Sziget is turning 18 this year

Sziget is turning 18 this year, this is the 19th festival – since its birth in 1993, we have seen 17 950 gigs, artists from different genres and 62 different countries, and visitors coming from 62 countries, 5 448 372 as a whole. On 10th-15th August 2011, Sziget will open its gates again, at the same location and for last year's prices, with new venues, up-to-date trends, big oldies, aspiring stars playing in Hungary for the first time, but even more importantly, with the unmistakable Sziget-atmosphere we have been longing for since August last year.

Sziget has come of age, and the same applies to the genre inspired by Woodstock – however, creators of the event are not going to put up with that. They have been dreaming about a colourful, versatile, multicultural medley, and have done everything to make these dreams true: this diversity has since turned into the trademark of Sziget, eliciting respect all over Europe.It is not a surprise that only this year, three different international forums have decided to list Sziget among the best festivals. Thus, we are pleased to announce that Sziget has passed the “A-levels” with flying colours, and is just about to start adult's life. And just like seniors are struggling a lot while facing real life, Sziget has also have its share of obstacles and difficulties. Luckily, coulds seem to be far away now that there is an agreement with the capital, and Újpest is not about to sue Sziget again either, so it's time to get lost in rock'n'roll, dance, fun and laughter…
Tickets for last year's prices, without cash, paying by card or mobile phone
Before we start talking about programs, let's say a few words about background information which is not at all irrelevant: for example, this year organizers are not changing the prices of tickets, so you can enjoy the festival for last year's prices. What is more, until 31st April you may even purchase your ticket with a 15-18 percent discount (depending on the type of the ticket). Moreover, you can get in for half price after 11pm, and this year again you can use yout student ID to purchase 50 percent discount-tickets. And Minute-based Sziget-tickets are also making a comeback, which means that you only pay – using your mobile, of course – as much as you are willing to spend at Sziget, meaning that you may just come in to see a gig and then go straight home. A faster, more convinient service is also to be expected all over Sziget, as organizers are making cash disappear by speading last year's experinemtal program to the entire territory of Sziget: thanks to the launch of the new Metapay-system, visitors can only pay by Sziget-cards or perhaps with their smarthones. This innovative technology is being used for the first time all over the world at a huge event like this. Sziget-cards offer visitors a safe alternative to pay. You can easily recharge, check or ban your account. Vodafone is focusing on mobile internet solutions at this year's Sziget, thus for the first time in the history of festivals, smartphone users will get to enjoy a 21 mbit/sec mobilenet super-highway. The year 2011 will most definitely be about innovative mobile solutions making your week-long stay at Sziget comfortable and safe. Among the new services planned, one of the most oustanding features will be the mobile phones equipped with NFC chips, with which – thanks to Vodafone – for the first time in Hungary, you can even pay throughout the festival.
Service bulletin: Protect yourself against fraud!
In the past few weeks, dozens of counterfeit festival tickets have appeared on the festival-market. The numbers of those tickets have been banned, so all those tickets are invalid. Organizers would like to call everybody's attention to be careful, and only purchase tickets at official ticket sales points.
Programs of the stages:
Besides names of the Pop-Rock Main Stage – Pulp, Kasabian, Chemical Brothers, Amy Winehouse, Dizzee Rascal, Interpol, Rise Against, Good Charlotte, Smash Mouth, Gogol Bordello, Flogging Molly, Maccabees, just to name a few – a number of great bands are joining Sziget this year. For example, fans of quality guitar music get to hear Great Britain's trendiest indie band White Lies, but La Roux – nominated for nearly all prestigious awards – or Manic Street Preachers will also come to play, the latter with their newest album Postcards From A Young Man, released in autumn 2010. What is more, Hungarian fans can even hope that the band will also play a couple of songs off their next album 70 Songs Of Hatred and Failure which is scheduled to be released in November this year. Few people may think that members of a hardcore punk band have a modest and sensitive face, even though that's exactly the case. Mariachi El Bronx, formed from the members of the uncompromising Californian punk band The Bronx, is just an example of that. One of New-Zealand's most attractive musical export items, Batucada Sound Machine will join the festival, too. This August, the audience of Sziget may even get to know one of the most important aspiring artists of the soul-generation of the future: namely Benjamin Duterde, better known under the pseudonym Ben l'Onlce Soul.
Some of the names already announced when it comes to the performers of the World Music Main Stage will be AfroCubism, Gotan Project, Goran Bregovic Wedding And Funeral Band, Ojos de Brujo and Rotfront, but Oi Va Voi is happy to return, too, and psychedelic rock-country blues band Cowboy Junkies will play in Hungary for the first time. This year Sly & Robbie feat. Jr. Reid, Slovenian Magnifico and Shtetl Superstars will also perform at Sziget. The latter only gained popularity this year, but we can predict without risking too much: they are going to be one of the big shots of the decade. LaBrassBanda is coming, too – they appeared three years ago in Munich, in their short leather-pants, immediately making the Bavarian beer festival-atmosphere similar to their own image. Ska Cubano is already considered to be a frequenter of highly prestigious world music festivals, so it is needless to mention that they must visit Sziget, too. And, of course, Hungarian artists are also a part of the bigger picture: Csík Zenekar, Lajkó Félix and Muzsikás will also do their unique world music show.
A new building, an open-air venue is waiting for the fans of harder genres. Rock-Metal Main Stage will be, among many others, a home to oldies like Judas Priest and Motörhead, but also Within Temptation, Deftones, Lostprophets and Sonata Arctica will attract plenty of visitors.
It is already a known fact that Christal Castle, Peter Bjorn and John, Marina and the Diamonds and Hurts will play at A38-Wan2 Stage. Among the new names, a strong British presence is to be felt: Bomb The Bass, Kode9, Digital Mystikz and Gaslamp Killer will do a show, while Suicidal Tendencies and Xiu Xiu are coming from the United States. There are three Dutch artists: De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig, DeWolff and Kees van Hondt.And this stage will be the home to Mitch & Mitch (PL), Selah Sue (B), Terry Poison (ISR) and Buraka Som Systema Live (P), too.
Some of the names performing at Party Arena have already been announced: The Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77 and Kid Cudi will definitely come to do a set. New names are Trenteholler and Zombie Nation. And finally, the late evening acts are also being announced. 2manydjs led by Dawaele-brothers is planning to throw an incredibly spectacular and crazy megaparty at Party Arena. The coolest trance-collective of Great Britain, Above & Beyond will not only focus on their classic tracks, but will also make us dance like crazy with their new album Group Therapy, to be released in June. The most popular and versatile techno-musician of Spain, Cristian Varela is playing at Sziget in 2011, too. The oustanding dj, producer and remixer Dubfire will arrive to this year's Sziget in the company of Carlo Lio. This year, a guest of Party Arena will be one of the most outstanding individuals of modern electronic music history, Richie Hawtin who has been living in Berlin for a long time. And Technicasia will play again for party-faces who are open to special and exotic techno-stuff.
Europe Stage is a new, open-air stage of Sziget, where bands from Europe's several countries will play. These bands are extremely popular in their home-countries, however they are still waiting for an international breakthrough. The following bands are definitely do a show at Sziget: Go Back To The Zoo from Holland, Triggerfinger and Wallace Vanborn from Belgium, Verdena from Italy, Söhne Mannheims from Germany, Ismo Alanko & Teho from Finland, For a Minor Reflection from Iceland, Elvis Jackson from Slovenia, Puding Pani Elvisovej from Slovakia, Skyline from the Czech Republic, Gravity Co. from Bulgaria, Francis International Airport from Austria, and The Mono Jacks from Romania.
SZIGET FOCUS IN 2011
“Sziget is the most popular meeting point of Western-European young people, it is a cultural bridge between the West and the East. Besides great international acts and up-to-date bands, a major emphasis is being laid on the introduction of the many colours of the Central-Eastern European region in 2011” – Fruzsina Szép, program-director of Sziget pointed out within the compass of the festival's press conference.
Sziget is the biggest multicultural event of Central-Eastern Europe, and the actuality adding up to the Central-Eastern European focus is the fact that it happens for the first time within the European Union that two Central-Eastern European member-countries are passing on the EU-presidency baton to each other.