitors) and none of them seemed overly impressed with the whole thing.

Issues ranged from difficulties getting in and out of the festival (poor public transport), the crowd being a lot younger and rowdier than expected, the price of food, the crowds at Ed etc.....the list goes on.

As I say, we enjoyed it but just wondered if this year was a good example of what the festival is usually like?

Edited September 3, 2019 by swelsbyuk

[Yelo, the Parmiggiana]

37 minutes ago, swelsbyuk said:

2019 was our first Sziget and we enjoyed it very much. So much so that we are considering going back next year. However, while we were at the festival we got speaking to two or three sets of other Brits (all of which were first time visitors) and none of them seemed overly impressed with the whole thing.

Issues ranged from difficulties getting in and out of the festival (poor public transport), the crowd being a lot younger and rowdier than expected, the price of food, the crowds at Ed etc.....the list goes on.

As I say, we enjoyed it but just wondered if this year was a good example of what the festival is usually like?

It is a good example of what the festival turnt to be: the management choices and the focus on headliners attracted a younger and more-casual crowd  and that caused problems of over-crowding in few days and under-crowding in some others (compare Ed to the 1975 days) and the crowd being over all more flat (at least compared to years back); at the same time life inside the festival is getting always more expensive: I paid 10 euros for a pre-packed sandwich - I can have a full lunch of 2-3 courses in Budapest with 10 euros.

One more point needed to be pointed out is that since 2017, when EU cut the roaming costs on GB, the festival became IG-intense, meaning that always more influencer or wannabes come just for the stories, the pictures so on and so forth, kind of ruining the atmospher

 

So yeah, I guess those are the last years before Sziget just reach the full Coachellization; the festival changed a lot in the last 5 years, massively I dare to say, but it is still worth a visit - I won't tell it will always be worth a visit, but I assume we still have an handful of years to enjoy before it turns to just "another big fest"

[eyebrain]

5 minutes ago, swelsbyuk said:

2019 was our first Sziget and we enjoyed it very much. So much so that we are considering going back next year. However, while we were at the festival we got speaking to two or three sets of other Brits (all of which were first time visitors) and none of them seemed overly impressed with the whole thing.

Issues ranged from difficulties getting in and out of the festival (poor public transport), the crowd being a lot younger and rowdier than expected, the price of food, the crowds at Ed etc.....the list goes on.

As I say, we enjoyed it but just wondered if this year was a good example of what the festival is usually like?

Can't comment on getting in and out of the festival and the public transportation, because we stayed on the island. (Which i personally believe is the only way to get the maximum out of the festival) But when arriving and leaving I've never faced any serious issues, however I always come a day earlier and leave with taxi, queue for taxi is completely fine if you plan ahead.

The crowd really depends on the performers this specific day has. The festival started as a student festival and average crowd has always been younger.

Food this year was more expensive than previous years. I doubt that changes.

Crowds at Ed has never happened before, it was officially the most sold day ever at the festival, if I remember correctly. During my 6 years this kind of crowd disaster has never happened before.

All in all I didn't see any issues that would have been a deciding factor. It was a great year. Compared to Glastonbury, crowd control was much better at Sziget, and food was cheaper at Sziget. So not sure what they're complaining.

[swelsbyuk]

Has anyone received their wristband refund yet? Says on the app you'll receive it four weeks after the festival finished. Which is today but I've still not received anything. It wasn't a massive amount but around 12,000 huf so I'd like it back!

[Capzilla]

Yup, was credited to my Visa on the 3rd.

Only works if you exclusively topped up through the app, hope you didn't also use the stands. 

Edited September 10, 2019 by Capzilla

[swelsbyuk]

1 hour ago, Capzilla said:

Yup, was credited to my Visa on the 3rd.

Only works if you exclusively topped up through the app, hope you didn't also use the stands. 

Ah, yes. I did use the stands but only for about 20,000 - the other 150,000 was all on card. My last top up on the final day of the festival was about 30,000 by card but I didn't spend it all as expected.

Does this mean I'm not getting anything back?

The app says: "Current balance 12048Ft, bank card automatic refund 11748Ft" so I assumed I was getting it back. If not I'm slightly annoyed as could've bought a couple of t-shirts with that before we left the site!

Edited September 10, 2019 by swelsbyuk