Tamás Kádár, the main organizer of Sziget said that in terms of hygiene, their services are exemplary even at the forefront of European festivals, which was acknowledged with appreciation not only by visitors, but also by professionals from the international festival scene. The visual landscape of Sziget has also been greatly improved in the guest area as well as in terms of program locations. A lot has been improved in terms of sustainability, and he also highlighted the diversity of the variety of accommodation and services available at the festival.
He also reported that the number of season tickets sold increased greatly during the advance ticket period: “It is especially important for us that Hungarian visitors bought – for the first time in many years – the majority of Early Bird six-day season tickets. And we did not raise the prices of day tickets on average this year, in fact, with student tickets and the introduction of the “U21″ pass introduced this year for those under 21, young people – in the first period – could get a pass even cheaper than last year.”
Enhancing the guest experience is a priority
“The constant change of the festival scene and the diversity of visitor needs encourage us to make new developments every year,” continued Kádár. In light of this, we can meet new solutions at the festival this year, but the organizers of Sziget have also announced several innovations in the design of the program locations. On the one hand, even the reception area after the entrance shows a new image. To help the guest-oriented and even more fluid customer management, the guests have a new Welcome Zone will receive, this is where the renewed will be created City center also, where all services will be available that are of great help to visitors in the hustle and bustle of the festival.
The organizers are also transforming the audience space of the Main Stage. On the one hand, they will create a “fan pit” separated by a cordon, a kind of fan zone, and a further innovation is that, in order to better enjoy the concerts, the mixing tower (FOH) in the middle of the audience space will disappear, and instead a smaller structure standing at the two ends of the auditorium will take over its role.
Last year, the biggest challenge was that due to the K-bridge, which has been in need of renovation for a long time, and therefore its capacity has been limited for security reasons, the release of visitors slowed down after the concerts of the big world stars. “Unfortunately, there is still no encouraging news about the renovation of the K-bridge, only promises, so we are trying to introduce new solutions in the field of crowd management so that the concert experience is not overwritten by standing in line,” said Kádár.
from the dance floor of the Main Stage, the audience is directed towards the exit via a new route.
It is a technical innovation that there will be digital information boards in several places, where the public will be informed with real-time data about how long it takes to reach the exit or taxi services on certain routes. On festival days with high demand, pedestrian traffic will also be opened in the direction of the H-bridge, thereby avoiding congestion. There will also be night bus services from the H-bridge in the direction of the Margit bridge, but the ferry services will be more frequent and there will also be changes in taxi traffic, for example a new taxi rank in the direction of the H-bridge.
Safer festivals
Sziget, with its capacity of 95,000 visitors per day, is – if you will – the 10th largest “city” in Hungary, and the safety and health care of visitors has always been a priority for the organizers. The security and supply system continues to be prepared in such a way that it can protect and serve an audience the size of a large city. “Based on the experience of the past more than 30 years, we think that we are well aware of the special cases for which we must definitely prepare, but we think it is important that visitors also take care of themselves and each other. By expanding our information interfaces, we strive to provide effective answers to all questions, and in the Sziget City Center we want to provide a reassuring, “one-stop” solution for all eventualities.
With our developments this year, we are not only making progress in dealing with problems more efficiently, but also in increasing the comfort and safety of visitors.
said Kádár. To this end, “help zones” will be created at the festival, where calm conditions and professional help await those who may be asking for help due to a panic attack or any mental or psychological problem. In the field of health care, in addition to treating sprained ankles or other injuries, which account for the majority of accidents, they try to provide a “safety net” for people living with health problems – people with limited mobility, diabetics or people who are required to take medication, etc. – provides safe entertainment for
Hospitality: varied offer, comfort services, environmentally conscious solutions
Retaining and further developing last year’s developments, Sziget is preparing for catering with a varied offer, convenience services and “wallet-friendly” dishes. The food will continue to be offered in blocks with kitchens, i.e. in food courts, in a layout similar to last year, so that everyone can find a suitable offer. The selection will include Hungarian flavors as well as international dishes. Tamás Kádár said that
places offering food have at least one, so-called they have to keep budget-friendly food, the organizers coordinate these with the caterers in advance, and constantly check the offer as well.
“Negotiations are currently underway with caterers regarding both the range and the prices,” said Kádár. “On the one hand, we asked our partners to be guided by prices that are generally cheaper than last year, and on the other hand, the affordability and content of the “budget-friendly” meals serve to satisfy the visitors. The fried potato-sauce combo is not an alternative,” added the main organizer. He said that there will also be premium category units in the festival area this year, especially in the VIP section, but far-reaching conclusions about the general prices of Sziget should not be drawn from this.
In the field of hospitality, environmental awareness is also a prominent aspect this year. Instead of plastic bags, plastic bags, disposable plates, cutlery and other packaging materials, contracted partners can only use paper or supplies made from environmentally friendly, degradable materials. It is an advantage if caterers choose energy-saving solutions, if they design their stands with the use of environmentally friendly materials, if sustainability plays a prominent role in their procurement of raw materials. In 2024, compared to last year, the organizers will check catering units based on a stricter set of criteria. With this step, they are also trying to create an even more environmentally conscious hospitality with a significantly smaller carbon footprint, paying attention to shaping the attitude of the visitors. Another innovation is that
the former drinking water centers will also be expanded this year with drinking water options located in the food courts.
Sziget, as an active member of the Green Deal Circular Festivals, i.e. the community of cutting-edge European festivals fighting for completely circular and climate-neutral festivals, already in 2023 collected accurate data, comparable to other festivals, on the ecological footprint of the festival in five topics, energy, material flow, travel and transport , along water and hospitality.
The organizers also announced that the star performer of the opening day of this year’s festival is the Australian Kylie Minogue will be, but Liam Gallagher, Martin Garrix and Fred again… will also perform.
Cover image source: Istvan Bielik
