Sziget organizers launched a sensational piece of last-minute news, just about 2 weeks before the start of the event: on 9 August 2011, Sziget Festival’s Main Stage will host Prince Roger Nelson, the legend who entered the rock’n’roll hall of fame by the name Prince. Being in the spotlights since 1976, selling over 100 million records, reaching 10 platinum releases and also earning several Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe and even an Oscar, here he is to give all he got for Sziget fans from all over the world. You can already start to get ready for hits like ’Purple Rain’, ’Kiss’, ’When Doves Cry’, ’1999’ and so much more.’We know it’s a bit unusual to announce such a huge star so late but Polish Open’er festival’s booked Prince for a gig in the beginning of July as an exclusive act for the 2011 festival season in this part of Europe. Luckily the Polish organizers Alter Art were ready to make a compromise, without their support this great show wouldn’t have happened on Sziget. We are really thankful to Open’er Festival that they helped us to make it happen. Open’er is dedicated to music and audience this is why they decided to help Sziget. Also we’re very happy to host the star, especially that it will be his only concert in our region’ – explained Gabor Takacs, organizer of Sziget Festival.
Save the best for last, as they say, so Prince finally accepted the invitation to come to Budapest. His concerts are normally sold out within a few days anywhere in the world, so organizers are confident that the next 2 weeks will be more than enough to sell all available tickets. If you don’t want to miss your chance, buy your ticket quickly. Prince guarantees a special experience anytime he plays, and this is also underlined by the great international press response he got after the July concert in Poland, using superlatives to describe the show that is more than 2 hours long.
The line-up of Sziget Day 0 is crowned by Prince, but you will also find many other exciting program feautures on the same day. For example Rock-Metal Stage will present the most successful world-music Sziget performers of the last few years, all known for the magical atmosphere they create. What you can expect is a star parade, great concerts from bands that would surely be headliners on a ’normal’ Sziget day, but Day 0 is also special in this sense. Check out New-York-based Klezmatics, Serbian Boban i Marko Markovic Orkestar and even Russia’s finestunderground act Leningrad.
If you have an ongoing desire to explore fine new bands, then you shouldn’t miss the Europe Stage program of the same day, presenting winners of some great European talent competitions. And if that’s still not enough, you even have the chance to witness how Hungarian cultural history is written by MR2 Petőfi Radio, providing a multi-artist concert series with some unique cooperations between local pop-rock stars and the radio’s symphony orchestra.
Wow, quite a lot of information for one press release, so just to summarize: you get the reigning Prince of pop music, American klezmer, Serbian brass, Russian underground, European talents and a lot more, all included in the price of your weekly camping ticket. If you already bought a 5-days non-camping ticket, or only plan to come for a few days, then you can buy the special ’Day 0 ticket’ for 52 EUR and join the best warm-up day in the history of Sziget Festival!