Take public transport to Sziget Festival for a hassle-free experience

BKK Centre for Budapest Transport recommends public transport to Sziget Festival again this year: as in previous years, from 7 to 13 August 2024, HÉV suburban railway line H5 will run more frequently and day and night between Batthyány tér and Aquincum and Szentendre, and the night services concerned will have increased capacity. BKK will also be present on the spot: a temporary ticket sales point will be available Filatorigát station on line H5, but visitors can also find useful information on the BKK website. The Sziget CityPass by Budapest Card wristband allows free public transport in the city again this year.

Road transport

The Sziget Festival will take place in the capital between Wednesday, 7 August, and Monday, 12 August, and as in previous years, the event will be held on Óbuda Island. From 20:00 on Friday 2 August to 20:00 on Thursday 15 August, the northern section of the lower embankment in Buda will be closed between Mozaik utca and the shopping centre car park. Óbuda Island was closed earlier. Traffic around the festival site, especially at Mozaik utca, will be significantly altered and more pedestrians than usual can be expected. Between Monday, August 5 and Tuesday, August 13, from 13:00 to 3:00 in the morning daily, the Buda Lower Embankment between Mozaik utca and Margaret Bridge will be closed, including Mozaik utca itself. During the festival, traffic on Szentendrei út will be heavier than usual in the afternoon and evening hours.

Public transport to Sziget

For those traveling to Sziget, BKK recommends using public transport, especially the H5 HÉV line, which will run more frequently and around the clock during the festival. The HÉV suburban railway timetable is available in the BudapestGO journey planner and on the BKK website.

The organisers would like to point out that the pedestrian routes have changed compared to previous years: this year, pedestrians and cyclists will no longer be allowed to enter Sziget via the H-Híd entrance near the Szentlélek tér station of the HÉV. If you are arriving by HÉV, you should get off at Filatorigát station, from where you can walk to the main entrance of Sziget at the K-bridge.

During the Sziget, the night buses in the area run at a higher capacity than usual, with articulated buses instead of single buses.

From Wednesday, August 7, to Tuesday, August 13, the H5 HÉV trains will run continuously at night between Batthyány tér, Aquincum, and Szentendre.

Bus 226 bus will run on a shortened route between Nyugati pályaudvar and Aquincum and will not enter Óbuda Island.

Taxi

The official taxi service providers of Sziget are Bolt and Főtaxi.

If you plan to take a taxi, please get into the car at the taxi rank in the festival area if possible. If you want to call a cab, you should use the mobile app of one of the taxi companies listed above to order.

Please note that taxis in Budapest work at fixed official fares, according to the price table on the left. If you are taking a taxi ride in Budapest, only get into a yellow car that is operating legally and has a fare sign posted in a visible place to avoid fraud.

Sziget CityPass by Budapest Card

As in previous years, BKK will operate a temporary sales point at the Filatorigát HÉV suburban railway station, where tickets, passes, and Budapest Cards can be purchased with cash or bank card.

Opening hours of the Filatorigát sales point:
– 5 August 2024 (Monday) 10:00-22:00
– 6 August 2024 (Tuesday) 10:00-22:00
– 7 August 2024 (Wednesday) 06:00-24:00
– 8 August 2024 (Thursday) 00:00-24:00
– 9 August 2024 (Friday) 00:00-24:00
– 10 August 2024 (Saturday) 00:00-24:00
– 11 August 2024 (Sunday) 00:00-24:00
– 12 August 2024 (Monday) 00:00-24:00
– 13 August 2024 (Tuesday) 00:00-14:00

The company recommends electronic tickets in addition to paper products: in addition to buying tickets, festival-goers can easily plan their trip in the BudapestGO app. All app functions are also available in English.

To help festival-goers navigate the festival, BKK offers a website in Hungarian and English, where all the important information can be easily found.

All three types of Sziget CityPass by Budapest Card wristbands (three-, five- and eight-day) are valid for unlimited travel on regular public transport vehicles within the administrative boundaries of Budapest between Tuesday, August 6 and Tuesday, August 13. Detailed information on using the CityPass wristband is available on the Sziget website.

Please note that the free travel option does not include heritage transport lines operating only at weekends and the 100E Airport Express bus, which runs directly between Liszt Ferenc International Airport and Budapest city centre. Read also: Attention, tourists: Budapest airport shuttle bus timetable changes

As we wrote today, traffic in Budapest is upside down: here’s what to know before you hit the road