Sziget Festival 2024

[Newjem]

2 hours ago, rwc said:

Balaton sound 2nd wave

Even this feels incredibly weak.

[billybigballs]

13 hours ago, Newjem said:

Even this feels incredibly weak.

I wouldn't recognise a poor Balaton Sound line-up, it's covers a genre of music I know very little about. That said, I recognise a few names in the upper part of the poster.

I just hope the Sziget hierarchy are paying attention to social media comments and appreciate announcement 2 needs to be much stronger.

I suspect the only real measure they will use is ticket sales tbh. A social media comment costs them very little, but if ticket sales are down by 5,000 compared to previous years that's one million euros out of the budget - which is significant!

[Akujin]

19 hours ago, Matt86 said:

... L.O.L ...

it IS Skrillex, no doubt about this. And I honestly don't care where they put him. Same as Alan Walker or Steve Aoki I guess, Party Arena..

Skrillex Party Arena would be mental and criminal. Especially with Fred Again.. being headliner

[So Sad Simon]

On 2/13/2024 at 2:55 PM, iamdebrii said:

This can mean one of two things. Either 1. they have a safe-enough amount of artists to begin teasing second announcement or 2. they're up in the air with regards to bookings and decided to post this instead of another revolut ad. 

I think this is a social media guy (or girl) who is absolutely sick of everyday reading the same question, over and over, and they've finally snapped as they know it's not on the horizon.
I think that from this there is no way we are getting an announcement in February. I think we are at least three or four weeks away.

Edited February 14 by So Sad Simon

[Tom Lobo]

My guess 12.03.2024.

[poelim]

I don’t think they can keep people waiting for so long. Especially the international ones who have to travel a lot and plan the whole trip. If i didn’t have my ticket already i wouldn’t be booking a 6 day international festival a few months in advance. 

If they have a couple of good names to announce, they better do it soon. If i didn’t have my early bird i wouldn’t be going with this lineup. The “But i’m going for the festival and not the lineup” argument is just not convincing enough anymore, because Sziget has lost it’s magic over the past few years imo. It’s just different than before.

And people who are new to the festival won’t be going for the “vibe”, so to get new festival goers, they really need to step up their lineup game.
 

Not that i think they will anounce the new names anytime soon, i just think they can’t really afford to lose these people bc i don’t think tickets are selling very well given the multiple advertisements everyday

Edited February 14 by poelim

[billybigballs]

12 hours ago, poelim said:

I don’t think they can keep people waiting for so long. Especially the international ones who have to travel a lot and plan the whole trip. If i didn’t have my ticket already i wouldn’t be booking a 6 day international festival a few months in advance. 

If they have a couple of good names to announce, they better do it soon. If i didn’t have my early bird i wouldn’t be going with this lineup. The “But i’m going for the festival and not the lineup” argument is just not convincing enough anymore, because Sziget has lost it’s magic over the past few years imo. It’s just different than before.

And people who are new to the festival won’t be going for the “vibe”, so to get new festival goers, they really need to step up their lineup game.
 

Not that i think they will anounce the new names anytime soon, i just think they can’t really afford to lose these people bc i don’t think tickets are selling very well given the multiple advertisements everyday

Agree with all of this. Organisers can see all the negative comments and the ONLY way to quash those is by releasing an improved line-up.

They've released Azariah (less than 1m monthly streams on Spotify) to attract Hungarian punters, and Goldband (less than 2m monthly streams on Spotify) to attract the Dutch. Which is all well and good but these acts mean almost nothing to residents of the other 190 countries in the world!

If acts aren't in place, then you can't announce them, but I can't understand why they don't just release who they've got so far now, with another announcement in a few weeks.

[iamdebrii]

23 minutes ago, billybigballs said:

If acts aren't in place, then you can't announce them, but I can't understand why they don't just release who they've got so far now, with another announcement in a few weeks.

our entire saving grace for this would be that Sziget is too big and corporate to release a 'here's what we've got so far' line-up so I imagine (/hope) that the delay is because they *really* want to lock in something good.

So far the only hint from leaks seems to be point at Skrillex. I've also said that with 2 eurovision acts in Joost and Joker Out, it would make a lot of sense for Maneskin to be the rock headliner (which I don't mind tbh)

Edited February 15 by iamdebrii

[rowexx]

I also feel like the announcement is pretty far away because of how weak the guessing game is now. Last year I feel like we got much more up to this time of the year.

[lukatej]

Knock knock? @Sziget2024_Leaks

[Akujin]

4 hours ago, iamdebrii said:

our entire saving grace for this would be that Sziget is too big and corporate to release a 'here's what we've got so far' line-up so I imagine (/hope) that the delay is because they *really* want to lock in something good.

So far the only hint from leaks seems to be point at Skrillex. I've also said that with 2 eurovision acts in Joost and Joker Out, it would make a lot of sense for Maneskin to be the rock headliner (which I don't mind tbh)

I really doubt that they can get something "really good" now if they haven't locked it in yet. I'm pretty sure they secure big names years ahead but at a minimum they would be done last year. Unless some accident happens. Am I wrong?

[billybigballs]

27 minutes ago, Akujin said:

I really doubt that they can get something "really good" now if they haven't locked it in yet. I'm pretty sure they secure big names years ahead but at a minimum they would be done last year. Unless some accident happens. Am I wrong?

I think you are (slightly) wrong. While what you say makes a lot of sense, and probably in some cases is correct, I know Emily Eavis (Glastonbury) recently revealed that they only recently booked one of their headliners for June (rumoured to be Stevie Wonder).

I also read a statement a few months ago from a festival organiser stating that line-ups are rarely ever Plan A, Plan B or even Plan C as artists' schedules change all the time. In late 2021, Leaks said Tame Impala wasn't coming in 2022, and yet they did - obviously a very late booking.

If, for whatever reason, Lana and Maneskin are unable to play this year I genuinely have no idea who we are going to get as remaining headliners. Macklemore anyone?

 

Edited February 15 by billybigballs

[Akujin]

8 minutes ago, billybigballs said:

I think you are (slightly) wrong. While what you say makes a lot of sense, and probably in some cases is correct, I know Emily Eavis (Glastonbury) recently revealed that they only recently booked one of their headliners for June (rumoured to be Stevie Wonder).

I also read a statement a few months ago from a festival organiser stating that line-ups are rarely ever Plan A, Plan B or even Plan C as artists' schedules change all the time. In late 2021, Leaks said Tame Impala wasn't coming in 2022, and yet they did - obviously a very late booking.

If, for whatever reason, Lana and Maneskin are unable to play this year I genuinely have no idea who we are going to get as remaining headliners. Macklemore anyone?

 

Yes, but I think most of these very late bookings happen by chance. So it's not like they can decide mid Februrary to book someone really appealing, if there is noone around at the time. Will see... 

[iamdebrii]

18 minutes ago, billybigballs said:

If, for whatever reason, Lana and Maneskin are unable to play this year I genuinely have no idea who we are going to get as remaining headliners. Macklemore anyone?

 

There's also that little ditty that we're expecting more than two headliners, so who knows. Unless (as with Stormzy) they've relegated what it means to be a headliner and are just spitballing it.

[QuintenH]

Also lollapalooza berlin hasn't announced anything yet.

[kristofm]

19 hours ago, poelim said:

The “But i’m going for the festival and not the lineup” argument is just not convincing enough anymore, because Sziget has lost it’s magic over the past few years imo. It’s just different than before.

Aren't we just getting older? I'm really just asking.

[poelim]

42 minutes ago, kristofm said:

Aren't we just getting older? I'm really just asking.

How much i’d like to deny that, yes we are 🥲

But if i remember my first Sziget, there were so much more fun activities to do. For example, there were special parties, surprise acts, a big beautiful beach area with bean bags and activities and people chilling there all day and night. There were these huge campfires with hundreds of people singing, sport fields, more themed campsites etc. Just some examples which i haven’t seen for a few years. 

[thetime]

1 hour ago, kristofm said:

Aren't we just getting older? I'm really just asking.

I would say rather than getting older, sziget is just making itself less attractive for newbies and veterans a like.

Part of the pull for me was it was a long festival, glastonbury like with the other stuff, weather, cheap beer and line ups. 

Last few years they have cut back on the days which acts are playing, also moving in days have been cut back. Cut back on the other stuff hoping on. It's not a cheap festival anymore, in relation to beer and food. 

All the other major festivals have decent lineups, one can only presume sziget got hit by covid financially more than most. 

I would highly suspect the non hungarian attendee, will be at the lowest this year. 

I've certainly turned, checking out electric castle in Romania this year. 

Edited February 15 by thetime

[birchtree29]

16 hours ago, QuintenH said:

Also lollapalooza berlin hasn't announced anything yet.

Lollapalooza Stockholm got cancelled and Lollapalooza Paris will probably be cancelled as well due to Olympics. They might cancel Lollapalooza Berlin too and not have any festivals in Europe this summer.

[Tom Lobo]

Brittany Howard & Elbow could make me happy🥰....please...then I take also the next years ticket😁

[gunghoglen]

On 2/15/2024 at 8:29 AM, kristofm said:

Aren't we just getting older? I'm really just asking.

Probaby. I lived in Budapest 2002-2011. I remember when the headliners were Fun Lovin' Criminals and the Al McKay Earth Wind and Fire experience. I saw Sziget go all the way from that kind of stuff to actually having PRINCE on the Island. And I remember when they had a Jazz Tent, any of you go there? So it has changed a lot over the years, some of it with the trends as younger crowds favored EDM more than live music, but that is the way things go, so the festival did evolve to be bigger and better for a long time. Muse when they were big, Foo Fighters with an epic show, stuff like that.

Many festivals here in the US now are "lifestyle" festivals. Fully around a certain theme or genre. I liked Sziget because it was (and, to an extent, is) quite broad. You could see so many different performers and always find something new. One time I saw the Kaiser Chiefs followed by Jamiroquai and then went to see Rhoda Scott at another part of the fest. Pretty cool day, on top of cheap beer and chill vibes. So maybe rather than focusing in a genre (Balaton Sound already does this) then maybe Sziget is going back to lesser headliners and going more for the campers.

But someone here brought up a good point. Better have the beaches, the bonfires, the beanbags, all the cool sh*t from back then that made it great. Just cutting back on headliners will only lose existing customers not not bring in new ones.

Wish I could understand what their strategy is. You cannot just focus on saving costs on bookings as a way to run a festival. Better work on that customer experience a lot more if you are going to take that route. Hope they figure it out. I was at Imagine Dragons last year and that was a good day, so I still think they have "it" but they are at risk of falling back. Here's to hoping they still announce some big names for 2024.

[poelim]

1 hour ago, gunghoglen said:

 Better have the beaches, the bonfires, the beanbags, all the cool sh*t from back then that made it great. Just cutting back on headliners will only lose existing customers not not bring in new ones.

Yes that’s exactly what i meant. You can’t cut down on all the things that made it so good AND cut down on the lineup and expect to have the same amount of people they always had. If that’s what they keep doing than Sziget will experience a major downfall i’m afraid. 

To speak for myself, if that’s what it’s gonna be this year this will be my last Sziget. And i’ve been going for many years. It’s just too expensive for a festival that’s just pretty average compared to others. And if it’s also got a sh*tty lineup, the costs just aren’t worth it anymore.

Edited February 16 by poelim

[poelim]

Excuse me for my pessimism btw. It’s just pretty sad to experience such an amazing festival getting f’d up by some new organisers. 

[Matt86]

1 hour ago, poelim said:

Excuse me for my pessimism btw. It’s just pretty sad to experience such an amazing festival getting f’d up by some new organisers. 

I sadly agree. I'm even angry at them, disrespecting us by putting so much electro-edm acts... like we dont know its cheaper than bands...

[FestivalJamie]

I've only been to Sziget once- in 2019 - but I really enjoyed it. But even back then people were saying things had been cut back compared to previous editions. 

I remember just thinking it was crazy with all the different stages, a chinese puzzle maze !? (on a festival, like what?), a big inflatable light up exhibition, a beach with fire shows in the evening, the colosseum stage, LGBTQ+ stage and all the decorations and little things around the site. (I do remember thinking the food offer was terrible though).

I haven't been back since and don't think I will ever go back. Especially after what you are all saying here, that it's just falling more and more down the rabbit hole. And the names this year are really poor. Last year saw a lot of criticism for the line up, although I thought it was actually quite decent and there were a few names I personally liked in there (Billie, Florence, Lorde, Girl in Red, Imagine Dragons etc),  but in this edition I don't think there's anyone that I'm bothered about seeing.

It's a shame the way the festival has gone, and it's also a shame to see so many European festivals completely falling away this year (Lollapalooza, Standon), so I'm just not sure how the industry will continue to develop over time.