Recently several bands and artists have accepted visas to the Island of Freedom. Arriving straight to the Main Stage with their latest release are the legendary Nick Cave and his Bad Seeds, as well as the most popular alternative rock band of the 2000’s, Franz Ferdinand.
Poet, writer, provocateur, rockstar. Nick Cave is all of these though not necessarily in this order. Whatever he does is simply important. He makes era-defining records, he creates and dismisses bands, whatever he touches turns not just into gold, but into a timeless monolith. He is still harmonic even if he is off-key: with the Bad Seeds he approaches the irregular consciously, just to make sure that all other notes wind up exactly where they are supposed to be. When Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds hit the stage the outside world stops to exist. And so it will at this year’s Sziget where they will present their latest and long awaited studio album Push The Sky Away, which was released after a five year break this February. With this modern, energetic but still typically Nick Cave-like album, that fascinates both critics and fans, they have booked a guaranteed headliner spot for this year’s festival season.
Furious and unstoppable indie rock’n’roll, really gritty and crazy dirty pop anthems that make any pit explode. This is the trademark of the always stylish Franz Ferdinand from Glasgow that made them one of the most popular British bands of the 2000’s and got them countless musical awards. Ever since their first album this band just can’t miss with their irresistible, dynamic and unique rock that keeps critics and fans satisfied each time. They will be mixing up their usual setlist with songs from their brand new, soon to be released fourth album Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action at this year’s Sziget Festival!
New to Sziget is !!! (pronounced: Chk, chk, chk). Every pop dictionary starts with the name of this Californian band. The Sacramento based group formed in the late 90’s is famous for its intelligent dance punk that will make you want to move your feet. Their music evokes the golden age of new wave, it’s noisy and unpolished with a little bit of funk to it. They will present their fifth album THR!!!ER on Sziget’s Main Stage.
Landing straight at A38’s party program is the ultramodern, roaring and unique electronic project of Nik Roos, Martijn Sonderen and Thijs de Vlieger, Noisia. Their music can be heard in countless PC games, Hollywood blockbusters and of course at the biggest festivals around the globe. They collaborate regularly with the biggest names in electronic music such as Skrillex, Pendulum and Prodigy. They are three-time winners of the Beatport Music Awards for Best Drum’n’Bass Act, however their music cannot be labelled as DnB only as it is open to breakbeat, house, dubstep and neurofunk just to name a few genres.
Jason Diakité, a.k.a. Timbuktu is one of the biggest Swedish hip-hop artists and reggae singers. He writes vivid, catchy but eclectic hip-hop anthems with a unique style. During his 15 year career he released 8 albums and won 7 awards at the Swedish Grammys. For ten years now he has been touring the world with a nine-piece funk band called Damn!, who will be backing him up on his show at Sziget Festival as well.
Playing at the Main Stage, we will see Biffy Clyro, the best British live band today. They fill stadiums and they are always at the most-visited festivals of the UK. Their live gigs are considered massive and in the last few years they have been acknowledged by some of the most influential media. After their last three successful albums, they have released their newest one in January, ‘Opposites’, which lead the British charts for quite a while. They received a lot of awards recently: they were considered the best live band in 2011 at the NME Awards and at the Q Awards. This year they have also received the NME Award for the being the best British band.
Michael Holbrook Penniman, world-known as Mika, is one of the most talented and colorful pop artists today. He knows everything what a pop star does. Besides his almost classic songs, he will perform his newest ones from his latest album ‘The Origin of Love’ and will surely conquer the audience at the Main Stage of Sziget.
Futuristic, ultra-suggestive and massively dynamic is Nero live. The two British electronic musicians and producers, Daniel Stephens and Joe Ray, together with singer Alana Watson are touring Europe since 2010 with their dubstep, drum’n’bass and electro house craziness. This time they are visiting the Arena Stage of Sziget.
In a late-afternoon slot of the Main Stage we can see Regina Spektor, an anti-folk singer from New York. She has a unique style, influenced by folk, punk, rock, hip hop, jazz and classical music. She relies on her seemingly endless imagination when it comes to her songs, as if she was playing different roles each and every time, that’s what makes her so unique today.
One of the most active techno-pop productions, Booka Shade from Germany, is coming to the Arena Stage with a massive live show. The supplier of quality and hyper-intelligent electronic music have been in the business for 25 years now and they will definitely bring the right tunes for an unforgettable party!
There are even more names confirmed for the giant Arena tent, including the mystical, monumental, passionate alternative rock combo, The Joy Formidable. Their guitar music is at the same time very dynamic, but chilled as well. Abstract music will also be present at the mega-tent, played by Erol Alkan, a London-based electro DJ, whose fantasy is without borders and has no ties to any genres. Even though Felix Cartal is pretty young, he is already an internationally well-known Canadian musician, DJ and producer. He is open to styles from solid pop to massive electro house and this is a good set of reasons to check him out at Sziget Arena.
One of the most popular folk-rock singers from the Netherlands, Blaudzun, is also among the line-up of the festival. He received the “Dutch Grammy”, the Edison prize this February, for being the best male artist in the Netherlands. A Benelux focus is also strengthened by Monophona, the trio from Luxemburg who are preparing for their first Sziget gig. They will be a special surprise for those who love elegant, minimalist and melancholic electro-acoustic live sets. Splendid, the reggae collective from The Hague spices up their music with some rocksteady and soul. They are not only popular in the Netherlands, but spread their message to anyone who loves reggae music in Europe. This time they will do it at Sziget.
The A38 Stage has some strong new names as well, e.g. Natasha Khan aka Bat for Lashes. The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from London has a mysterious voice and became popular especially in the UK with her pop music. She released three studio albums out of which ‘Fur and Gold’ from 2006 and ‘Two Suns’ from 2009 have been nominated for the Mercury Prize. Flogging Molly, the number one Celtic punk band in the world, is also coming back to Sziget! Their gigs are always very popular, from the smallest events to the biggest festivals. This time they play at the A38 stage!
The music of The Cribs is just as self-confident as the members themselves. They have navigated the British indie community out of the dark after the breakup of The Smiths in the 2000s. They receive good critics and no big British festival could miss them from their line-up.
British electro-pop diva, Little Boots, is a true female icon of her generation. Her enchanting melodies remind us of the electronic synthpop dance music of the 80s. Her next big hit will be her second album, ‘Nocturnes’, which will be released this May. Dark and massive techno and electro visions are the good words for French electronic musician, DJ and producer, Gesaffelstein. He visits Sziget with a live act, which is usually built up with engineering punctuality. These diverse and quality sets have a great atmosphere and free up the available energies on the dance floor. Dub FX has been rather popular on the video sharing portals and the blog-sphere, while he has also toured all five continents with his loops, revolutionizing the world of street performances. The name dOP represents three creative, sexy and irresistible men from Paris. The trio of Damien Vandesande, Clément Aichelbaum and Jonathan Illel knows exactly how to combine organic electronic music with live instruments and how to add funk, jazz, classical and minimal house and lounge taste to the music. German punk-rock band, Donots, are unstoppably popular. With their new album, released last summer, ‘Wake the Dogs’ they will visit Sziget as well. Hoffmaestro plays a witty ska music, which is merged together with reggae, techno, New Orleans funk and classical country music as well. Rangleklods live is a Danish performer strongly believing in improvisation and revolutionizing sounds. He mixes the main parts of his music on his laptop, but the act comes together on the stage with his small tricks, spontaneous attitude and ad hoc effects.
The talented and characteristic Dutch band, Daily Bread, will also play their overpowering garage rock music at the event. The four members of the group are also open to new wave and chill wave sounds!
Among the newly announced names we can find performers at the afternoon and early night slots of the Main Stage. Ska-P had their most memorable gig at Sziget in 2005 when the Spanish band rocked the stage in Bush-masks and on stilts; however they have called off their 10-year long music revolution for an unknown time. Fortunately, this was their only announcement that was untrue. They are back.
Singer Deborah ’Skin’ Dyer of Skunk Anansie stepped on the shoulders of her fans at her last concert in 2011 at Sziget. This might happen this year as well!
King and main figure of the grime movement, British rapper, Dizzee Rascal is the guest of this year’s festival. He is over four incredibly successful albums – certified gold and platinum without exception – and a memorable performance at the opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games.
The Editors is a very popular and characteristic icon of the post-punk movement of the 2000s. They will prove this on the Main Stage at an early afternoon slot!
British singer, Brit Awards nominee, Alex Clare has many popular and cool songs merging the most popular music trends of today. He uses electronic genres, like dubstep and new wave drum’n’bass, mixing it with suggestive guitar sounds and a hint of soul.
Enter Shikari plays hardcore music, mixing electronic, metal and rock. They have conquered the world with their album last year and now they are ready for Sziget!
A38 Stage
One of the most beloved venues of Sziget is following the trend of the previous years: the huge tent will be the home of diverse and exciting productions, proved by the upcoming names as well.
For a start, here is the exceptional talent from North-London, Michael Kiwanuka, a refined and sentimental singer-songwriter who plays his guitar with a sense of folk and jazz. His first album hit the charts in many countries and has become gold.
True inspiration for punk-rock bands, Bad Religion, reached the peak of their career with their 16th album ’True North’ in 2012: it was listed in the top 20 of the American Billboard 200. Now the crowd of Sziget can congratulate them!
Melodramatic, downtempo and chilled pop songs are the identifiers of the music of Woodkid, a French musician, who is arriving to Sziget with his new album, to be released this year.
Peter Bjorn & John are vivid and colorful icons of the indie world. Their “whistling” song is such a success that it is reaching 36 million views on the largest video sharing service. They are nicely merging mainstream popular sounds with some underground melodies.
A real 21st century London-girl, who makes her dreams come true by her talent, Katy B, is the new face of British dubstep. She recently received an NME award and now she brings her special style to Sziget.
Netsky is the exporter of Belgium’s most wanted, premium category drum’n’bass productions. After his singles he introduced himself on the Belgian charts and his second album was in the top 20 in the United Kingdom. The 24-year-old guy from Edegem is coming to Budapest with his live show.
Tame Impala plays psychedelic rock with hypnotic and melodic tunes. The Australian band has not only impressed the younger generation with their album in 2012 but the critics as well. Their second album ‘Lonerism’ has been awarded Best Album of the Year by Rolling Stone Australia, NME and Filter.
It is high time that Orlando Higginbottom, known as Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, after several gigs at the biggest European and Northern-American festivals, plays at Sziget. His live set will definitely be a visual adventure with a range of weird instruments.
Everything Everything plays a nice and easy guitar pop that is sometimes inspired by a melancholic and solid atmosphere. We can see them at A38 this year.
Wax Tailor is opening his magical world of rare musical treasures to Sziget. Be aware that you might become an addict!
Isabelle Geffroy is a beloved French chanson singer. Her band, Zaz, winner at Victoires de la muisque – the most important music gala in France – in 2011, and performer of probably the most well-known French song ‘Je Veux’ , plays now at Sziget. She also received a European Border Breakers Award, representing that that her talent and popularity is without borders.
Cata.Pirata and Crypto.Jori plus three musicians from Amsterdam have formed SKIP&DIE, a very extravagant and brave production. Their big multicultural project merges everything that means ‘world citizen’. They are using traditional African, Arabic and Indian instruments mixed with contemporary Western hip-hop and modern electronics. They are inviting the fans to dance in Zulu, Spanish, Portuguese, English, Afrikaans and Xhosa languages.
Arena
New names have also arrived for the line-up of the mega-tent, the Arena as well. This is the venue where the early afternoon hours are taken by the so called “European Slots”, presenting live bands from the old continent, but later on it hosts huge parties with great performers.
Empire of the Sun has been to Sziget two years ago, making a party at a completely full venue. They play romantic electro-pop and probably even the world-known Cirque du Soleil group could not beat them when it comes to stage production.
For years now it’s hard to find a more exciting, louder and successful drum’n’bass act in the United Kingdom than Chase & Status Live. The well-known electro-musician and producer duo of Will Kennard and Saul Milton are coming this year to party up the Sziget crowd.
A revolutionary and innovative techno musician, Chris Liebing, has remixed many popular songs and also wrote his own ones that we will hear now in the Arena. His style has been mastered with the development of electronic music, but he has never stopped playing his massive techno basics.
DJ and producer, Sebastian Ingrosso, is one of the main figures of today’s Scandinavian electronic music scene together with Axwell and Steve Angello, forming the popular house-group, the Swedish House Mafia. His dynamic and energetic house music is played in the biggest international parties and e-music events, bringing out the most of his ten thousand fans.
Two bands will definitely play in the European Slots of the Arena. First of all, Afterhours, one of the most well-known Italian rock bands. They play passionate tunes and rock ballades, based on nice guitar.
Also playing in a European Slot is Left Boy, a very talented Austrian singer-producer in his twenties. His sexy lyrics are played on a massive electro and dubstep base. Last year he had several sold-out gigs in Europe and he just came out with his new EP.
The newly confirmed names are mainly related to the line-up of the A38 and Arena venues. Among the acts of the huge Arena tent we can find Boys Noize, who plays fresh and energetic electro with a touch of techno. He is not only an internationally well-known producer and boss of his own label but also considered to be amongst the top 10 DJs by Rolling Stone Magazine.
Nicky Romero is known for his bombastic tracks and outlandish remixes. Even though he has a short but busy carrier, he has performed at the world’s leading concert venues and most visited electronic festivals. Now he is preparing for Sziget.
German electronic hip-hop combo Deichkind also accepted the invitation of the organizers. Beloved for crazy and wild live shows including rubbish bag-outfits, trampolines, vodka, and pillow fights among other things, their Sziget gig will surely be an unforgettable one.
Austria’s finest Parov Stelar Band – founders of the electro swing genre and one of the most beloved party bands at big festivals – will return to Hungary after their gig at VOLT Festival in the beginning of July. And adding to the party atmosphere of Sziget, Spanish techno icon Oscar Mulero will perform as well. Still considered as the biggest DJ of Spain he always follows current trends with a sense of tradition and innovation.
With its sweeping craziness, the success grimcore band among the youngest electronic music fans, Hadouken, will play at the A38 stage debuting with their new album ‘Every Weekend’, set to be released this February. The huge A38 tent will also host Belgian rockers Triggerfinger, known for both their traditional rock music of dynamism and tense pace combined with an emotional side. Another A38 stage performer, The Bots, will provide a pure and fresh sound without any artificial substances but an amazing rough background energy coming from their true guitar rock.
Of course the line-up of the Main Stage is also developing. Performing in a late-afternoon slot, Sziget welcomes German giants Die Arzte again. Their music is on the edge of punk and rock with matching satirical lyrics, so surely a great basis to start up a night of fun. Another late afternoon German addition to the line-up of the big venue will be Seeed, the reggae-dancehall formation which is undoubtedly the most well-known representative of their genre in the region.
Last but not least, the organizing team is happy to announce the Sziget debut of Azealia Banks, a young talent from Harlem, performing a daytime gig at the Main Stage. Some of the most important facts about her: at the “BBC Sound of 2012” contest she got the third place and also received the Philip Hall Radar Award at the NME Awards, together with the New Style Icon prize at the Billboards Awards.
Holland’s famous Kraak & Smaak will give a great live show at the Arena and there are four new additions to the line-up of the A38 stage, including Danish singer-songwriter Agnes Obel, beatbox phenomenon Beardyman, London’s finest Citizens! and Berlin-based punk crew, Bonaparte. Meet them together with fans from over 60 countries this summer in Budapest, between 6 and 13 August.
Maxïmo Park was formed in the early 2000’s, releasing their debut album in 2005, which got them a Mercury Prize nomination the same year. Since then, thanks to millions of sold albums and great live performances, the band belongs to the elite of the UK indie scene. Their new studio album, The National Health is scheduled for release this June.
The Roots will also join the 20th edition of Europe’s freshly crowned and completely renewed best major festival. In fact they were already active even at the times before Sziget started and the American East Coast crew collected several Grammy awards since then. They provide a great mixture of hip-hop, rock, pop, jazz and soul, clearly proving this on a total of 10 studio albums, but first and foremost playing live on stage.
Kraak & Smaak has been one of the most exciting export items of the Dutch music scene for the last 10 years, brilliantly mixing jazz, funk, soul and lounge patterns with electronica. Their sets are loose and elegant, full of great tunes and taste, cheered on by thousands of fans wherever they play.
Agnes Obel is probably the most talented contemporary female performer Denmark has to offer. A singer-songwriter who already won great awards and is known all over Europe by now, supporting her singing with piano harmonies and always keeping a simple, clean, melancholic but also very cozy musical attitude.
Darren Foreman, a.k.a. Beardyman is a hyperactive showman from the Babilon of Europe, London. He is hailed for his phenomenal beatbox technique and also his eccentric live loopings. BBC already crowned him „King of Sound and Ruler of Beats” and for the last few years he has been a regular performer at the biggest UK festivals.
Citizens!’ music is British from head to toe, keeping a discrete, intimate, synth-pop based line, but also including speedy guitar themes. The 5-piece combo will be proud the present their newest album, Here We Are, right at the best possible place, Sziget nr. 20.
Bonaparte is probably more spectacular than the guy who lent them his name. They are the flag ship of the current Berlin punk scene, famous for wild and shocking carnival-like performances that involve a number of actors, dancers and musicians on stage. Their new album „0110111 – Quantum Physics & A Horseshoe” came out recently.
Besides them, a solid electro-package will arrive on the A38 stage, while maybe the best news is that it’s less than 100 nights to sleep before the start of the 20th Sziget between 6-13 August in Budapest, Hungary.
It is all confirmed, America's most exciting contemporary rock band, The Killers will perform at Sziget, as they will be the headliners of the final festival day. Probably they are the most significant production of the entertainment industry from the Sin City of Las Vegas, even booked by US President Barack Obama for a gig at the White House. They sold over 15 million copies of their 3 unforgettable albums around the world. Currently, they are working on their fourth album, which will come out in the second half of 2012, and they will probably perform a few of those new songs at the 20th edition of Sziget Festival.
A notable electro-package is also confirmed for the festival’s A38 stage, which moves to a central place and will become bigger. Not to mention a new program feature: 2 world-renown DJs will throw a party there every night. Part of the package is Borgore, the golden boy DJ and producer from Israel who at the age of just twenty-four is already well known in the international network of dubstep.
The dynamic Italian grand masters of electro and fidget, the Crookers will also get to Budapest, while the Parisian drum’n’bass and electro house squad, Dirtyphonics will be here to present their unstoppable, unbelievably energetic live act.
The genius of Dj Fresh stems from his ability to connect with the underground drum and bass fans and come out with a radio friendly pop hit in the same time – if you were not aware, discover this at Sziget. Another great name in the line-up is Dope D.O.D, a Groningen-based hip-hop formation of three MC’s, Dopey Rotten, Skits Vicious and Jay Reaper, all of them with African and British origins. They play massive, crazy hardcore hip-hop music, but their sound of wicked groove and bizarre tone finds its own way in the horrorcore sub-universe.
Lincoln Barrett is a progressive drum’n’bass artist, DJ and producer, known by the name High Contrast in the scene. He will team up with MC Dynamite, one of the most popular MCs of this genre, so their joint Sziget party is something no one should miss. Tiga, the Canadian Juno award winner DJ and producer is one of the most renowned electronic musician of his country who reformed the North-American club culture in the 90’s. Half of his family is Hungarian, so he knows exactly what we need for a great electro party in this country. Azari & Ill, messengers of the resurrection of 80’s disco, swift electro, deep and Chicago house will also appear on Sziget this year. And the electro package wouldn’t be complete without the legendary German electro duo Modeselektor, right from Berlin, the heart of the European e-music scene.
The name Kakkmaddafakka is probably the best choice to represent the swift, cocky and unique music of twelve musicians whose performances are full of energy as they entertain the audience. E-musician-producer Andy Barlow and songstress Lou Rhodes form Lamb, creating the most ambitious and attractive downtempo music of the late 90’s and the early years of the millennium. Their numerous fans will be able to see them again after nine years at Sziget. Also in the line-up are TheBlack Seeds with their light, modern reggae music, reflecting positivity and optimism that helps to get the sweetest vibe at their shows.
The Wild Beasts are also gearing up for the festival with their slightly folk-rock influenced, sophisticated, fine and elegant guitar music, best defined as art-rock or even dream-pop – depending on the mood. And lovers of the Scandinavian metal scene will surely be happy with the crazy, energetic, yet melodic death metal played by Amon Amarth – now confirmed for Sziget.
We have new names in the Party Arena program as well, amongst them Flux Pavilion, a music-titan who made it to BBC's list of most promising bands and musicians this year. Also confirmed, British group Saint Etienne, who have been active for over twenty years without showing any signs of growing old, proving year after year that they are full of fresh and convincing ideas. This time they will fill a live slot at the Party Arena's electronic megatent.
And the list of new additions to our lineup wouldn’t be complete without Anti-Flag, an ultra-provocative, uncompromising punk band form Pittsburgh, famous for their fast paced songs with unsubtle social criticism and political activity. They will be pumping up the crowd of the Main stage in the early afternoon. Similarly, the seven female and four male member of Gocoo, today's strongest taiko-collective, will entertain the crowd with their set of fourty traditional Japanese drums.
Joining them also are Indie revelations Ting Tings, Norway’s coolest and sexiest Katzenjammer, LA underground hip-hop guru Flying Lotus, the soulful and inspiring Fink and the one and only Anna Calvi. All this and a lot more awaits fans from all over the world this summer, between 6-13 August in Budapest.
The 20th edition of Sziget Festival could give quite some excuse for getting lost in memories, but the Sziget team has always tried to present new stuff and keeps on doing so. Probably this is the only programming method that works for an event that is the unofficial world champion in the category of internationality – once again expecting fans from over 60 countries to the well know Danube island.
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Redfoo and SkyBlu are without any doubts the coolest party icons of these days. They teamed up to create LMFAO (you might wanna check what these five letters actually mean) and took over the planet with their unavoidable Party Rock Anthem. LMFAO is a role model for young kids around the world and started a tidal wave of shuffling in 2011.
London-based The xx have shown their potentials already in 2009 when releasing their debut LP. Their homemade album became platinum and created a huge buzz in some of the highest valued English media, while also earning them a Mercury Prize (given by the British Phonographic Industry).
Paolo Nutini has some Italian origins – hard to deny it with such a name – but lives and works in Scotland, and counts as one of the most talented singer-songwriters and a true titan of the folk-blues scene. 2006 saw the release of his debut album, These Streets, rocketing him to the top 3 of the British charts. His second LP came out in 2009 with the title Sunny Side Up.
"If The Libertines defined the start of the decade and Arctic Monkeys its middle, then Glasvegas are almost certainly going to define its end and beyond" – as stated by the New Musical Express. The impact of the Glasgow-based band in the UK and success of their debut album did not go unnoticed in North America either. See them for yourself at Sziget.
The Ting Tings means groovy guitar pop in a duo format, a joint venture of Katie White and Jules De Martino, the two members of the British indie combo. They have already sold millions of their first LP and are now promoting their 2012 Ivor Novello Award-winning record, Sounds of Nowhere.
The name Katzenjammer might awake memories of bad hangovers, but the four hot girls from the cold north are anything but depressed. The Oslo-based band is renown for cool and characteristic singing, playing more than 25 different instruments and mixing genres such as folk, pop, rock, country and Balkan music.
Flying Lotus is one of the most popular acts of the experimental electronic scene and a true representative of the LA underground hip-hop culture. Two years ago he earned an Independent Music Award with his third album, Cosmogramma, then backed it up with another IMA for the video of his 2011 single, MmmHmm.
Fin Greenall, aka Fink is a singer-songwriter from the UK, mixing his producer skills with romantic, human and thoughtful pieces and charismatic performances. He released five LPs during the last ten years, amongst them the 2011 album, Perfect Darkness, highly praised by many, including The Guardian.
Anna Calvi is another exciting and inspiring representative of the UK singer-songwriter scene, also proven by her Mercury Prize and BRIT Awards nominations in 2011 and 2012. Many think she’s the biggest prospect of the genre since Patti Smith, so you are right to expect something special from her also at Sziget.
It’s been 20 years since Korn rocketed on top of the metal world and the guys from California stayed there ever since. They already sold tens of millions of albums, won two Grammy awards and are generally considered as universal points of reference in the contemporary culture of rock/metal music. During their Sziget gig they plan to present the new LP, also considered as a dupstep-based metal craze, with the title ‘The Path of Totality’.
The Vaccines were reviewed by BBC as one of the biggest prospects of 2011 and the band lived up to expectations with their first album, ‘What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?’ The London-based indie rock guitar combo was already nominated for some of the biggest music awards of the continent and plan to start working on their new LP this March.
Dupstep heroes Artwork, Benga and Skream joined forces to create the legendary Magnetic Man formation and released their self-titled studio album in 2010, reaching instant success. 3 in 1 is always a good offer, so be prepared for another gigantic gig on Sziget.
Steve Aoki has Japanese roots, lives in California and by now he is regarded as a grand master of the electro house scene. ‘Wonderland’, his debut album was released this January, but he also made remixes for bands like Justice or Franz Ferdinand. The DJ and producer is the founder of the world famous Dim Mak Records.
For long years now it’s impossible to imagine DJ Magazine’s top DJ listings without finding Axwell’s name on them. He’s a member of the world famous Swedish House Mafia and counts as one of the most active contributors to the Scandinavian e-music scene.
Two Door Cinema Club is maybe the most lovable UK indie band these days. Easy going and guitar-centric, although not reluctant to some electronic sounds either. They’ve already played the biggest festivals and are currently working on their second studio album.
When it comes to combining fun and punk-rock, short but out-of-control kind of songs, you might wanna turn your heads towards Germany. Really!Beatsteaks has been existing for over 15 years, recorded 7 LPs and the ‘House of Fire’ track from their new album was even selected for the soundtrack of the third Transformers movie.
Antwerp-based immortal cult-rock act, dEUS is an all-time favorite for big festivals. One of the few bands who can perfectly evoke the anger and melancholy that is flooding from their studio recordings, also while playing live.
Synthesizers and machine-like guitar riffs, unbelievable pace and an industrial metal show that will simply blow your mind. That’s what you need to know about Ministry, announcing that after 3 years of silence they have recorded a new album and are ready to blitz the world once again.
Caro Emerald is the favorite singer and nr. 1. music export item of The Netherlands. The nu-jazz sensation has already won several big awards, combining groovin’ jazz with swing and tango, but doing so in a way that you will love her music even if you’re far from being a jazz fan.
Great voice, wonderful charisma and already a Grammy nomination to her name, these are the obvious words to describe Bebel Gilberto, also regarded as the ambassador of modern bossa nova. The Brazilian singer is mixing the Bahia region music with electronic patterns, while her latest LP, ‘All in One’ was nominated in ‘the best contemporary world music album’ category during the 2009 Grammys.
The Stone Roses were one of the pioneers of British guitar pop’s ‘Madchester’ era, ruling the scene of the late 80’s and early 90’s. Their comeback was announced in October 2011 and quickly hit major music media headlines with the plan of their forthcoming world tour. The first triple-gig of the tour is set for Heaton Park in Manchester, with the initial 2 nights selling out in less than 15 minutes. Not a bad sign, considering the capacity of 150.000. Another revealing piece of data: The Stone Roses record sales grew with an unbelievable 1000% after announcing the reunion.
Rumor has it that the band is already thinking about recording a new album, so you better prepare for a total conquest of The Stone Roses, peaking at the 20th Sziget Festival.
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!
