What is going to happen to Sziget Festival? Who could be able to save it?
Within just a few days, the fate of the Sziget Festival turned into a political drama. On Wednesday, Budapest’s General Assembly failed to pass Mayor Gergely Karácsony’s proposal to help rescue the event, as both Fidesz and the Tisza Party abstained from voting, writes Telex.
Sziget Festival is in big danger, or is it?
For a moment, it seemed that the more than 30-year-old festival had reached its end. Then, on Thursday, a surprising turnaround came: Péter Magyar and Károly Gerendai announced that the Sziget will indeed return next year.
The uncertainty revolved around the festival’s land-use agreement. The current foreign owner – who decided to withdraw from Hungary after several years of financial losses – had requested to terminate its contract with the city.
However, this move prevented the festival’s new, Hungarian-owned management from signing a fresh agreement, which is essential to prepare for the 2026 event.
Karácsony wants to save Hungary’s biggest music festival
Under Karácsony’s earlier proposal, the festival would have received a 90 percent discount on its rental fees for the first three years, repaying the full amount later once its finances stabilised, reports 444.hu.
Fidesz and the Tisza Party, however, refused to support the plan, arguing that it offered insufficient guarantees for the city’s financial interests and did not ensure that the festival would actually take place next year.
The deadlock was eventually broken by an agreement between Péter Magyar and Károly Gerendai. According to their compromise, the Sziget will benefit from a two-year discount on its land-use fees, which it will repay in three instalments between 2028 and 2030 – regardless of profitability.
Mayor Karácsony says it is in everyone’s interest to help now
In addition, all Hungarian students, not just Budapest residents, will be entitled to a 50 percent discount on passes if they hold a BudapestGO travel card.
Mayor Gergely Karácsony confirmed on social media that the letter he received from Gerendai, along with the statements of the city council’s factions, means “the obstacle has been removed” for next year’s festival. He noted that the new plan is not substantially different from his original proposal and that a majority in the council now seems to support it.
According to the mayor, there is therefore no need for an extraordinary session – the new agreement can be formally approved at the regular November meeting, allowing preparations to begin.
All parties agree that the Sziget Festival is not only one of Budapest’s key cultural events but also an essential part of Hungary’s international image and economy, generating tens of billions of forints in revenue and drawing huge numbers of tourists each year.