Best of Budapest & Hungary

One of Europe's largest festivals is back in Hungarian hands. Sziget will begin organizing the 2026 event with its current management and organizing team, under the strategic leadership of its founder, Károly Gerendai, according to a press release issued by the event. This will allow Sziget, once again as an independent festival, to further strengthen its position at the forefront of the international market as a unique event, emphasizing its uniqueness and former values.

    The organizers have announced that next year's Sziget is planned to take place between August 11 and 15, 2026. After the capital's political factions gave their positive opinion, removing the obstacle to Sziget's long-term land lease, an agreement was reached whereby Károly Gerendai will take over Sziget Plc., the company that operates the festival, from London-based Superstruct Entertainment.

    As Gerendai said, "the ownership structure of Sziget Plc. will continue to evolve in the coming weeks, as negotiations are ongoing with the management and the festival's major subcontractors and partners, with whom we plan to jointly finance the festival. Budapest Park will be the first to join as a professional investor, and we will certainly be working closely with them."

    According to Tamás Kádár, the company's CEO, the arrival of founder Gerendai marks another major milestone in the life of the Sziget Festival. "Sziget can remain one of Europe's most significant festivals, preserving the values it has represented for more than three decades and reinforcing the special appeal that elevates Sziget to a different league in the European festival market. Karcsi's return and the professional collaboration he wants to bring to life can give new impetus to this with the unique vision with which he dreamed up Sziget and actively shaped its first 25 years," Kádár said.

    Although Károly Gerendai withdrew from festival life eight years ago, he has been watching the market from afar and is returning with clear ideas on strategic issues, which he hopes to implement with the help of the current management and the company's experts, and he would like to draw on additional knowledge to this end. "Listening to outside opinions, to professionals who view the festival market from different perspectives, can contribute a lot to renewal," he said.