FIVE PACKED DAYS AT SZIGET FESTIVAL: HOW WAS IT?

FESTIVAL REVIEW | SZIGET 2026 | 11-15th August by Nora Toth

A five day festival is not something that I have experienced before, especially in temperatures reaching almost 40 degrees Celsius every day, but Sziget Festival was definitely worth it. The entire week there were non-stop activities, ranging from music, performing arts, creative workshops and even a zip-line and bungee jump! From the incredibly curated main stage line-up each day to the quietest corners of the festival, it was impossible to miss all the fun.

Activities at Sziget

Of course, the musical acts take up such a massive portion of the festival and are talked about massively; however, there is so much more to do and see at Sziget. One of the events I was particularly interested in catching was the ‘Anybody Walking: Ballroom‘ at the Magic Mirror. Due to a massive change in Government and Politics in Hungary this year, the Magic Mirror stage has been promoted stronger than ever, hosting performances, workshops and the Ballroom. This stage was so incredibly inclusive and LGBTQ+ friendly, truly a safe space for anyone in the community (or any allies who wanted to have a look into queer performances), and it absolutely did not disappoint. Unfortunately, I was only able to be there for one of the nights, but do I wish that I had gone back; the performers were unbelievably talented, leaving the audience gagged when they did sudden drops mid vogue or during battles with each other during categories. Definitely an experience worth going to; you would definitely not be disappointed.

Alternatively, walking around the site after the main act had finished brought out some really interesting sights. Picture this: you’re calmly walking around with some friends when you hear cheering; it’s a massive pirate ship sailing through crowds of people. Crazy right? Wrong. What’s even crazier is when you hear some music in the distance and see a massive whale coming towards you, uniquely dressed people jumping off the whale to dance and perform some contortionist moves before both groups move in separate directions. Now that is something you don’t see every day! The performers were fantastic, very precise in their movements, with undeniable strength to be able to hold themselves up in the positions they were in. I would love to watch them again- maybe a little more prepared on my behalf haha!

Tuesday

Wolf Alice

Kicking off Sziget Festival were Wolf Alice with a very strong main stage performance. Before the main arena opened, you could hear them sound checking, and the people already camping were getting in the spirit, singing along to ‘Lipstick on the Glass’, one of my personal favourites. Even with the front rows of the crowd being quite obviously dressed up for Zara Larsson later on in the day, it seemed everyone knew Wolf Alice, and from all the singing and dancing, I think it’s safe to say they really enjoyed the performance.

Their set design was amazing, bringing a version of their glittery star backdrop that they have been touring with for a while, and incorporating that in a way that wasn’t too flashy for a festival was so cool to see. You don’t see many of the earlier artists on the main stage bringing too much of their own decorations, so they definitely stood out.

Zara Larsson

I feel like lately, every time you open any social media app, you will see Zara Larsson; she’s had the biggest rebrand ever, really coming into her style and aesthetic as a performer. Recently, her songs ‘Midnight Sun’ and ‘Lush Life’ have been blowing up online, with fans trying to recreate her iconic new choreography. The crowd was brilliant; everyone was dressed up in very colourful, summery outfits with make-up similar to the ones Zara has been showing up with on stage each night. Overall, the crowd was a lovely break from the heavier ones; everyone was dancing about and having a blast with their friends while still staying very locked into enjoying the performance.

Wednesday

Twenty One Pilots

Twenty One Pilots were the band I was most excited for all week, and they did not disappoint in the slightest. For those who have never seen Twenty One Pilots live, or saw them for the first time at Sziget and got a little confused why the singer had a cat mask, the drummer was briefly carrying a torch, and why everyone seems to have black paint on their necks, they have an over 10 year long storyline that they implement aspects of into their live shows. I would highly recommend watching a breakdown of this story, as it is such an intricate story and you’ll start listening to their songs in a new way.

Their performance was absolutely brilliant, keeping everyone engaged throughout the show, playing a good mix of their most popular songs, covers and stand-out songs from their most recent Clancy World Tour. Some of their most dedicated fans started ‘camping’ at the main stage from 5 am, hoping to secure a spot at the barricade. One of the standout moments from their set was during their song ‘Trees’, where they stood on platforms held up by the audience during the finale of the song, playing the drums and splashing water while red confetti absolutely floods the crowd. It was such an emotional performance and one I cannot wait to see once they tour again.

Ashnikko

Closing off the second day of the festival for me was American singer, Ashnikko. Her performances are always something to look out for on a line-up; from her set design, show concepts and super dedicated fanbase, it’s almost impossible to miss when she’s performing. Her performance kicked off as she crawled out from a tiny door, soon joined by her dancers on stage, all dressed in super cute, bright colour-coordinated outfits that matched with Ashnikko. The set was well choreographed during the songs, leaving the crowd hyped whilst also leaving time for interactions between them. The fans were also so easy to spot, with their bright hair and awesome layered outfits; the whole show was definitely a vibe.

Thursday

Paris Paloma

The first set I caught on Thursday was a brilliant way to start the day. Paris Paloma is very well known for her song ‘Labour’, a track rooted in feminism. Amongst her many songs on the subject, there are also tracks about how AI is destroying art, body image and self-worth. One of my absolute favourite parts of the set was during ‘Labour’, where predominantly women sang their hearts out to every lyric. You could feel all the emotion and the pain behind so many of those voices; music like this really brings women together, and it was so beautiful to be a part of.

Leap

Even with Leap playing one of the smaller stages, they absolutely rocked and drew the biggest crowd the stage had seen all weekend. The British band seemed to steal the hearts of many festival-goers, with some of the people at the barricade clearly massive fans, even coming in outfits dedicated to them! Their entire set was super upbeat and the people went super hard. I especially loved the girl with ‘LEAP’ gems glued onto her hair- what a look! I would’ve loved to see them on a bigger stage as their movement felt a bit restricted, so I do hope to see them again in the future with a higher place up the line-up; they’ve most certainly earned it!

Lewis Capaldi

A set full of high emotion and a side of comedy could only really belong to Lewis Capaldi. One of the more emotional sets of the week drew an enormous crowd of fans, and watching from the crowd, you could really feel the passion in the music. Deep cuts are always amazing to hear live, only heightened by watching people all around you in tears, hugging their loved ones and just letting the music take over. By Lewis Capaldi’s nature, you are bound to be cheered right back up with his witty humour and little comments, leaving you feeling better and positive after such a raw and emotional set.

Friday

Baby Lasagna

Going into this show blind, Baby Lasagna is a Croatian musician who I had never heard of, but the crowd very clearly knew well. The production was really high for the stage; tons of pyros and well thought out lighting added brilliantly to the music. The fans were incredibly dedicated and lively, forming massive crowds and constantly moving with the beat of the music; it was really difficult to find someone not singing along. He is massive around Europe, and I hope to hear more people talking about his music in the UK as he comes here for 2 shows this November. I cannot wait to hear the buzz about him!

Bring Me The Horizon

My first time seeing Bring Me The Horizon, and just wow. The crowd was absolutely brutal with constant mosh pits, as requested by singer Oli Sykes. I was only able to last in the thick of it for 2 songs before making the executive decision to watch from afar. It was a shame, but they sounded great from everywhere and visually were fantastic; even just watching the crowd movement was mesmerising as they simply never stopped! This was one of the biggest crowds I saw all week, and I can definitely see why so many people showed up; the show was definitely worth watching even without knowing too many of their songs.

Saturday

Bbno$

I feel like absolutely everyone has seen clips of a Bbno$ show at this point. However, if you have somehow missed them all and aren’t aware of him, he is a Canadian rapper who makes a lot of relatable, funny content online while staying quite politically relevant. The start of the set was a compilation of clips and edits of him, with some TikToks blaring ‘who the f*ck is Bbno$’ before the man himself came on stage. The standout moment, besides the music, was when he pulled out a Hungarian cookbook and tried to pronounce the words in there; a great bit of light entertainment, and as someone who speaks Hungarian, he wasn’t half bad! Musically, the set was also great, playing many hits that I could sing along to and even bringing out Baby Lasagne for a song!

Skrillex

Closing off the main stage of the festival, Skrillex brought in quite a sizeable, dense crowd. Even with his fanbase having fewer people to queue and ‘camp’ for the barricade, the front rows were still packed tightly with fans buzzing for the show. Even further back, where people were giving each other a little more space, there were people dancing with each other, celebrating music and what they love. This music was not particularly my cup of tea; however, I really appreciated the sense of community it brought between the fans. It was a good ending to the festival which left people enjoying themselves and ready to party for the night with great memories of the week.

Good news, Sziget Festival returns to Budapest in 2027, and tickets are already on sale now! Taking place on Óbuda Island between 10th – 14th August 2027, early bird tickets can be purchased HERE.