Sziget 2016

[Noeliam]

Yes it's a bit like Glasto -in 2012, M. Eavis advised people to go to Sziget (it was a fallow year for Glastonbury).

There's no camping site. You basically camp between the stages and pathways; a lot of places are decorated with stars, colors and lots of amazing stuff! The best place would be under decorated trees (easy to find): you'll see the magic at night and it'll be more bearable (rain and sun).

A lot of people go to Budapest during the day (and those who sleep there don't come often before the concert start); also, there's a massive amount of people that get out just after the headliner.
But I advise you to book a few days before/after because... do you imagine yourself getting out of the Glasto fence?  

Some other useful informations: https://backpacknstuff.wordpress.com/2015/12/13/sziget-festival-2015-services/

[alexfc94]

Thanks a lot mate. Sounds pretty special!

[sophlamb]

I'm thinking of going to Sziget for the first time this year with a few friends. I've read over this thread but I've got a couple of questions

We're thinking of staying in a hostel and just doing a day or 2 at the festival. How do you get from the city into the festival and back? I'm guessing I should be looking at the Citypass? And will we be able to stay late enough to experience all the late night stuff?

We're thinking of getting tickets for the Monday and potentially the Sunday - will there be plenty going on these days?

Can anyone recommend any good hostels to stay in?

And just generally does anyone have any tips for a Sziget newbie?

[Noeliam]

47 minutes ago, sophlamb said:

I'm thinking of going to Sziget for the first time this year with a few friends. I've read over this thread but I've got a couple of questions

We're thinking of staying in a hostel and just doing a day or 2 at the festival. How do you get from the city into the festival and back? I'm guessing I should be looking at the Citypass? And will we be able to stay late enough to experience all the late night stuff?

We're thinking of getting tickets for the Monday and potentially the Sunday - will there be plenty going on these days?

Can anyone recommend any good hostels to stay in?

And just generally does anyone have any tips for a Sziget newbie?

The Citypass will be useful even ion the days you won't attend the festival, so you should definitely buy it. If you buy a day ticket for sunday the 14th and monday the 15th, you can go in and out from the island until the 16th at 8am. 
These two days are "regular days" so everything will be open, from the Luminarium to the smallest stages.

I can't recommend a hostel but for the Sziget stuf, i wrote a few articles on my blog. 

[sophlamb]

1 hour ago, Noeliam said:

The Citypass will be useful even ion the days you won't attend the festival, so you should definitely buy it. If you buy a day ticket for sunday the 14th and monday the 15th, you can go in and out from the island until the 16th at 8am. 
These two days are "regular days" so everything will be open, from the Luminarium to the smallest stages.

I can't recommend a hostel but for the Sziget stuf, i wrote a few articles on my blog. 

Thanks very much for this! I did try and read the blog earlier but I couldn't load it up at work. Now that I'm home I can sit down and have a good read 

[Noeliam]

16 hours ago, sophlamb said:

Thanks very much for this! I did try and read the blog earlier but I couldn't load it up at work. Now that I'm home I can sit down and have a good read 

I'm glad it helped you! Don't hesitate if you have any question

New collosseum names:

Tale Of Us / John Digweed / Sasha / Sharam / Max Cooper / The Martinez Brothers / Sam Paganini / Boddika / Butch / Mind Against / &ME / Johannes Heil / Nastia / Woo York live / Mendo / Dorisburg live /Behrouz /Demi / Pulsinger & Irl / Kevin Luke

Some great additions

[harold08]

19 hours ago, sophlamb said:

I'm thinking of going to Sziget for the first time this year with a few friends. I've read over this thread but I've got a couple of questions

We're thinking of staying in a hostel and just doing a day or 2 at the festival. How do you get from the city into the festival and back? I'm guessing I should be looking at the Citypass? And will we be able to stay late enough to experience all the late night stuff?

We're thinking of getting tickets for the Monday and potentially the Sunday - will there be plenty going on these days?

Can anyone recommend any good hostels to stay in?

And just generally does anyone have any tips for a Sziget newbie?

We stayed at a hostel called Hostel Budapest Central last year and it was decent. Good value for money and near the ruin bars but because of the location of Sziget I wouldn't recommend it as its on the other side and it could be abit of a journey. We are stopping at a hostel near the river before the festival and then Wombats hostel after the festival. I know Wombats have hostels in quite a few of the bigger cities and we have always had a good stay in them. 

Your best bet is to use HostelWorld. You can book and only pay 10% up front and the rest when you get there. Its free to cancel and that way its not a problem/major expense if your plans change. 

Hope that helps.

[msella]

Does anyone know is the bridge upgrade camping any good?....are there any shady spots,how is at night,is it too loud?would you recommend it?

Thank you in advance

[scarcity]

1 minute ago, msella said:

Does anyone know is the bridge upgrade camping any good?....are there any shady spots,how is at night,is it too loud?would you recommend it?

Thank you in advance

From what I saw last year I think it's a total waste of money.  It's mostly just plain ground with lots of dust,  no grass or trees.  It's also right next to the entrance so I think it can be quite noisy sometimes but otherwise it's far from the stages. I think most non upgrade spots are better and if you come early (like 10am or noon on day - 1) you will have plenty of really good spots to choose from. The only advantage I see is the extra showers(but I didn't have any problems with showers otherwise,  there are enough and if you go before going to bed then you don't have to wait at all)  and that it's easy to get in and out (from the other end of Sziget you have to walk about 30 min to get out). 

So I think spending that money on earplugs and a nicer air mattress will make your experience and lot better. 

[Uncle Liam]

On 4/27/2016 at 4:30 PM, sophlamb said:

I'm thinking of going to Sziget for the first time this year with a few friends. I've read over this thread but I've got a couple of questions

We're thinking of staying in a hostel and just doing a day or 2 at the festival. How do you get from the city into the festival and back? I'm guessing I should be looking at the Citypass? And will we be able to stay late enough to experience all the late night stuff?

We're thinking of getting tickets for the Monday and potentially the Sunday - will there be plenty going on these days?

Can anyone recommend any good hostels to stay in?

And just generally does anyone have any tips for a Sziget newbie?

1) If you are going into Budapest for the day and there's someone you want to watch 1600, be off the train at 1430. The queues to get in each day can be a nightmare. 

2) Get a Citypass. It pays for itself when leaving the site. It also makes moving around Budapest that much easier, especially when you can pick it up from the airport. 

3) Getting back is a train, or there are a fleet of taxi's there at night who will be there all the time. 

4) I can't see either Sunday or Monday selling out. Thursday and Saturday are the days I would be concerned about. 

[Uncle Liam]

Going to be interesting to see how long it is before the day -1 headliner is announced and what names will be announced to fill up the mainstage and A-38 slots. I imagine probably some point next week... unless they do what they did with Prince and announce it in late July. 

 

Day 1 desperately needs some decent additions in the A-38 to go against Bastille and Manu Chao. If the clashfinder is right then that day is up there at the worst individual day lineup in Sziget history. 

[neacaisa]

I have to say I was extremely surprised with manu chao being a headliner. Not that he is not a big name, but hasn't released an album in a while now and he is not that popular these days. For example, last year, he headlined a small 2 days festival in Romania that had a ticket price of about 20 euros.

Edited May 5, 2016 by neacaisa

[eFestivals]

1 hour ago, neacaisa said:

I have to say I was extremely surprised with manu chao being a headliner. Not that he is not a big name, but hasn't released an album in a while now and he is not that popular these days. For example, last year, he headlined a small 2 days festival in Romania that had a ticket price of about 20 euros.

 

He plays festivals he wants to play, rather than festivals that make him offers to play - which is why he rarely comes to the UK. He gets offers (I know, cos I was asked for some advice on an offer he'd had), but there's not enough in the UK that he'd accept to make it worth him coming.

[Uncle Liam]

2 hours ago, neacaisa said:

I have to say I was extremely surprised with manu chao being a headliner. Not that he is not a big name, but hasn't released an album in a while now and he is not that popular these days. For example, last year, he headlined a small 2 days festival in Romania that had a ticket price of about 20 euros.

TBF most festivals in Romania are a lot cheaper than elsewhere. 

Sziget itself is 7 days and cheaper than all of the big 2/3 day festivals in North Western Europe. 

[Nicklord]

RHCP 99% isn't -1 headliner. They did have scheduled Hungary but it's: September 1 | Budapest, Hungary | Sports Arena,

[Noeliam]

10 minutes ago, Nicklord said:

RHCP 99% isn't -1 headliner. They did have scheduled Hungary but it's: September 1 | Budapest, Hungary | Sports Arena,

not 99%- 100% :/

I really don't know who it can be... as much as I wanted RHCP, I'm excited that we don't know who it is yet, could be anyone! Hopefully not a pop star, I don't think they'd put 3 pop stars and 2 DJ's to close the main stage :)

[Uncle Liam]

oh god it's going to end up being Biffy fucking Clyro.

[Uncle Liam]

3 hours ago, Noeliam said:

not 99%- 100% :/

I really don't know who it can be... as much as I wanted RHCP, I'm excited that we don't know who it is yet, could be anyone! Hopefully not a pop star, I don't think they'd put 3 pop stars and 2 DJ's to close the main stage

You don't think that?

this is the festival that booked Mika as a headliner. That has rebooked David Guetta. That's booked a French-Spanish singer who hasn't done an album in nine years to headline in front of a predominantly young Dutch crowd.

anything is possible unfortunately.

 

[ilbeyene]

@Uncle Liam you're so negative in most of the comments, so I have to ask you a question. Why are you coming to Sziget instead of another festival? If it's the lineup side that counts more for you Sziget clearly it's not the festival for you. It's just curiosity

[Uncle Liam]

Because I have two months off in the summer and nothing better to do that week. 

Plus M83 are playing on my birthday. Sigur Ros and Muse are playing back to back. I'm trying to follow Sigur Ros and M83 as much as I can in July and August. And I have about 100 friends who are going. It's the only place I can see them all really.

The thing that frustrates me is they can put a decent lineup together... They did last year for the most part! But I get baffled by them booking the same shit acts on a regular basis. 

And I also found guettas 'performance' in 2013 at best offensive. 'End party' with six fireworks and a laser show that could probably be bettered with equipment off amazon. Shocking. 

Right now Day 1 is a shockingly empty lineup and Day 2 isn't looking much better.

[Bilbo Baggins]

It's been a while since we got any new names... Any chance of new ones popping out this week?

 

[dolevshelly]

3 hours ago, Bilbo Baggins said:

It's been a while since we got any new names... Any chance of new ones popping out this week?

 

i hope so...
now that the tickets are 90% gone im afraid they wont book big names anymore

[Uncle Liam]

22 minutes ago, dolevshelly said:

i hope so...
now that the tickets are 90% gone im afraid they wont book big names anymore

Nonsense.

The names will have all been booked long long long ago. 

[meepmoop]

They'll make sure the lineup is as good as possible to help maximise ticket sales in the future too. Reputation is what keeps festivals going!

[Noeliam]

They might announce this week... price increase + 90% of the passes, they need the last push for a historical may sold-out! (or june probably)