Sziget Festival Ends, Benefited from Fresh Blood 

According to the main organizer of Sziget, Tamás Kádár, the festival, held on Óbuda Island on the River Danube in Budapest, benefited from the infusion of fresh blood, as thanks to the changes and renewal, the event, which ended early Tuesday morning, attracted 416,000 visitors, which is 5% more than last year. 

"The trend has reversed. The total number of visitors, which had been declining for several years, began to grow this year, exceeding last year's number by about 20,000 over the six days.

"The previous trend has been reversed. The total number of visitors, which had been declining for several years, started to grow this year, and over the six days we exceeded the 2024 figure by about 20,000," Tamás Kádár told MTI.

He added that the increase in visitor numbers was due not only to the new blood, but also to the line-up of performers and the renewed enthusiasm for festivals across Europe.

Tamás Kádár pointed out that the quarters that made their successful debut this year are part of the longer-term renewal process: Szoho, a multicultural center for music, street culture and creativity; Delta District, featuring all genres of electronic music; and Paradox, a venue for the performing arts, where the focus was on movement, visuals and illusion.

"We didn't primarily put the genres in one place, we also tried to thematize the festival with the quarters. We have long believed that a good festival is not just about the musical performers, but also provides an experience that is different from a concert. These zones served this purpose and performed well," Tamás Kádár said.

In response to a question from MTI, the main organizer said that despite this year's attendance of 416,000, the event was still not profitable, but the performance indicator had improved. "We are coming out of a negative period that lasted until approximately the end of 2022," he added.