Sziget Festival attendance declines amid organizational and economic challenges

Sziget Festival founder Károly Gerendai reported a decline in attendance this year, with estimates placing the number of visitors between 350,000 and 360,000, compared to 416,000 last year. Gerendai identified three primary reasons for the lower turnout and increased losses: a four-month delay in the organization and ticket sales process, the strengthening of the Hungarian forint which increased costs for international visitors, and concerns among Hungarian ticket buyers regarding extreme heat, drought, and power supply stability.

While international attendance decreased, the proportion of Hungarian visitors rose to 53 percent of the total audience. To cater to this domestic demographic, the festival introduced a dedicated stage in collaboration with Budapest Park, featuring local artists and a lineup that serves as a retrospective of Hungarian music history. This shift marks a change in the festival's focus toward the domestic market following a period of ownership transition and political debate.