If you’re looking for a week-long festival filled with some of the world’s best artists then look no further than the Sziget Festival in Budapest.
If you’re an Irish festival lover then it’s a safe bet that you’ve been to the likes of Oxegen, Electric Picnic, Castlepalooza or Forbidden Fruit at least once and while the entertainment on offer was probably top notch, it’s another safe bet that the weather was below par.
That’s the beauty with music festivals abroad, especially in Europe. Nine times out of ten the festival is on during the summer months when continental Europe enjoys blistering sunshine. Now, while we’ve been lucky enough to get a decent bit of weather here at home, the main problem is that you’re probably stuck looking at the sun through an office window all day.
That’s why you should get yourself and a few mates out to the magnificent Óbudai-island in Budapest.
Sziget (the Hungarian word for Island) Festival is held at a big island in the river Danube north from the city centre. If you like what you see in the video below then you may want to book your tickets ASAP.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGc-rEscomk
From the city centre, the festival is easily reached with the HEV-subway, which departs every 10 minutes. The subway also runs during the night, although less frequently.
So what sort of music is played at the festival and what else is there to do? Well, you’ll be able to enjoy everything including rock, dance, world music, punk, electro, funk, blues, traditional music and classical music; there’s something to be found for everyone.
Sziget offers more than just music: film, a fairground, art, spirituality, sports, courses, the most diverse restaurant, shops, little bars and teahouses… all of this in the midst of the beautifully lit campsites. It’s basically Electric Picnic, but BIGGER.
There will also be some seriously big name acts playing at this year’s Sziget including Alex Clare, Biffy Clyro, Blur, Boys Noize, David Guetta, Editors, Enter Shikari, Franz Ferdinand, Little Boots, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Regina Spektor and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs… just to name a few. To see who else has been confirmed for the line up, click here.
Like most other festivals, Sziget offers week-long camping tickets, but there are also week-long NON-camping tickets for those who would prefer to stay in more solid accommodation. A week in a tent wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea… For ticket prices, click here.
Thanks to Flexibletrips, it’s dead easy to get there. Thomas Cook’s dynamic package brand Flexibletrips allows customers to book flights, hotels or holiday packages and with millions of hotels and destinations to choose from, it’s perfect for weekend breaks or for those that want to organise their own holiday this summer.
For more information on the deals on offer for Budapest and various other locations around the world, check out the thomascook.ie website or call (01) 514 0349. Now get ready to get your European party on.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
