Nick Cave and Franz Ferdinand confirmed for Sziget
Recently several bands and artists have accepted visas to the Island of Freedom. Arriving straight to the Main Stage with their latest release are the legendary Nick Cave and his Bad Seeds, as well as the most popular alternative rock band of the 2000’s, Franz Ferdinand.
Poet, writer, provocateur, rockstar. Nick Cave is all of these though not necessarily in this order. Whatever he does is simply important. He makes era-defining records, he creates and dismisses bands, whatever he touches turns not just into gold, but into a timeless monolith. He is still harmonic even if he is off-key: with the Bad Seeds he approaches the irregular consciously, just to make sure that all other notes wind up exactly where they are supposed to be. When Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds hit the stage the outside world stops to exist. And so it will at this year’s Sziget where they will present their latest and long awaited studio album Push The Sky Away, which was released after a five year break this February. With this modern, energetic but still typically Nick Cave-like album, that fascinates both critics and fans, they have booked a guaranteed headliner spot for this year’s festival season.
Furious and unstoppable indie rock’n’roll, really gritty and crazy dirty pop anthems that make any pit explode. This is the trademark of the always stylish Franz Ferdinand from Glasgow that made them one of the most popular British bands of the 2000’s and got them countless musical awards. Ever since their first album this band just can’t miss with their irresistible, dynamic and unique rock that keeps critics and fans satisfied each time. They will be mixing up their usual setlist with songs from their brand new, soon to be released fourth album Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action at this year’s Sziget Festival!
New to Sziget is !!! (pronounced: Chk, chk, chk). Every pop dictionary starts with the name of this Californian band. The Sacramento based group formed in the late 90’s is famous for its intelligent dance punk that will make you want to move your feet. Their music evokes the golden age of new wave, it’s noisy and unpolished with a little bit of funk to it. They will present their fifth album THR!!!ER on Sziget’s Main Stage.
Landing straight at A38’s party program is the ultramodern, roaring and unique electronic project of Nik Roos, Martijn Sonderen and Thijs de Vlieger, Noisia. Their music can be heard in countless PC games, Hollywood blockbusters and of course at the biggest festivals around the globe. They collaborate regularly with the biggest names in electronic music such as Skrillex, Pendulum and Prodigy. They are three-time winners of the Beatport Music Awards for Best Drum’n’Bass Act, however their music cannot be labelled as DnB only as it is open to breakbeat, house, dubstep and neurofunk just to name a few genres.
Jason Diakité, a.k.a. Timbuktu is one of the biggest Swedish hip-hop artists and reggae singers. He writes vivid, catchy but eclectic hip-hop anthems with a unique style. During his 15 year career he released 8 albums and won 7 awards at the Swedish Grammys. For ten years now he has been touring the world with a nine-piece funk band called Damn!, who will be backing him up on his show at Sziget Festival as well.
Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks as there are more names and productions to come for the 2013 Sziget!
Check out the teaser video on the following link:

May 23rd, 2013
Further information and tickets available at www.szigetfestival.com

Biffy Clyro, Mika and many others visit the Island of Freedom
About two dozen new acts received their “concert visa” to Sziget, the ‘Island of Freedom’. Among the names we can find one of the best British live bands, Biffy Clyro, and one of the most talented and fun performer of today’s pop scene, Mika. In addition the suggestive, dynamic electronic production of Nero and many more will perform as well. The non-stop week of fun is once again guaranteed, this year between 5-12 August in Budapest.
Playing at the Main Stage, we will see Biffy Clyro, the best British live band today. They fill stadiums and they are always at the most-visited festivals of the UK. Their live gigs are considered massive and in the last few years they have been acknowledged by some of the most influential media. After their last three successful albums, they have released their newest one in January, ‘Opposites’, which lead the British charts for quite a while. They received a lot of awards recently: they were considered the best live band in 2011 at the NME Awards and at the Q Awards. This year they have also received the NME Award for the being the best British band.
Michael Holbrook Penniman, world-known as Mika, is one of the most talented and colorful pop artists today. He knows everything what a pop star does. Besides his almost classic songs, he will perform his newest ones from his latest album ‘The Origin of Love’ and will surely conquer the audience at the Main Stage of Sziget.
Futuristic, ultra-suggestive and massively dynamic is Nero live. The two British electronic musicians and producers, Daniel Stephens and Joe Ray, together with singer Alana Watson are touring Europe since 2010 with their dubstep, drum’n’bass and electro house craziness. This time they are visiting the Arena Stage of Sziget.
In a late-afternoon slot of the Main Stage we can see Regina Spektor, an anti-folk singer from New York. She has a unique style, influenced by folk, punk, rock, hip hop, jazz and classical music. She relies on her seemingly endless imagination when it comes to her songs, as if she was playing different roles each and every time, that’s what makes her so unique today.
One of the most active techno-pop productions, Booka Shade from Germany, is coming to the Arena Stage with a massive live show. The supplier of quality and hyper-intelligent electronic music have been in the business for 25 years now and they will definitely bring the right tunes for an unforgettable party!
There are even more names confirmed for the giant Arena tent, including the mystical, monumental, passionate alternative rock combo, The Joy Formidable. Their guitar music is at the same time very dynamic, but chilled as well. Abstract music will also be present at the mega-tent, played by Erol Alkan, a London-based electro DJ, whose fantasy is without borders and has no ties to any genres. Even though Felix Cartal is pretty young, he is already an internationally well-known Canadian musician, DJ and producer. He is open to styles from solid pop to massive electro house and this is a good set of reasons to check him out at Sziget Arena.
One of the most popular folk-rock singers from the Netherlands, Blaudzun, is also among the line-up of the festival. He received the “Dutch Grammy”, the Edison prize this February, for being the best male artist in the Netherlands. A Benelux focus is also strengthened by Monophona, the trio from Luxemburg who are preparing for their first Sziget gig. They will be a special surprise for those who love elegant, minimalist and melancholic electro-acoustic live sets. Splendid, the reggae collective from The Hague spices up their music with some rocksteady and soul. They are not only popular in the Netherlands, but spread their message to anyone who loves reggae music in Europe. This time they will do it at Sziget.
The A38 Stage has some strong new names as well, e.g. Natasha Khan aka Bat for Lashes. The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from London has a mysterious voice and became popular especially in the UK with her pop music. She released three studio albums out of which ‘Fur and Gold’ from 2006 and ‘Two Suns’ from 2009 have been nominated for the Mercury Prize. Flogging Molly, the number one Celtic punk band in the world, is also coming back to Sziget! Their gigs are always very popular, from the smallest events to the biggest festivals. This time they play at the A38 stage!
The music of The Cribs is just as self-confident as the members themselves. They have navigated the British indie community out of the dark after the breakup of The Smiths in the 2000s. They receive good critics and no big British festival could miss them from their line-up.
British electro-pop diva, Little Boots, is a true female icon of her generation. Her enchanting melodies remind us of the electronic synthpop dance music of the 80s. Her next big hit will be her second album, ‘Nocturnes’, which will be released this May. Dark and massive techno and electro visions are the good words for French electronic musician, DJ and producer, Gesaffelstein. He visits Sziget with a live act, which is usually built up with engineering punctuality. These diverse and quality sets have a great atmosphere and free up the available energies on the dance floor. Dub FX has been rather popular on the video sharing portals and the blog-sphere, while he has also toured all five continents with his loops, revolutionizing the world of street performances. The name dOP represents three creative, sexy and irresistible men from Paris. The trio of Damien Vandesande, Clément Aichelbaum and Jonathan Illel knows exactly how to combine organic electronic music with live instruments and how to add funk, jazz, classical and minimal house and lounge taste to the music. German punk-rock band, Donots, are unstoppably popular. With their new album, released last summer, ‘Wake the Dogs’ they will visit Sziget as well. Hoffmaestro plays a witty ska music, which is merged together with reggae, techno, New Orleans funk and classical country music as well. Rangleklods live is a Danish performer strongly believing in improvisation and revolutionizing sounds. He mixes the main parts of his music on his laptop, but the act comes together on the stage with his small tricks, spontaneous attitude and ad hoc effects.
The talented and characteristic Dutch band, Daily Bread, will also play their overpowering garage rock music at the event. The four members of the group are also open to new wave and chill wave sounds!
Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks as there are more names and productions to come for the 2013 Sziget!
Check out the teaser video on the following link: http://youtu.be/Ibs8HuFPPOg

Sziget 2013 – The Island of Freedom
The Sziget press conference, held 27th March, has revealed many new information about the concept and programs of this year’s festival. Sziget, the Island of Freedom, was born, emphasizing the concept behind the 21 year old event. As an increasing focus of the organizers, the on-site visuals of the festival will have a greater role, therefore a huge End Show with David Guetta will crown the last evening of the non-stop week of fun. Some more venues and programs will enrich the festival as well. While the event is known for its premium qualities, many of the services will be improved to make the festival holiday a more comfortable experience. Sziget takes place between 5-12 August in the heart of Budapest.

The Island of Freedom is born!

Almost the same day, twenty years ago, an enthusiastic group of youngsters have declared some slogans for an event that was about to happen. The following were born: “We need a non-stop week of fun together”,“ A meeting point for students of the universe-city” and “A place where anything is possible and nothing is compulsory”. They summarized the event with these three sentences, the concepts that everyone of this friend circle was dreaming about. This is how Károly Gerendai, main organizer of Sziget Festival remembers these early days: “Freedom was always a key expression for us, and we might not even had a clue what a ‘real’ festival was all about, but we thought and felt that it could only be a place where people are without constraints and they can leave behind the problems of the weekdays to spend a week in happiness and peace”.

Basically the new concept of Sziget 2013 is a re-definition of the already existing one: this time the ‘Island of Freedom’ is officially born, that is a temporary republic for a week, with own rules, own money, a physically separated location of an island, in the heart of a metropolis, with an own hatchment and flag.
The Island of Freedom is a democratic republic without a leader, where every member of the society, either aboriginal or immigrant, has the same rights and commitments.

Cirque du Sziget: a new venue at Sziget Festival

Ladies and Gentleman! A marvelous and brand new venue is enriching the colorful programs of Sziget Festival this year. The Cirque du Sziget will host breath-taking “new-circus” productions and also some impressive shows of young Hungarian acrobats, put together exclusively for the event. Because Sziget is so much more than just a music festival!

Please find more info in the attached press release!
And check out the video: http://youtu.be/ccNFxsd467E

From gypsy beats to ‘spaghetti Balkan’: 120% world music at Sziget


The OTP Bank World Music Party Stage has celebrated the 20th Sziget with 120% of world music and the feedbacks were so positive that the organizers aim to crank up this year’s show! So not only the big names of the genre, but also the most important Central and Eastern European acts will be on stage, mainly representing the Balkan and ska-based craziness.

Let’s start with the best-known names. With their unique style, the American Calexico is mixing alterock and Mexican mariachi music, arriving to Sziget Festival this year with touring their new album ‘Algiers’. Also with a fresh material comes Rachid Taha, who revolutionized Algerian raï music, now playing his album ‘Zoom’, that had such contributors as Brian Eno and Mick Jones. We know what to expect from the Balkan punk’n’roll star Emir Kusturica & The No Smoking Orchestra, as they have conquered the audience at last year’s Sziget. Similarly, Leningrad will rock with their brutal Russian ska dance music this year.

For sure the Latin rhythms cannot be missed either. Those who liked Che Sudaka last year can start their dance training as Catalan rumba kings La Pegatina will be performing some excellent and danceable tunes. For those who want to discover something unique of nowadays world music we recommend Moana and the Tribe, a band coming from New Zealand. The crowd of Sziget every year expects the most popular African bands to introduce themselves at the event. This year Mokoomba from Zimbabwe will be the coolest of all: in their Pan-African music you can find everything that is important to make African music irresistible.

We should also look around in the Balkan part of the line-up! Fanfara Tirana meets Transglobal Underground is the meeting point between an Albanian brass-band and British ethno-techno, this time coming together in Kabatronics, their new album. Representing the region with psychedelic gypsy beats, Tako Lako, is a band coming from Copenhagen with Serbian and Danish musicians, making something new out of the well-known Balkan characteristics.

Shutka Roma Rap is also a very exciting collaboration of a Macedonian brass-band and rappers from Shutka, near Skopje. Last year’s big success “spaghetti Balkan” band the Figli Di Madre Ignota plays from the rich menu of ska and rock. From the history of the stage one of the most memorable performers, the Bosnian Dubioza Kolektiv is beloved for their fusion music of dub, ska, rock and Balkan sounds.

The previous years saw many Central and Eastern European bands breaking through in the international world music scene, which makes them inevitable for the line-up of Sziget’s thematic stage. The number one choice has to be Ukraine’s DakhaBrakha, knowing everything about Slavic music, while combining their sounds with electronic tunes and instruments from all over the world. They toured the world from Western-Europe to Australia with more than 300 stops and now they come to Sziget. The Polish R.U.T.A. is also very fascinating. Their members coming from folk and punk background are not seeking compromises: they are a true revolutionary band singing lyrics from the medieval ages when peasants were uprising against the land owners.

Also coming from Poland, the Warsaw Village Band, is well-known now for last year’s album ‘Nord’ focusing on the Slavic, Scandinavian and Sami traditions. Representing the Czech Republic, Cankisou, plays wild rhythms with a spice of Pakistan in their songs.

Within the Central and Eastern European focus, we cannot forget the biggest Hungarian bands either. The world-known tambur music of Söndörgő and the massive beats of Besh o droM and guests will also play in the Balkan program. One of the most known Roma bands, Parno Graszt in collaboration with the French Latcho Drom is also a must-see show for those into the wilder side of world music. Hungary became visible on the ska map thanks to Pannonia Allstars Ska Orchestra, also promising us a strong and entertaining gig on the OTP Bank World Music Party Stage in 2013. The Csík Band and friends is competing with the popularity of Hungarian celebrities, while bringing back the love of Hungarian folk music into the heart of everyone. They will present songs from their twenty-five year repertoire and also a block remembering Hungarian singer-songwriter Tamás Cseh.

These are twenty-one names, all together, looking nice in the line-up! And another piece of news to add from the magic world of world music: Songlines – the best-known world music magazine – has once again chosen Sziget Festival among the best international festivals!

Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks as there are more names and productions to come for the 2013 Sziget!

Check out the teaser video on the following link:
http://youtu.be/xPq7rCF0jMw

24 new names confirmed for various stages at Sziget Festival

The colorful and diverse line-up of Sziget Festival is building up in the coming weeks. This time 24 new acts are announced for various stages: many are new-comers at Sziget, but there are also many acts that have been very popular in the previous editions of the event. The non-stop week of fun is once again guaranteed, this year between 5-12 August.

Check out the new names and details in the attached press release and the teaser video!

http://youtu.be/UozAG4-x1Qg

Sziget reveals new names, mainly for Arena and A38

Four of the five mainstage headliners are still to be announced, but the Sziget crew is happy to give an insight on how the line-ups of the giant tent venues and the earlier slots are shaping up.

Sziget is the festival where all fans can open their minds and also discover or rediscover acts that might not feature in the headlines of the posters. As previous years’ experience shows, not only the open-air stages but also the huge, eight to ten thousand capacity concert and party tents offer a very exciting program. Among the newly confirmed performers there are some popular acts revisiting Sziget and also some great newcomers. Let’s just check who they are:

The newly confirmed names are mainly related to the line-up of the A38 and Arena venues. Among the acts of the huge Arena tent we can find Boys Noize, who plays fresh and energetic electro with a touch of techno. He is not only an internationally well-known producer and boss of his own label but also considered to be amongst the top 10 DJs by Rolling Stone Magazine.

Nicky Romero is known for his bombastic tracks and outlandish remixes. Even though he has a short but busy carrier, he has performed at the world’s leading concert venues and most visited electronic festivals. Now he is preparing for Sziget.

German electronic hip-hop combo Deichkind also accepted the invitation of the organizers. Beloved for crazy and wild live shows including rubbish bag-outfits, trampolines, vodka, and pillow fights among other things, their Sziget gig will surely be an unforgettable one.

Austria’s finest Parov Stelar Band - founders of the electro swing genre and one of the most beloved party bands at big festivals – will return to Hungary after their gig at VOLT Festival in the beginning of July. And adding to the party atmosphere of Sziget, Spanish techno icon Oscar Mulero will perform as well. Still considered as the biggest DJ of Spain he always follows current trends with a sense of tradition and innovation.

With its sweeping craziness, the success grimcore band among the youngest electronic music fans, Hadouken, will play at the A38 stage debuting with their new album ‘Every Weekend’, set to be released this February. The huge A38 tent will also host Belgian rockers Triggerfinger, known for both their traditional rock music of dynamism and tense pace combined with an emotional side. Another A38 stage performer, The Bots, will provide a pure and fresh sound without any artificial substances but an amazing rough background energy coming from their true guitar rock.

Of course the line-up of the Main Stage is also developing. Performing in a late-afternoon slot, Sziget welcomes German giants Die Arzte again. Their music is on the edge of punk and rock with matching satirical lyrics, so surely a great basis to start up a night of fun. Another late afternoon German addition to the line-up of the big venue will be Seeed, the reggae-dancehall formation which is undoubtedly the most well-known representative of their genre in the region.

Last but not least, the organizing team is happy to announce the Sziget debut of Azealia Banks, a young talent from Harlem, performing a daytime gig at the Main Stage. Some of the most important facts about her: at the “BBC Sound of 2012” contest she got the third place and also received the Philip Hall Radar Award at the NME Awards, together with the New Style Icon prize at the Billboards Awards.

Check out this video for a better insight on all of the newly announced acts:
http://youtu.be/9zzu5BVDLFM

And check this one to relive the Sziget vibe once again:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGc-rEscomk

For tickets and more information please check: www.szigetfestival.com

Budapest, January 23, 2013

Sziget reveals new names, mainly for Arena and A38

Four of the five mainstage headliners are still to be announced, but the Sziget crew is happy to give an insight on how the line-ups of the giant tent venues and the earlier slots are shaping up.

Sziget is the festival where all fans can open their minds and also discover or rediscover acts that might not feature in the headlines of the posters. As previous years’ experience shows, not only the open-air stages but also the huge, eight to ten thousand capacity concert and party tents offer a very exciting program. Among the newly confirmed performers there are some popular acts revisiting Sziget and also some great newcomers. Let’s just check who they are:

The newly confirmed names are mainly related to the line-up of the A38 and Arena venues. Among the acts of the huge Arena tent we can find Boys Noize, who plays fresh and energetic electro with a touch of techno. He is not only an internationally well-known producer and boss of his own label but also considered to be amongst the top 10 DJs by Rolling Stone Magazine.

Nicky Romero is known for his bombastic tracks and outlandish remixes. Even though he has a short but busy carrier, he has performed at the world’s leading concert venues and most visited electronic festivals. Now he is preparing for Sziget.

German electronic hip-hop combo Deichkind also accepted the invitation of the organizers. Beloved for crazy and wild live shows including rubbish bag-outfits, trampolines, vodka, and pillow fights among other things, their Sziget gig will surely be an unforgettable one.

Austria’s finest Parov Stelar Band - founders of the electro swing genre and one of the most beloved party bands at big festivals – will return to Hungary after their gig at VOLT Festival in the beginning of July. And adding to the party atmosphere of Sziget, Spanish techno icon Oscar Mulero will perform as well. Still considered as the biggest DJ of Spain he always follows current trends with a sense of tradition and innovation.

With its sweeping craziness, the success grimcore band among the youngest electronic music fans, Hadouken, will play at the A38 stage debuting with their new album ‘Every Weekend’, set to be released this February. The huge A38 tent will also host Belgian rockers Triggerfinger, known for both their traditional rock music of dynamism and tense pace combined with an emotional side. Another A38 stage performer, The Bots, will provide a pure and fresh sound without any artificial substances but an amazing rough background energy coming from their true guitar rock.

Of course the line-up of the Main Stage is also developing. Performing in a late-afternoon slot, Sziget welcomes German giants Die Arzte again. Their music is on the edge of punk and rock with matching satirical lyrics, so surely a great basis to start up a night of fun. Another late afternoon German addition to the line-up of the big venue will be Seeed, the reggae-dancehall formation which is undoubtedly the most well-known representative of their genre in the region.

Last but not least, the organizing team is happy to announce the Sziget debut of Azealia Banks, a young talent from Harlem, performing a daytime gig at the Main Stage. Some of the most important facts about her: at the “BBC Sound of 2012” contest she got the third place and also received the Philip Hall Radar Award at the NME Awards, together with the New Style Icon prize at the Billboards Awards.

Check out this video for a better insight on all of the newly announced acts:
http://youtu.be/9zzu5BVDLFM

And check this one to relive the Sziget vibe once again:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGc-rEscomk

For tickets and more information please check: www.szigetfestival.com

Budapest, January 23, 2013

Sziget 2013: Blur comes to Sziget!

The legendary British band and the winner of the Best European Major Festival award finally joined forces: Blur is a confirmed headliner of Sziget!
The organizing team happily announces the long-awaited Sziget debut of Blur, the iconic rock band that earlier this year also received a Brit Award for lifetime achievements. Speaking about playing live in 2013 the band said:“Every show next summer will be very special – we can’t wait to get out and play for all our lovely fans who we haven’t seen for a while.”
Blur became world famous in the 90s with records including Parklife and The Great Escape and hits such as"Girls & Boys", "Country House", "Song 2”, “End Of A Century”, “To The End" and “Beetlebum” making them one of the bands of the decade. In 2009 the band came together to play a series of UK shows including two sold out dates at Hyde Park in London and a historic Sunday night appearance at Glastonbury Festival. A film about Blur,No Distance Left To Run, was released in 2010. Earlier this year, Blur wrote two new songs ahead of their massive sold out show in London's Hyde Park to mark the closing of the Olympic Games. The songs “The Puritan“ and “Under The Westway“ were debuted live on Twitter via a worldwide video stream from a London rooftop. And twenty one years after the release of their debut album, 2012 also saw Blur 21: The Box, the band's body of work compiled and gathered together into one box.

2013 will see Blur’s first appearance at Sziget Festival, rocking the main stage in front of the world’s probably most international audience.

Meduza Nights on the A38 Stage
Looking for progressive e-music on Sziget? Don’t look any further: the
Meduza Nights program on the A38 Stage will include a whole host of great
DJs, evoking and further developing the well-known “meduza party feeling”,
every day from 23.30 till dawn. Party, night time, progress, Meduza!
Meduza has been the right place to find experimental and progressive electronic acts
since 2006 and became an iconic Sziget party venue in the last few years. The symbolic
octagonal building is gone, but the spirit stays the same and grows bigger during the
night slots of the A38 Stage.
Meduza nights will include an international line-up, featuring DJ Fresh, a true
ambassador of contemporary drum’n’bass and Tiga, Canada’s nr. 1. electro musician
and founder of the legendary Turbo Recordings label. Tiga’s label will also proudly
present Azari & III, playing an intelligent mixture of house-electro-pop. Besides them
you can also meet Italian electro and fidget grand master Crookers, while Ed Banger
Records will present their current star, SebastiAn. The international line-up will also
include Lincoln Barrett, a.k.a. High Contrast… and so much more.
If you are also interested in the Hungarian line-up of Meduza Nights, you will be happy
to discover Yonderboi’s name in the program, returning to the Hungarian festival
scene this summer, presenting his electronic live act. Other exciting local acts include
Chris.Su, Coyote, Jade and Secret Factory.
This is just a first taste of what is waiting for you, so be sure you’re heading towards the
A38 Stage every night after 23.30… and explore all new territories of the e-music
universe.
You can find the full Meduza Nights program here:
http://www.sziget.hu/festival_english/programs#l1962

All eyes on Sziget…
… and one eye definitely, that’s the 42 meters high Sziget Eye, a ferris (giant)
wheel with room enough for 180 people, right in front of the Sziget Main
Stage. If you’re the observer type, you’ve already noticed some new bands
appearing on the detailed program of the event, now available at
szigetfestival.com.
Sziget Eye will be a great symbol of a renewed festival, celebrating its 20th edition this
year. It will run with a capacity of 1000 persons/hour and at night it will host film
projections on a canvas with an area of several hundred square meters. Sziget Eye is
also a good reflection to the fact that London is not the only place to see giant wheels
and a truly international crowd in mid-August.
And surely not the only place to meet sports friends, as German indie band
Sportfreunde Stiller will rock the Sziget main stage on Friday afternoon. The trio was
formed back in 1996, named after their former football manager and received several
MTV Music Awards nominations in the category Best German Act. Sportfreunde Stiller
announced they will be trying out new songs live at festivals this summer, suggesting
there may be a new studio album in the works.
Other new additions to the line-up include Brighton-based hip-hop duo Rizzle Kicks, who
released their debut LP Stereo Typical less than a year ago and already sold 1 million
singles and 300 000 albums in the UK. Check them out at the A38 stage on Friday.
But stereo typical is not necessarily hip-hop, as you will find French metal combo
Stereotypical Working Class in the line-up of the YourOpen International Talent Festival,
held on Days -1 and 0. The program will introduce a total of 18 bands from 15
countries, all winners of local talent contests, or coming through the Central and Eastern
European Talent Exchange Program (CEETEP). You will find the full YourOpen line-up at
http://www.sziget.hu/festival_english/programs.

All eyes on Sziget…

… and one eye definitely, that’s the 42 meters high Sziget Eye, a ferris (giant) wheel with room enough for 180 people, right in front of the Sziget Main Stage. If you’re the observer type, you’ve already noticed some new bands appearing on the detailed program of the event, now available on the website.

Sziget Eye will be a great symbol of a renewed festival, celebrating its 20th edition this year. It will run with a capacity of 1000 persons/hour and at night it will host film projections on a canvas with an area of several hundred square meters. Sziget Eye is also a good reflection to the fact that London is not the only place to see giant wheels and a truly international crowd in mid-August.

And surely not the only place to meet sports friends, as German indie band Sportfreunde Stiller will rock the Sziget main stage on Friday afternoon. The trio was formed back in 1996, named after their former football manager and received several MTV Music Awards nominations in the category Best German Act. Sportfreunde Stiller announced they will be trying out new songs live at festivals this summer, suggesting there may be a new studio album in the works.

Other new additions to the line-up include Brighton-based hip-hop duo Rizzle Kicks, who released their debut LP Stereo Typical less than a year ago and already sold 1 million singles and 300 000 albums in the UK. Check them out at the A38 stage on Friday.

But stereo typical is not necessarily hip-hop, as you will find French metal combo Stereotypical Working Classin the line-up of the YourOpen International Talent Festival, held on Days -1 and 0. The program will introduce a total of 18 bands from 15 countries, all winners of local talent contests, or coming through the Central and Eastern European Talent Exchange Program (CEETEP). You will find the full YourOpen line-up here.

An open attitude is clearly behind the program of Sziget’s new national stages, designed to showcase the culture of visiting countries. In 2012 The Netherlands will be strongly represented at the Holland meets Hungary stage, mainly focusing on the cooperation between Dutch and Hungarian star musicians during the Jam de la Créme sessions, but also presenting dance performances by ILL Skill Squad, short stories by Jaap Scholten and great Dutch and Hungarian DJs to end each night.

Sziget also wouldn’t be Sziget without Italians, so make sure you visit the Puglia Sounds Mambo Stage, mainly showcasing some great bands from southern Italy with semi-acoustic gigs. Good music, good food, what else do you need to have the perfect afternoon? And Friday takes along the big hitters with the concert of Bud Spencer Blues Explosion and I Ministri.

Hard to choose, but time to do it! If you need a little help, feel free to use the personal online program guide, or simply download the free Sziget app, soon available at App store and Android Market (Google Play).

Metal Day at Sziget!

Metalheads can start up this year’s Sziget Festival with a day in paradise, as Dimmu Borgir, Lacuna Coil, Hammerfall, Moonspell, Ignite and Superbutt will all appear on the dedicated Metal Day of the event on August 7th in Budapest, Hungary.

Day 0 of Europe’s Best Major Festival will provide a dedicated metal event, hosted by the Hungarian Main stage at the northern part of the island and presenting a quality international line-up, reaching out to many styles of the hardest and heaviest genre. All this from 2PM all the way until 11PM.

Superbutt

The Metal Day line-up starts with Hungarian rock-metal heroes Superbutt, a Budapest based five-piece combo that has already released five full length albums and toured all across Europe.

Ignite

The next act on stage will be Californian hardcore-punk group Ignite, playing their hard, but still melodic tunes with an unstoppable intensity.

Moonspell

Then it’s time for Portuguese heavy metal stars Moonspell, well known throughout the continent, having released their newest double LP - Alpha Noir / Omega White - this April, which is already the ninth full length album of the band.

Hammerfall

After them the stage will be ready for Oscar Dronjak’s legendary Scandinavian power metal act, Hammerfall. Last time they played at Sziget was in 2007 and since then released 2 studio albums. And if you know what they are up to, you know they will prevail!

Lacuna Coil

Producing great gothic metal is evidently not just a privilege of northern countries. This theory is clearly proven by Italy’s Lacuna Coil, who are also amongst the Sziget Metal Day bands. The last 17 years already saw them selling more than 2 million albums world-wide, also achieving huge successes in the United States.

Dimmu Borgir

And the night will be closed by Norway’s nr. 1 black metal act, the unbelievably strong and monumental Dimmu Borgir. After spending the last 20 years on stage, they belong to the elite of the Scandinavian scene, releasing dominant albums and playing on the biggest metal events all over the world.

Snoop Dogg, Sum 41 at Sziget

The program of the 20th Sziget Festival is almost complete now and the newest announcement includes various styles, featuring Snoop Dogg, Sum 41, Leftfield and SebastiAn.

Snoop Dogg

Calvin Cordozar Broadus a.k.a. Snoop Dogg can easily be considered as “king of gangsta rap”, a real icon of the scene who already sold almost 20 million albums world-wide. The West Coast rapper is one of the most successful artists of the USA and plans to release his newest LP with the title Reincarnated in the second part of 2012.

Sum 41

Deryck Whibley’s Sum 41 is a clear and undisputed choice for the younger generation of punk fans. Deryck (also ex-husband of pop-punk princess Avril Lavigne) formed the band together with drummer Steve Jocz in 1996 in Ajax, Canada and grew to become a leader of the genre by now.

SebastiAN

SebastiAn is a French musician, DJ and producer, mainly active in the contemporary electro house scene. Besides becoming a regular at e-music festivals and renown for his special remixes, SebastiAn’s music also appears in several movies and video games. His debut album, Total was released last May, gathering great critics ever since.

Leftfield

Leftfield is probably the most popular act of the British party culture from the 90s. After producing some of the most important e-music pieces of the scene, they stopped working together in 2002, only to celebrate a successful comeback recently. As of December 2011, Neil Barnes continues to tour with the band while Paul Daley is focusing upon his solo career. The gig will surely provide a cool presentation for both the experienced and new fans of electronic music.

Important to note: SebastiAn is one of the many quality acts performing at the Meduza Nights program section of the A38 Stage. If you were a fan of the old Meduza venue, you will surely love to spend your nights at A38.

And some more good news for e-music fans is provided by the confirmation of the Egyptian trance duo Aly & Fila, and the British DJ and producer Lange featuring Betsie Larkin for the mighty Arena venue.

Sziget Festival happily announces another group of confirmed acts for the 20th edition. Main Stage will host UK indie rockers Maxïmo Park and legendary East Coast crew, The Roots. Holland’s famous Kraak & Smaak will give a great live show at the Arena and there are four new additions to the line-up of the A38 stage, including Danish singer-songwriter Agnes Obel, beatbox phenomenon Beardyman, London’s finest Citizens! and Berlin-based punk crew, Bonaparte.

Meet them together with fans from over 60 countries this summer in Budapest, between 6 and 13 August.

20th Sziget: new bands confirmed: Maxïmo Park l The Roots l Kraak & Smaak live l Agnes Obel l Beardyman l Citizens! l Bonaparte

Sziget Festival happily announces another group of confirmed acts for the 20th edition. Main Stage will host UK indie rockers Maxïmo Park and legendary East Coast crew, The Roots. Holland’s famous Kraak & Smaak will give a great live show at the Arena and there are four new additions to the line-up of the A38 stage, including Danish singer-songwriter Agnes Obel, beatbox phenomenon Beardyman, London’s finest Citizens! and Berlin-based punk crew, Bonaparte. Meet them together with fans from over 60 countries this summer in Budapest, between 6 and 13 August.

Till alla er vikingar där ute! Det är dags att börja tagga och planera plundringståget till Sziget Festival. In med er på http://www.facebook.com/sziget.sweden och hitta resekompisar and galna festivalkompisar

Sziget 20 – a comprehensive intro

Sziget is the place to be in the middle of August. Europe’s Best Major Festival is celebrating its
20th edition, promising not just great programs, but also a new visual concept. The renewed
festival is happy to welcome all the fans who enjoyed it in the past, but also tries to set the targets
for the next decades. And now it’s official: the 2012 edition of the Budapest-based event will be a
day longer, introducing Day -2. The countdown is running…

The program of Sziget nr. 20 is clearly taking shape, already around 95% ready. The organizing team had to
face severe problems, mainly an economic downturn that has been a tough opponent throughout the campaign,
but the vast experience of the last decades is always helpful. „This is a jubilee edition and we also expect the
older generations to come back and celebrate with us, but the majority of our music programs focus on fresh
new acts that also show the way for younger fans. I believe the 20th Sziget will prove to all visitors that it will
make sense to return for the 21st edition as well”. – said Karoly Gerendai, the event’s main organizer.

Innovations, changes
One thing is sure, this year even the well accomplished Sziget fans will have to relearn the map, as many
venues will move to new places and generally there will be a lot of changes. Some venues will completely
change, some will disappear and new venues will show up. But the main message is always the same: Sziget is
the most colorful and open-minded festival in Europe.

Changing locations…
… the world music stage moves to the former place of the Giant Street Theater (also the location where the
main stage was standing during the first edition) and gets the name OTP World Music Party Stage. The Giant
Street Theatre moves to the place of last year’s metal stage. The Roma Stage will find its new venue next to
theatre hill, opposite to the European Meeting Point, while the Logical Games Tent will take the former location
of Octopus. The multi arts venue goes to the former place of the MR2 Hungarian Main Stage, while that one will
move to the ex-venue of the world music stage. The World Village will move to the former place of the blues
stage, while A38 goes right to the center, behind the main stage and offers 7 slots per day. The sports venue
moves to the former place of A38 and Magic Mirror returns to its original location. Got it? Just don’t lose your
direction.

Growing bigger…
… Arena, with 2 extra slots to go beyond electronic tunes and host Europe stage bands as well

Returning…
… Luminarium, right at last year’s Meduza location.

New stages…
… Holland meets Hungary Stage and Puglia Sounds Mambo Stage

Exciting visuals…
… a whole bunch of them, showing the new face of Sziget, including decorations, lights and great-looking
program venues.

The Day of the Hungarian Song…
… the already mentioned -2 Day will be all about Hungarian bands, paying tribute to some great domestic

songs. If you think about moving in early, setting your tent and then warming up for the week of partying, well,
you will have a great time with a total of 70 performers that day. Your weekly ticket won’t include this day, but
you can get a special daily for 17 EUR (not a huge investment compared to the 15 EUR moving-in ticket)

Day -1
… the main focus will stay on Hungarian acts, but not just on them. Csík Ensamble is playing a mega concert
on main stage, presenting the finest crossovers between Hungarian folk and pop music and hosting a huge
nr. of domestic stars. At the same time (both on Day -1 and 0) the Open Civil stage will host the YOUROPEN
talent show, presenting some exciting fresh bands from all over Europe, as part of Sziget’s cooperation with the
biggest talent contests of the continent. Check the new stuff and find your new favorites right at Sziget.

Day 0
… Metal Daaaaay!!! Hell yes, metal stage is sadly gone, but the regular program still includes some of the hard
and heavy acts, while Day 0 will be all about them on the MR2 stage. The international line up of this special
day is still taking shape, so more news on this soon. Not into metal? Check out Hungary’s biggest pop icon,
Akos, playing his huge show at the same day on main stage.

MAIN STAGE PROGRAMS ON SZIGET

Pop-rock Main Stage
The biggest stage of the event will surely host the following acts:
Gocoo, Anti Flag, Viza, Noah and the Whale, The Subways, Glasvegas, Caro Emerald, The Vaccines, The
Horrors, Paolo Nutini, Beatstakes, Friendly Fires, Two Door Cinema Club, Mando Diao, Hurts, The xx, LMFAO,
Placebo, Korn, The Stone Roses and The Killers.

OTP World Music Party Stage
One of Sziget’s most exciting venues, moving to a new place this year and presenting 5 instead of 4 bands per
day. Who are these bands?
The Pogues, La Selva Sur, Che Sudaka, Los De Abajo, Figli Di Madre Ignota, Sergent Garcia, Dubioza Kolektiv,
Roy Paci & Aretuska, Leningrad, Goran Bregovic Wedding And Funeral Band, Emir Kusturica & The No Smoking
Orchestra, Shantel & Bucovina Club Orkestar, Fanfare Ciocarlia, Besh o droM, Pannonia Allstars Ska Orchestra,
Rotfront, Quimby, LaBrassBanda, Orchestre National De Barbés, Imam Baildi, HK & Les Saltimbanks, Amsterdam
Klezmer Band, Muchachito Bombo Infierno, Molotov and Narasirato.

A38 Stage
Again a venue that changes place, A38’s huge tent is getting right at the center behind main stage, keeping its
well known values during the days and the nights, but also offering a very strong electro program between 1AM
and 5AM, designed to make up for the loss of the Meduza venue. A38 will surely host the following acts:
Tiga, Dirthyphonics, DJ Fresh, High Contrast presents "The agony & the ecstasy featuring Selah Corbin &
Dynamite MC, Shaka Ponk, Yonderboi, Flying Lotus, The Black Seeds, Jungle by Night, Heideroosjes, Anna Calvi,
Wild Beats, Kakkmaddafakka, Katzenjammer, dEUS, Fink, Lamb, Ministry, Bebel Gilberto, The Ting Tings, Dope
D.O.D, Crookers, Modeselektor and Azari & III.

Arena
… the other megatent of the festival, spreading its program in 4 slots daily in a bigger than ever venue. Arena is
starting already at 4PM each day and as a startup hosts bands that would have probably played on the Europe
Stage last year. These are the so-called “Europe slots”, presenting acts that are well known back home, but
still waiting for their big international breakthrough, including I Cani (ITA), Frittenbude (GER), 1995 (FRA),
In Golden Tears (GER), Grimus (ROM), Elektro Guzzi (AUT), Chef’s Special (NED), Teatro Degli Orrori (ITA),
Danakil (FRA) and Amon Amarth (FIN).

The 7.30PM slot names for Arena have already been announced, including Saint Etienne, Crystal Fighters,
Magnetic Man. And then at 10PM you can meet some great DJs, like Steve Aoki, Axwell, Adam Beyer, The
Advent vs Industrialyzer live, Flux Pavilon and Borgore.

3

Hungarian Main Stage
As alway, a full ine-up of Hungarian stars, this time on a venue moving to the old place of the world music
stage. Not compulsory, but being the open-minded Sziget fan who you are, just make sure you dedicate some
time to this stage and get a taste of Hungary.

SMALLER VENUES – A.K.A THE SOUL OF SZIGET

Roma Tent
Part of the festival for 11 years, making Sziget the only big festival dedicating an independent venue for the
Roma culture. Open your mind and you will actually find yourself in the middle of a great party. The highlight is
on music, but also presenting other art forms, like exhibitions. The program includes:
Ferenc Snétberger’s students, Romengo, Fishtank Ensemble, O’Djila, Besh o droM, Etnorom, Nadara, The Barons
of Tang, DJ Click, Caci Vorba, Vojasa, Gypsy Hill, Vodku, Söndörgő, Naat Veliov & The Original Kocani Orkestar,
Dj Gaetano Fabri & Balkanhotsteppers, Robert Lakatos & a Rév, Parno Graszt, and Fanfara Shavale.

Renwed multi-art venue: Culture Zone
Sziget’s emblematic feature under a new name and in a new venue, hosting theater, fine arts, exhibitions,
design, classical music, jazz, literature, slam poetry, stand-up comedy, circus, street theatre, artistes, acrobats,
jugglers, environmental thinking, recycling, workshops, flashmobs, yoga, tai chi and so much more. Show your
face! is the motto of this year’s multi-art activities.

Venues included in the Culture Zone:
Eastern-European Funfair, Museum Circle, Reader’s Park, Tarot Labyrinth, Octopoly – Upcycling Installation,
Creative Workshop Zone, Medence RE+Concept Bag workshop, +Stencilworkshop, Medence Concept Store,
Hello Wood, Agora

Holland meets Hungary Stage
The idea of a Dutch venue is based on the success of last years’ Dutch Meeting Point and the general popularity
of Sziget in The Netherlands. However this wants to be a lot more than just a Dutch cultural showcase, rather
concentrating on an open-minded cooperation between Dutch and Hungarian artists, including jam sessions of
famous musicians and also presenting afternoon chats and presentations with prominent guests.
Puglia Sounds - Mambo Stage
Semi-acoustic concerts and DJ sets during the day, interviews, live radio programs and presentations at night,
hosting bands and guests from all over the world. And very importantly: presenting all the musical talents the
South Italian region of Puglia has to offer.

Giant Street Theatre
Another emblematic Sziget venue, presenting the French actors of Compagnie Pipotal and their performance
with the title Basculoscopia.

Street theatres
Actors, artistes, musicians, arriving at any possible time from any possible direction. You will surely meet Cia
La Tal from Spain, Blaas of Glory from The Netherlands, Teatro Correquetepillo, Buchty A Loutky and so much
more.

Hungaricum Village
The very best of Hungarian folk culture, including dance, games, exhibitions, music, fire-jumping and some
great traditional wines and bakeries of the host country. On Sunday morning you can even join an ecumenical
mass at the same venue.

Wine & Fröccs Garden
The best place to taste Hungarian wines, right next to Hungaricum village.

WAMP

4

Sunday arts market, right next to Hungaricum Village

Magic Mirror
The queer venue of Sziget, celebrating its 12th anniversary and presenting award winning movies from the
Berlinale, roundtable discussions, concerts, vaudevilles and parties all night long. Magic Mirror also presents its
very own talent contest in the categories artiste, queer and dancer.

Afro-Latin Stage and World Village
Sunny productions on stage, presenting the best of Jamaica and the African continent. Programs include bands,
dancers, handicraft, workshops, massage, etc.

European Meeting Point
Informal discussions and games about EU topics and the chance to meet EU institutions in a relaxed way. EU4U
consulate is also here to help out citizens in trouble.

Civil Sziget and Open-Civil Stage
The name says it all: presentations, performances, games, movies and a lot of music – dealing with everything
in connection with an open civil attitude.

Ability Park
An interactive adventure park where you can try to understand the life of disabled people. Also a disabled
service center, including special toilets, attendants, etc.

Cöypon Ambient Tent Garden
A non-stop chill music venue with DJs, live acts, visuals, massage, belly dance, capoeira, yoga and anything you
might need to relax a bit. Entrance only with bare feet!

VOLT Festival Terrace
The biggest parties with DJs and retro concerts of Hungarian stars from the 80s and 90s.

Logical Games Tent
Chess, Rubik cube, puzzle, domino and any games you might think about… respect the rules.

Olympic and Sports venue
Daytime activities, games and a number of sports possibilities for Sziget fans who search an active recreation. A
special focus will be on the Olympics, so you can watch the games live on giant screens and also try yourself in
competitions.

More to come in the next few months.
Further information and tickets: www.szigetfestival.com

20th Sziget: The Killers l Borgore l Crookers l Dirtyphonics live l DJ Fresh l Dope D.O.D l High Contrast presents "The agony & the ecstasy featuring Jessy Allen& Dynamite MC l Amon Amarth l Kakkamaddafakka l Lamb l Anti Flag...

Breaking: The Killers will be the final act on the Main Stage

According to the latest news an agreement was reached with The Killers: America's most exciting contemporary rock band will perform the final act at the last day of Sziget Festival. Recently a solid electro-package also arrived at the A38 stage with among others Borgore, Crookers and DJ Fresh, High Contrast & Dynamite Mc and Tiga included, but the best news is that we need only 100 nights of sleep before the start of the 20th Sziget.

Sziget 2012 World Music Party Stage

How to get the whole world dancing?
Easy answer: just make sure everyone spends time at the World Music Party Stage of Sziget Festival, between 6-13 August in Budapest.
The program of the stage is complete and means 120% of dance and fun – even the name has changed to indicate this. You can meet the orginal line-up of The Pogues, Goran Bregovic Wedding And Funeral Band, Emir Kusturica & The No Smoking Orchestra, Shantel & Bucovina Club Orkestar and also great Hungarian acts like Quimby, PASO, or Besh o droM. No wonder Songlines once again voted Sziget as one of the top festivals of the world music genre.

The world music stage has some great traditions at Sziget, also known for the
fact that it presents exciting new acts and also the biggest names of this musical
sphere. The Pogues are surely amongst the legends, they basically created the
Irish folk-punk style. It’s been 20 years since singer Shane MacGowan quit the
band and started his own project, The Popes, but neither that, nor the remaining
version of The Pogues came close to the success of the original band, active
between 1982 and 1991 and recording great LP’s like Rum, Sodomy And The
Lash, or If I Should Fall Grave With God. We are happy to report that they are
back together and promise a superb show at Sziget.

Of course it’s not just about Irish music at the world stage, as you will also find a
great number of bands playing latin, or ska. And some of them mix the pleasures,
like La Selva Sur and Che Sudaka from Spain, or Mexican ska stars Los De
Abajo. And we surely shouldn’t forget about Figli Di Madre Ignota, playing
their special „Spaghetti Balkan”, or Sergent Garcia, combining raggamuffin
with salsa, thus creating the universe of „salsamuffin”. And also don’t miss the
powerful gig of Russian ska combo Leningrad, Bosnian Dubioza Kolektiv and
Sicilian Roy Paci & Aretuska.

Besides Irish, ska and latin, of course you will get a whole bunch of Balkan bands
this year. Yes, by now it’s quite impossible to imagine Sziget without them. Acts
like Goran Bregovic Wedding And Funeral Band, Emir Kusturica & The
No Smoking Orchestra, Shantel & Bucovina Club Orkestar and Fanfare
Ciocarlia will surely make you understand why the new stage name includes the
word „Party”.

Hungarian bands will also present some Balkan and ska tunes, amongst them.

Besh o droM, Pannonia Allstars Ska Orchestra and the Hungarian-Ukrainian-
German cooperation of Rotfront. While probably the most anticipated Hungarian
gig on the world stage will belong to Quimby, who are huge stars of the domestic
scene.

Breaking all style barriers is the clear mission of this venue, so make sure you
check out LaBrassBanda – reinventing Bavarian brass tunes, while you also
shouldn’t miss Maroccan gnawa-rock act Orchestre National De Barbés, or
Athens-based Imam Baildi.

And there are so much more! Great bands, like French-Algerian HK & Les
Saltimbanks, Dutch klezmer icons Amsterdam Klezmer Band, Spanish
Muchachito Bombo Infierno, Mexican Molotov and Narasirato from the
Solomon Islands complete the line-up.

To sum it up: 25 bands on 1 stage to represent 1 world. Any better ideas to
spend that week?

More information and tickets: www.szigetfestival.com

Budapest, 29 March 2012.

Spring arrives with fresh new acts for Sziget

Sziget festival happily announces a new bunch of confirmed acts, amongst them LMFAO, aka the biggest party faces of the planet, London's highly rates The xx, multi-platinum titan Paolo Nutini, the emotional and heroic Glasvegas, indie revelations Ting Tings, Norway's coolest and sexiest Katzenjammert, LA underground hip-hop Flying Lotus, the soulful and inspiring Fink and the one and only Anna Calvi. All this and a lot more awaits fans from all over the world this summer, between 6-13 August in Budapest.

11 new acts announced for Sziget

And great acts indeed: Korn – metal icons, presenting their newest album; The Vaccines – maybe
the coolest indie invention of last year; Magnetic Man – legendary rulers of dubstep; Two Door
Cinema Club; Steve Aoki; Axwell; Beatsteaks; dEUS; Ministry; Bebel Gilberto; Caro Emerald…
you name it.

It’s been 20 years since Korn rocketed on top of the metal world and the guys from California stayed
there ever since. They already sold tens of millions of albums, won two Grammy awards and are
generally considered as universal points of reference in the contemporary culture of rock/metal music.
During their Sziget gig they plan to present the new LP, also considered as a dupstep-based metal craze,
with the title ‘The Path of Totality’.

The Vaccines were reviewed by BBC as one of the biggest prospects of 2011 and the band lived up to
expectations with their first album, ‘What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?’ The London-based indie
rock guitar combo was already nominated for some of the biggest music awards of the continent and plan
to start working on their new LP this March.

Dupstep heroes Artwork, Benga and Skream joined forces to create the legendary Magnetic Man
formation and released their self-titled studio album in 2010, reaching instant success. 3 in 1 is always a
good offer, so be prepared for another gigantic gig on Sziget.

Steve Aoki has Japanese roots, lives in California and by now he is regarded as a grand master of the
electro house scene. ‘Wonderland’, his debut album was released this January, but he also made remixes
for bands like Justice or Franz Ferdinand. The DJ and producer is the founder of the world famous Dim
Mak Records.

For long years now it’s impossible to imagine DJ Magazine’s top DJ listings without finding Axwell’s
name on them. He’s a member of the world famous Swedish House Mafia and counts as one of the most
active contributors to the Scandinavian e-music scene.

Two Door Cinema Club is maybe the most lovable UK indie band these days. Easy going and guitar-
centric, although not reluctant to some electronic sounds either. They’ve already played the biggest
festivals and are currently working on their second studio album.

When it comes to combining fun and punk-rock, short but out-of-control kind of songs, you might wanna
turn your heads towards Germany. Really! Beatsteaks has been existing for over 15 years, recorded 7
LPs and the ‘House of Fire’ track from their new album was even selected for the soundtrack of the third
Transformers movie.

Antwerp-based immortal cult-rock act, dEUS is an all-time favorite for big festivals. One of the few bands
who can perfectly evoke the anger and melancholy that is flooding from their studio recordings, also while
playing live.

Synthesizers and machine-like guitar riffs, unbelievable pace and an industrial metal show that will simply
blow your mind. That’s what you need to know about Ministry, announcing that after 3 years of silence
they have recorded a new album and are ready to blitz the world once again.

Caro Emerald is the favorite singer and nr. 1. music export item of The Netherlands. The nu-jazz
sensation has already won several big awards, combining groovin’ jazz with swing and tango, but doing
so in a way that you will love her music even if you’re far from being a jazz fan.

Great voice, wonderful charisma and already a Grammy nomination to her name, these are the obvious
words to describe Bebel Gilberto, also regarded as the ambassador of modern bossa nova. The
Brazilian singer is mixing the Bahia region music with electronic patterns, while her latest LP, ‘All in One’

was nominated in ‘the best contemporary world music album’ category during the 2009 Grammys.

More information about Sziget Festival and ticket sales: www.szigetfestival.com

20th SZIGET: new bands confirmed: Placebo l Hurts l The Horrors l Mando Diao l Noah And The Whale l The Subways l Crystal Fighters

Nostalgia stays home, cool bands come instead

Sziget Festival welcomes visitors for the 20th time this summer and as the freshly crowned Best Major Festival of the continent, of course it aims to be a whole lot more than just a jubilee get-together. 2012 will once again see some of the hottest new bands in the festival’s line-up, including synthpop phenomenon, Hurts and UK rock scene’s finest ambassadors, The Horrors. And just to keep the right mixture of new and iconic, Placebo will also present their new album in front of a dedicated Sziget crowd, often quoted as the most international group of fans ever seen on such events.

Sziget - the best of the biggest

Sziget Festival won the Best European Major Festival title at the European
Festival Awards.
A joint effort of the festival's organizing team and the votes of a devoted
fan base in over 60 countries resulted in the best possible news to start up
the year.

Breaking news with breaking the silence:
The Stone Roses play at Sziget!

After a long period of gossips now it’s a fact that Manchester’s legendary The
Stone Roses is reunited, following 15 years of silence. How to make this sound
even better? Yes, they are also playing at Sziget Festival nr. 20!

The Stone Roses were one of the pioneers of British guitar pop’s ‘Madchester’ era,
ruling the scene of the late 80’s and early 90’s. Their comeback was announced
in October 2011 and quickly hit major music media headlines with the plan of
their forthcoming world tour. The first triple-gig of the tour is set for Heaton Park in
Manchester, with the initial 2 nights selling out in less than 15 minutes. Not a bad sign,
considering the capacity of 150.000. Another revealing piece of data: The Stone Roses
record sales grew with an unbelievable 1000% after announcing the reunion.

Rumor has it that the band is already thinking about recording a new album, so you
better prepare for a total conquest of The Stone Roses, peaking at the 20th Sziget
Festival.

Check them here:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1755g_the-stone-roses-fools-gold_music

Sziget global town

The big one has just finished and we already miss it. With a total audience of
385 000 (meaning 77 000 fans daily on the main festival days), representing
61 countries, Sziget has a strong reason to claim the title ‘global village’… or
even ‘global town’, judging by the massive size of the venue and the number of
inhabitants. The open-minded and colorful Sziget society was also supported by
this year’s program structure, a total of 59 venues and artists coming from 43
countries.

The 19th edition of Sziget started last Monday with Day -1 and lasted exactly one
week… or even longer, as for some of the fans the party already started on the way
here. We had 3 Sziget party trains arriving from The Netherlands, the first 2 of them
came already on Saturday, turning the venue into a Dutch island on river Danube for that
day. But internationality was soon restored, as a huge number of buses from France,
Italy and Belgium arrived the next day. The scene was set for the official gate opening
on Monday and we were so happy with the fact that the weather supported the party…
as it normally does.

Sziget is improving each year and this was clearly visible on the infrastructure, the
technology innovations, the new venues, the bigger and better sounding stages and also
the program. As you know by now, this is very much about music, but not just about that.
Many Sziget venues are hosting other artforms (like circus, theater, painting, etc.), doing
so in a very friendly, human and direct way, so we like to think this makes the difference
compared to other events of this size. Sziget's budget has increased significantly this
year and was not fully covered by ticket sales, nevertheless it’s clear that next year's
20th anniversary event is not in danger and should be a great event once again.

Coming back to this year: we were happy to welcome some international celebrities
amongst the crowd. Jeremy Irons was there to watch the Prince show on Day 0 and by
now we all know that he made the prefect choice: that concert was just amazing and
lasted more than 2 and a half hours. Prince also returned the next day to check out the
newly introduced Europe Stage and the concert of Ana Moura. The Sziget atmosphere
worked magic also on Kate Nash, who was not really into the idea of giving interviews
before her gig, only to change her mind after experiencing the love of the Sziget
audience. But the most extreme interviews were surely given by Austrian rockers 3 Feet
Smaller, answering questions while standing under the shower in the backstage.

Deborah 'Skin’ Dyer, frontlady of Skunk Anansie showed us stuff at this year's Sziget
we have never seen before. In the heat of the gig, she jumped „on top of the audience”,

sang while walking on the hands of the fans, and then let the crowd make her swim back
to the stage. The performance of Skin was not just appreciated by the audience, but
also all the musicians playing that day greeted the singer with a standing ovation in the
backstage. Not even the experienced backstage crew has every seen anything even
remotely similar before.

And talking about new stuff: this year we had the Metapay Festivalcard as the exclusive
way of payment at Sziget and we all think this was a success. Faster and safer payment,
no big queues and no bad surprises. You could also try the Budapest-related services of
the newly introduced Sziget-Budapest Citypass, including free public transport, spa and
beach entrance, boat services and a lot more.

A great way to examine the Sziget society is always provided by the lost and found
objects on the venue. To give some examples: the lost and found containers received
several bicycle wheels (surely a sign of growing environmental consciousness among
visitors) and many purses full of money were also returned, showing that Sziget fans are
kind and honest. Somebody even came across a proper set of suit: its owner probably
changed from office clothing to festival outfit at Sziget, in order to party all night. A Dutch
group of friends found a doctoral dissertation, underlining the fact that several Sziget
people have a degree or are on the way to get one.

On the last day of Sziget, shortly after the White Lies gig, the deconstruction of the Main
Stage began. A sad sight, because this global town became our home for the last week,
but we better remember that the best things are always given in small quantities. In the
next few weeks the island will be cleaned, refreshed and reconstructed to become a
public park for the next 51 weeks… and then it’s Sziget nr. 20! Countdown begins.

More information: www.szigetfestival.com, www.facebook.com/szigetfestival

Prince is the headliner of
Sziget Day 0!

Maybe the most exciting and unique performer of them all, a 7-time Grammy winner and a true American pop-icon is about to visit Hungary. Indeed, Prince will rule the main stage of Sziget Festival on Day 0 (9 August) and play the biggest hits of his long and unstoppable career

Sziget 2011: Vodafone Supertower, Greetings from Mars, Success for ETEP 2.0, Trentemøller interview, VIP camping sold out!

Vodafone Supertower

This year Sziget fans will be welcomed by the sight of a 10 floors high tower-complex at the center of the festival venue. The Vodafone supertower will host DJ programs, mobile games and provide several services, including free internet.

"Welcome to the insanity"

Surprise! Tomo from Thirty Seconds To Mars is welcoming all Hungarian fans in this video. The band plays on the 4th day of Sziget on the Main Stage. They are looking forward to meeting you again. We hope you do, too!

Success for ETEP 2.0

More festivals joining and a special program for Central Eastern Europe! ETEP 2.0. is the new version of ETEP (European Talent Exchange Program) with eight new festivals from Central Eastern Europe (CEE) joining ETEP in 2012.

VIP camping sold out!

Besides the standard, but already quite impressive camping facilities of Sziget Festival, we also offer a VIP camping possibility for fans interested in a little more, but for now the VIP camping facility is officially sold out.

Anders Trentemøller – Don't expect a techno set!

Anders Trentemøller gained popularity as a member of the house-formation Trigbag in the mid-nineties, and recently he has released two of his own projects: The Last Resort and Into the Great Wide Yonder. Anders admitted he is coming to Hungary with a proper band this time in order to gift Sziget-visitors with an outstanding electro-rock show.

Sziget Festival, one of the most popular fixtures on the international festival circuit, will this year be offering an even greater experience to visitors through a new service.

The event takes place on the idyllic green island in the middle of the river that divides Budapest in two, and now visitors will be able to visit both the island and the city around it.

Festival-goers will be able to buy a CityPass for only €25, granting free entry to the magical Turkish baths, spas and lidos of the city and use of all public transport for twelve days.

Sziget Festival's line-up is soon complete

A number of great acts have said yes to the invitation of Budapest's Sziget Festival: Kaiser Chiefs, Empire of the Sun, Kate Nash and Prodigy are definitely coming this year. Fifty more nights and your favourite festival is here!

The Prodigy (UK)

One of the most successful and coolest electronic music acts of the past twenty years, Prodigy is playing on the Main Stage of Sziget Festival again. No need to tell you anything else, a great show is guaranteed, so just make sure you arrive in time to get your place in the crowd.

Kate Nash (UK)

Another new feature of the Main Stage line-up is Kate Nash, a charismatic and already well-known singer from Great Britain. Kate is proud owner of a BRIT music award, which says a lot of her wonderful skills.

Kaiser Chiefs (UK)

Kaiser Chiefs are coming to play the new songs of their freshly released album on the Main Stage of Sziget Festival. The Chiefs are growing to become an emblematic band of present times, and without doubt they are one of the most authentic and well-received indie rock bands of the United Kingdom.

Empire of the Sun (AUS)

The most colourful music act of Australia, Empire of the Sun is playing at Sziget Party Arena, presenting their spectacular show, inspired by science-fiction and sometimes similar to a fashion-gala. Make sure you sing along with them while listening to hits like Walking on a Dream, or We're the People.

SZIGET: 18+

This year will see the 19th edition of Sziget Festival. Since its birth in 1993 the event hosted a total of 17 950 programs - including 7291 live concerts - with performers from 62 countries and 5 448 372 fans from all corners of the universe. Between 8-15 August 2011 Sziget will open its gates again on the well-know location and welcomes visitors for last year's ticket prices. Keen to present new venues, up-to-date acts, powerful legends, aspiring stars, but even more importantly the unmistakable Sziget-atmosphere that we have all been missing since last August.

Tickets for last year's prices

You can enjoy the festival for last year's prices, and until 30 April tickets are available with a 15-18 percent discount (depending on the type of the ticket). Moreover, you can get in for half price after 11pm, and minute-based Sziget tickets – operated by mobil phones - are also making a comeback, enabling visitors to only pay for as much time as they are actually spending on the venue. >>>

Electronic payment options and mobile net

A fast and convinient payment service will be upgraded this year, with the general aim of leaving the hassle and risk of cash-payments. Last year's experimental program will be extended to the entire territory of the event and the launch of the new and exclusive Metapay system means that visitors will pay for food, drinks and all other services with their Sziget cards or smartphones.

Sziget focus in 2011

In 2011 Sziget will focus on the introduction of the Central and Eastern European region. The CEE focus has 3 main attractions on this year’s Sziget: the well known Roma Tent, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and new venues like the Europe Stage and the Central Eastern European Travelling Funfair. >>>

Pop-Rock Main Stage

Already announced names for the Pop-Rock Main Stage include many great acts, but the newest list of confirmations is also a strong selection. New additions to the line-up include White Lies, La Roux, Manic Street Preachers, Mariachi El Bronx, Batucada Sound Machine and Ben l'Oncle Soul.

World Music Main Stage

The upgraded line-up of the World Music Main Stage will include Sly & Robbie feat. Jr. Reid and Slovenian Magnifico and Shtetl Superstars. Besides them Cowboy Junkies, LaBrassBanda and Ska Cubano will present their unique shows in front of a passionate world music fanbase. >>>

A38-Wan2 Stage

Among the new names Bomb The Bass, Kode9, Digital Mystikz and Gaslamp Killer will give their best for Sziget fans. The Stage will be happy to host, Xiu Xiu, Suicidal Tendencies, De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig, Mitch & Mitch,, Selah Sue, Terry Poison, DeWolff, Buraka Som Systema Live and Kees van Hondt, too. >>>

Rock-Metal Main Stage

A great new open-air venue will be, among many others, a home to legends like Judas Priest and Motörhead, but also Within Temptation, Deftones, Lostprophets and Sonata Arctica will make those heads bang in the moshpit.

Party Arena

New additions include Trentemoller and Zombie Nation and finally there are also news on the late evening acts. 2manydjs, Above & Beyond, Cristian Varela, Dubfire, Carlo Lio, Richie Hawtin, Marc Houle, Ambivalent and Technasia are planning to give all fans a spectacular and crazy night at Party Arena.

Europe Stage

Europe Stage i s fresh and open-air, a venue where bands from several European countries present their skills. With Ismo Alanko & Teho, For a Minor Reflection, Elvis Jackson, Puding Pani Elvisovej, Skyline, Gravity Co., Francis International Airport and The Mono Jacks the current line-up has become stronger.

Ticket information

Sziget Festival early bird weekly tickets (including camping) are available for 170 Euros till 30 April and if you are not the camper type, you can buy a non-camping weekly for 140 Euros. The prices will go up 30 Euros each after the early bird period is over, so it does make sense to think ahead. Daily tickets will be available from May for 45 Euros.