‘We cannot complain; the estimated total attendance of around 420,000 for this year’s Sziget Festival is realistic, even if it’s 30,000 less than last year. In 2022, due to the two-year hiatus caused by Covid, there was a massive demand for festivals, the main organiser of Sziget told MTI on Wednesday.
‘In the two missed seasons, there was a great anticipation for entertainment throughout Europe. So when people could finally go partying again in 2022, they flocked in masses everywhere. Many attended last year’s Sziget who had bought their tickets back at the end of 2019 and then had to wait for nearly three years, but they did it,’ explained Tamás Kádár.
He could not yet confirm whether this year’s festival was profitable for Sziget Ltd. Final numbers are influenced by various factors, including hospitality revenue; much information is not yet available. The six-day event, which concluded on Wednesday morning, did not have a sold-out day this year (Friday with Imagine Dragons and the closing day on Tuesday with Billie Eilish came close), but each day featured at least one international star, including Florence + The Machine, David Guetta, Mumford & Sons, and Macklemore.
The main organiser mentioned that the company has been working since 2018 to bring Billie Eilish to the festival. At that time, the artist was not as big a star as she is now. ‘Those who were there saw the incredible performance she gave and how much both the audience and the artist enjoyed themselves.’
Tamás Kádár highlighted that besides the main stage and other music venues, Sziget offers a programme in various art forms every year. He added that the festival took place at fifty venues,
and its multidisciplinary nature is its backbone.
The organisers do not intend to change that and are continuously working to make the event even more exciting. In a statement released on Tuesday evening, the organisers expressed that this year ‘managed to redefine the Sziget vibe by enhancing the guest experience.’ Tamás Kádár added: the company is proud of how Sziget looked this year. ‘As a result of our improvements, the spectacular decoration returned, and we introduced several comfort enhancements.’
Regarding next year’s event, the organiser said the company would like to have a higher ratio of long-pass holders and would sell more passes than day tickets. ‘The presale for the 2024 jubilee 30th Sziget, which starts on Thursday, includes offering the six-day pass at an attractive price for Hungarians, providing special advantages for students and those under 21.’
Responding to a question from MTI, Tamás Kádár stated that the prices at Sziget’s catering units were high for the average Hungarian budget. However, he believed that their step to cap the price for a main dish at a maximum of 2,500 Hungarian forints at every outlet was effective. ‘It’s a different issue that Hungary has an almost 50 per cent food inflation, which both the caterers and the guests are grappling with.’
Following the Imagine Dragons concert last Friday, the dispersal of the tens of thousands of attendees from the 70-year-old steel-framed K Bridge was notably slower than expected, and the bridge visibly swayed.
‘The matter of the bridge is not within our jurisdiction but that of the city. Nevertheless, we will do everything in our power to have the bridge renovated. There is a dispersal protocol that we need to follow, allowing only a limited number of people on the K Bridge at a time. If a hazardous situation arises, we can use the other bridge, H Bridge, which leads from Hajógyári Island. We could even divert pedestrian traffic that way, but this wasn’t necessary this year. We don’t know the current status of the potential renovation of the K Bridge. Sziget pays a significant amount of money to the city for leasing the area; that could serve as a solid foundation,’ emphasised Kádár.
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Source: Hungarian Conservative/MTI
