Sziget Survival Guide

This Year’s Festival Dates: Thu, 10 Aug 2023 – Tue, 15 Aug 2023

Attending Sziget Festival is still to this day one of my favourite travel experiences. Your ‘Euro Summer’ trip would not be complete without a week-long festival on the ‘Island of Freedom’, in 35° C heat, in the middle of Budapest. Without a doubt, Sziget Festival is going to be one of the most fun, yet equally exhausting, experiences of your whole trip. 

I first went to Sziget in 2018 and again in 2019, both times for the full seven days, and I loved every minute of it. In this guide, I’m going to tell you about the different options you have for accommodation, how to get a ticket, and general advice for surviving the festival.

First, we need to cover a few details about the festival itself. Sziget is in Budapest which is the capital of Hungary. The festival takes place on an island in the middle of the Danube River. It’s been running since 1993 and in 2022 it had 450,000 attendees with 60 stages and countless international acts. Some of the artists that have played before include Tame Impala, Dua Lipa, Gorillaz, Prince, Snoop Dogg, Stormzy, and truly so many more amazing artists. 

On the ‘Island of Freedom’, you will find many incredible art installations, a supermarket, a vast number of food stands and bars, a circus, and many options for accommodation. There is a considerable number of activities that are going on during the day on the island as well, but if you want to venture away from the island then you may like to attend a Boat Party on the Danube River or Party in a Castle above Fisherman’s Bastion. These require separate tickets but are a unique way to keep the party going when you are off the island.

Accommodation Options

Camping on the Island

When it comes to camping, the festival offers several options to suit different preferences and budgets. Here are the main camping options available for Sziget Festival 2023:

• Basic Camping: This is the most affordable option and is included with the 6-day, 3-day, or single-day (if you have two or more consecutive days) festival pass. So if you are on a budget then this free camping option is the best for you.
• Siesta Camping: If you want to enjoy the cool, shaded area of the Sziget Beach then Siesta Camping is the option for you. 
• Park Camping: Located right by the entrance is Park Camping, meaning you won’t have to lug your camping gear to the other side of the island as you would in Siesta Camping.
• Sziget Ville: This is the glamping option for those who don’t want to pitch their own tent. There are a number of different glamping options here from Igloos to Cabins and Bell Tents. You will also have nice showers which is an added bonus!
• Podpadopolis: There are podpads which are colourful wooden huts or bell tents that are good if you are with two up to eight people. Some of the sharing options here include bunk beds.

It’s important to note that camping options may vary each year, so it’s recommended to check the official Sziget Festival website for the most up-to-date information.

Booking a Room in the City

If you aren’t the camping type or value your sleep, you may want to consider getting an Airbnb or Hostel/Hotel room in the city. This option will ensure you have a nice comfortable bed, a good shower, and a secure place to leave your luggage while at the festival. 

When you are booking accommodation I would recommend that you choose somewhere along the yellow tram line, as shown below. This will make it super quick and easy to get everywhere you want to go, particularly to the train station that takes you to the festival.

Getting a Ticket

The official Sziget Festival website is where you should go to get your tickets. There, you will find the options to get a day ticket or multi-day passes. There are also tickets to the Boat Parties, Castle Party, and all of the camping and accommodation passes. 

If you’re like me and often plan things last-minute, or you missed out on the main ticket sales and are in need of a festival ticket, then I recommend using TicketSwap. TicketSwap is the official resale site for Sziget, meaning you don’t have to worry about being scammed or missing out if you decide to go last-minute.

Festival Advice

The festival is in August which means it can be super hot and dusty (keep this in mind if you were thinking of wearing white). The island is massive and you can expect to be walking upwards of 30,000 steps a day, so I cannot stress this enough: you will need comfortable shoes.

Download the festival app so you can top up your wristband to pay for food and drinks, see who’s playing where and when, and have a map of the festival site.

If you are going to head into the city during the day or on the days before or after the festival, then I would suggest getting a week-long public transport pass. This way you can get unlimited rides and not have to worry about getting a ticket every time you want to go somewhere. The pass is reasonably priced and makes getting around super easy. Look for the purple ticket machines in the city to get your transport pass.

My final recommendation would be to go to Budapest a few days before the festival to fully enjoy the city itself. My Budapest Trip-Pin Map has over 100 pins that feature all the best places to eat, cool castles to explore, ruin bars to visit, and even party if you are looking for a festival warm-up. I’ve made sure to pin the festival location and the train station used to get to the festival on my Budapest Trip-Pin Map.

I know without a doubt that you will have the most amazing time in Budapest and at the Sziget Festival. Get ready to immerse yourself in an incredible venue filled with many different people from every corner of the globe. Let loose and dance into the early hours of the morning, creating memories that will last a lifetime.