Forget T in the Park, my Europe travel tip for where the real action is happening is the Sziget Festival, now one of Europe’s largest music festivals. Sziget means island in Hungarian, and the reason the festival is called this is because it’s held on the ‘Old Buda Island’ in the Danube River in Hungary’s capital city, Budapest.

The festival is in August, perfect timing to enjoy the early autumn weather in Hungary. (When I was there, it was sunny and roasting – your mileage may vary.)   The event has spiralled out of control from its humble beginnings; some of the more unique aspects you can look out for during the festival:

• the “chill out” tent, complete with oversized pillows
• swimmers in the Danube; those folk aren’t out for a swim – they’re trying to score a free entry :)
• the “party train” that you can book that has its own DJ to take you to Budapest

The Music

So you’re probably wondering what kind of music is featured here?  Well – it’s kind of an eclectic mix – perhaps I should just say eclectic then, but that often comes with the connotation of bad, which isn’t what I mean.  You’ll find the genres range from technopop to hardcore metal with a sprinkling of hip hop, electronica, and classic rock mixed in.  Some of the more well known names that recently headlined or will be in this year’s show include Lily Allen, Faithless, Gorillaz, the Ting Tings, Fatboy Slim, Armin van Buuren, Paul Oakenfold, The Offspring, and the Prodigy.  (I told you – eclectic.)

If you Go

If you go to this Budapest music festival, be sure to give yourself time to see some of Budapest’s other lovely sights and attractions, such as the Szechenyi Baths, the Fisherman’s Bastion,  or the Gellert Baths.

For more information about this year’s festival, visit the official website: http://www.szigetfestival.com

Photos by fawi, opethpainter