Sziget Festival Welcomes Mega Lineup After Three Year Hiatus

On Wednesday 10th of August 2022, Sziget festival opened its doors to hordes of festival goers excited to arrive at the Island of Freedom in Budapest after three years off. For this 28th edition, Sziget welcomed 450,000 people from over 100 countries to enjoy a rich lineup of performances that included Justin Bieber, Dua Lipa, Kings of Leon, Anne-Marie, Arctic Monkeys, and Tame Impala.

Sziget’s programme extended over six days with a huge selection of multi-genre music, theatre, panel talks, art workshops, and more, welcoming attendees of all ages. The Island of Freedom is an all-encompassing experience that invites revellers to ‘immerse themselves in a magical world’ of freedom, friendship and cultural discovery.

Californian singer-songwriter and all-around powerhouse Remi Wolf kicked the festival off at the main stage with an electric performance of all her fan favourites. Hailing from Sydney, music trio Rüfüs Du Sol followed – the trio demonstrating their expertise in combining live instrumentation with electronic beats. The first headliner of the festival, Dua Lipa (pictured above) delivered an immersive, pretty-in-pink and all-pumped-up performance that got the crowd dancing and singing throughout.

On day two, UK alt-indie rock band Bastille transported the crowd into a nostalgic dive of their music catalogue; lyrics were added on the screen for their latest tracks for a mini karaoke session that unified the whole festival. Nashville rockers Kings Of Leon took to the main stage for the final act of the day, giving nothing short of an incredible performance that included tracks such as Taper Jean Girl, The Bucket, Use Somebody and Closer.

Day three saw Northampton rapper Slowthai deliver a high-energy show at the FreeDome stage, while the hugely awaited headliner Justin Bieber (above) surprised fans with a set that was longer than expected, and that finished with an extended piano version of Peaches. Later on, Jungle filled up the FreeDome stage with their warm architectural light show and disco-inspired sounds bringing the masses into a collective dance trance that took them into the late hours of the night.

On day four, Lewis Capaldi entertained the main stage with his clever mix of humour and heartbreaking ballads, while Calvin Harris impressed with a set that included a blast of his most loved dance classics. At the FreeDome stage, British singer-songwriter Beabadoobee captured people's imagination with her own interpretation of ‘90s-inspired alt rock.

Day five saw British superstar Anne-Marie take over the main stage with an all-female band and inflatable bear decorations to perform some of her biggest hits to a huge crowd. Later in the evening, Tame Impala delivered one of their most memorable shows to date – one that included an impressive lighting and visual display that took everyone on a psychedelic trip. At the FreeDome stage, Caribou and their full band got the crowd dancing with an energetic live set, while Steve Aoki erupted into the Ticketswap Party Arena to blow dance fans away with some of his celebrated classics, as well as tunes from his upcoming album HiROQUEST.

On the final day of the festival, rising star Holly Humberston warmed up a huge crowd ahead of Arctic Monkeys on the main stage. The Sheffield band came with their old-school rocky vibes with Alex Turner wearing his classic leather jacket and sunglasses on stage. At midnight, post-punk Irish band Fontaines D.C. took over the FreeDome stage to deliver a loud and powerful set. Electronic music lovers got the chance to close the festival with the beats of the Colosseum and Ticketswap party arena – Elrow was an epic display of colour, sound and vibrant decorations.

Sziget festival will come back to the Island of Freedom, Budapest between the 9th and the 14th of August 2023.