Sziget 2025

[bunnyv]

Simz playing 75 mins? Brilliant.

[thetime]

1 hour ago, bunnyv said:

Simz playing 75 mins? Brilliant.

 

The subs are strong at Sziget this year, only Riles ive got no interest in seeing. 

[ReljaGajić]

23 minutes ago, thetime said:

 

The subs are strong at Sziget this year, only Riles ive got no interest in seeing. 

Same here, maybe I'll skip Michael Kiwanuka too or just sit in the back and grab something to eat, just like the last time he was at Sziget in 2019

[thetime]

7 minutes ago, ReljaGajić said:

Same here, maybe I'll skip Michael Kiwanuka too or just sit in the back and grab something to eat, just like the last time he was at Sziget in 2019

 

Going to be on the side, closest to revolut. Quick getaway for a good spot for Blossoms. 

[djym12]

I don't know how reliable any Hungarian newspaper is, but here's the latest news regarding Kneecap

 

https://nepszava.hu/3287786_sziget-fesztival-kneecap-fellepes-koncert

 

"What we have consistently asserted over the past 30 years remains true for our festival: there is no place for hatred, incitement, prejudice, or any form of racism or anti-Semitism here. At the same time, the stage belongs to the artist, it is a space for freedom of speech, and we believe that cancel culture and cultural boycotts are not the solution to the problems," the Sziget Festival Press Office said in response to a request from 24.hu on Friday. 

 

Can't wait to see them!

[sandorbeni]

This article written by the Sziget CEO regarding the situation was just published.

https://hvg.hu/360/20250718_Kadar-Tamas-kneecap-sziget-fesztival

[So Sad Simon]

6 minutes ago, sandorbeni said:

This article written by the Sziget CEO regarding the situation was just published.

https://hvg.hu/360/20250718_Kadar-Tamas-kneecap-sziget-fesztival

What does it say? 🤣

[sandorbeni]

4 minutes ago, So Sad Simon said:

What does it say? 🤣

He says that Kneecap will perform at the festival. He says that they support artistic freedom and are against censorship. But he also mentions that they don't tolerate hate speech and antisemitism at the festival.

It's a bit of bothsidesism, but still better than the mainstream Hungarian discussions where the "any criticism of Israel is antisemitism" is still the most common sentiment.

 

Also TIL that they performed in 2022

[billybigballs]

1 hour ago, sandorbeni said:

He says that Kneecap will perform at the festival. He says that they support artistic freedom and are against censorship. But he also mentions that they don't tolerate hate speech and antisemitism at the festival.

It's a bit of bothsidesism, but still better than the mainstream Hungarian discussions where the "any criticism of Israel is antisemitism" is still the most common sentiment.

 

Also TIL that they performed in 2022

 

Ha, so they did. 

 

dropYard up against Arctic Monkeys is a tough slot to have though! Wonder what size audience they attracted? 

[Deckard]

9 hours ago, bunnyv said:

FYI, more than 150 Hungarian musicians/artists have signed a petition demanding the cancellation of Kneecap at Sziget. Many people whose name I would never have expected to see on such a list.

Budapest is home to a large Jewish population. I have a Jewish friend there who is no longer speaking to me because of my views on Gaza... Here's hoping that freedom of speech wins out and Kneecap are allowed to give their views.

[kristofm]

Official: Kneecap WILL play at Sziget.

 

Tamás Kádár statement from HVG magazine, translated with ChatGPT:
 

The Northern Irish rap trio Kneecap’s performance at the Sziget Festival has sparked a socio-political storm in recent weeks – not because of their music, but due to the debate around their participation or potential cancellation, and the public reactions that followed.
This time, public discourse hasn’t focused on the band’s original agenda of exploring Irish–British historical tensions, but rather on the fault lines of the current Israeli–Palestinian conflict. It’s becoming increasingly clear that there is no “right” answer to this issue – and perhaps that’s the most honest realization we can reach.

Kneecap is not your typical rap group. They are political, raw, and express themselves through radical leftist cultural critique. Their lyrics mix themes of English colonization, oppression, and resistance, grounded in their Northern Irish experiences.
When they perform at Sziget, they bring more than music – they bring their worldview. Their stage presence has incorporated expressions of solidarity with Palestinians, drawing parallels between the Irish and Palestinian struggles.

On October 7, 2023, Israel suffered one of the most brutal attacks in its history: Hamas militants murdered more than 1,200 civilians, abducting, raping, and massacring women, children, and the elderly in their homes and at the Nova Festival. It was impossible to witness this brutality and inhumanity – this frenzy of hatred – without tears. In the wake of the tragedy, global discourse shifted, at least temporarily: all displays of Palestinian solidarity were cast in a new light.

Kneecap – who had already performed at Sziget in 2022 without incident – drew worldwide attention this spring at the Coachella Festival. During their set, the words “F*ck Israel” were projected on screen, and footage resurfaced from 2023 showing one of the members waving a Hezbollah flag on stage.
In response to the outrage, the group issued a clear statement (included in full here):

“Let us be unequivocal: we do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah. We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. It is never okay. We know this more than anyone, given our nation’s history…”

“Let us be absolutely clear… We do not give a f*ck what religion anyone practices. We know there are massive numbers of Jewish people outraged by this genocide just as we are…”

Following the tragic escalation of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in 2023–2024, cultural and artistic spaces – particularly in Western Europe and the United States – have become increasingly vocal. Fewer and fewer remain “neutral.” Kneecap supports the Palestinian cause, and they express this support in their characteristically provocative way.
Unsurprisingly, many – including numerous artists and private individuals I deeply respect – felt that by not canceling the band’s performance, Sziget itself was making a political statement in a matter that deeply divides public opinion, including in Hungary.

Critics argue that the problem is not only Kneecap’s message, but also the backdrop of a rising wave of antisemitism worldwide. To some, supporting Kneecap fits into that picture – whether intentionally or not. Others argue that acknowledging the suffering of the Palestinian people is not antisemitism, but a humanitarian duty. These two interpretations coexist – and they are irreconcilable.

Sziget’s response – that we are committed to artistic freedom and will not act as censors – is clear. Yet this statement obviously doesn’t resolve the contradiction.
Because even if a festival claims not to be political, its performers inevitably convey political messages. And when those messages reopen deep wounds – as in my own case, as a descendant of Holocaust survivors, or in connection to the suffering of civilians in Gaza – it cannot simply be dismissed as “just music.”

In this situation, every decision is bound to hurt someone. Canceling the performance would have been perceived as censorship and reinforced the belief that there’s no space for Palestinian solidarity in the public sphere – potentially fueling another wave of antisemitism.
By going ahead with the performance (which we are), we alienate those who believe Kneecap does not stand for peace, but represents one side in a conflict that is already unbearably polarized.

I believe that in this case, Sziget can only rely on its deepest values. We do not tolerate hate speech in any form – including antisemitism. We have made this clear to the band as well.
At the same time, we remain committed to the spirit of free expression, which has been a cornerstone of Sziget for over 30 years.

Kneecap’s performance has become a message in itself: globalized culture does not yet know how to process the world’s injustices while still providing space for art. And audiences don’t know how to be simultaneously compassionate, sensitive, and open.

And that’s why there’s no good answer. Because the pain is real – on both sides. The names of the dead don’t compete with one another, but everyone begins from the place of their own loss.

Ádám Schönberger wrote on szombat.org:
“Although the outrage surrounding Kneecap and their concert is entirely understandable, the solution is not to limit universally accepted freedoms. That would only deepen the rift. Instead, we need information, dialogue, and open debate. The communal renegotiation of language and normative concepts is essential – otherwise, all that remains is violent polarization that turns public discourse into trench warfare. If I could ask one thing, it would be this – from both Sziget’s organizers and the protesters.”

We are working toward this.

Budapest, July 18, 2025
Tamás Kádár

[Nicklord]

Waving Hezbollah flags and promoting them on social media is antisemitism, is it not? 

[massimissimo]

Do you guys have any info about the festival during the moving in days? Are there any concerts/activities to do? is it crowded or not? Is everything already open? 

 

going there one day before this year but can't find anything regarding it

Edited July 18, 2025 by massimissimo
typo

[thetime]

22 minutes ago, massimissimo said:

Do you guys have any info about the festival during the moving in days? Are there any concerts/activities to do? is it crowded or not? Is everything already open? 

 

going there one day before this year but can't find anything regarding it

 

They are still building the site, motorbikes going everywhere. Make sure you are careful. 😃

 

The beach area is open, they have some tunes from one of the areas near the main stage in the evening. Bars will start to be open on the Tuesday. They could do a bit more for the moving in people, put a few tribute bands on. 

 

Other than that, not to much. Might be a day to go into Budapest. Thats what we do, Budapest for the afternoon. 

 

I would also advise downloading the BudapestGo app, much cheaper than travel tickets on the sziget site.

 

Edited July 18, 2025 by thetime

[Arnolf]

Just watched Anyma livestream on tomorrowland youtube. They've got screens but no experience with robots like sphere. Maybe it wasn't planned and everything changed quickly but I don't think we getting that at sziget. 🥲

Still at least happy to get tomorrowland level artists at sziget.

Edited July 19, 2025 by Arnolf

[Newjem]

37 minutes ago, Arnolf said:

Just watched Anyma livestream on tomorrowland youtube. They've got screens but no experience with robots like sphere. Maybe it wasn't planned and everything changed quickly but I don't think we getting that at sziget. 🥲

Still at least happy to get tomorrowland level artists at sziget.

With the Tomorrowland stage (and I mean the original one that burned down) it was never a plan. The main stage usually doesn't have large screens and it wouldn't even work with the ice theme that was planned for this year. His set last year was also mostly without "the robots" (apart from the last bit).

[eivomracsy]

On 18/07/2025 at 08:31, ReljaGajić said:

Where can I sign for them to remove noga erez? 🤢

just remembered this. is this because shes israeli or any special opinions from her side?

[thetime]

Out of interest is there any trouble at a Kneecap festival set? Pro/anti Kneecap views? 

 

Wouldn't mind watching them, but would be elsewhere if the vibe isnt there. 

 

 

[So Sad Simon]

Strange question I know, but a work colleague is in Budapest next week, ahead of the Grand Prix. Anyone know what date approx that access to the island is stopped? She was going to go and have a peek if she's able.

[CS2110]

I think the new version of the Revolut stage on the Sziget instagram stories looks cool. They say it’s bigger but doesn’t look that much different in size to me

[misanthrop]

1 hour ago, CS2110 said:

I think the new version of the Revolut stage on the Sziget instagram stories looks cool. They say it’s bigger but doesn’t look that much different in size to me

I was just saying the same thing - it looks really cool but to me it maybe even looks smaller? 😅 That's just me of course and hard to say from the story. I don't think they lie with the size upgrade but definitely can't wait to experience it live. Will miss the red tent tho 🎪

[thetime]

Fair play to Sziget making all these changes for 2025.

 

It was needed, be interesting how it develops over the next few years. 

[kristofm]

5 hours ago, So Sad Simon said:

Strange question I know, but a work colleague is in Budapest next week, ahead of the Grand Prix. Anyone know what date approx that access to the island is stopped? She was going to go and have a peek if she's able.

I don't think you're allowed to go a week prior. But if you want to try, go through K-bridge and take an immediate left turn. Walk for a while then you can go through the woods and take a look at how everything looks like. I've done that a few years ago, about 3 weeks prior to the festival.

[bunnyv]

https://issuu.com/sziget/docs/sziget_2025_passport

[#1SzigetFan]

I hope that the sound will be of a higher quality at the new A38/Revolut stage. The former tent had pretty bad acoustics for guitar acts.