Sziget has it all, even Kylie (for dads like me!)
Kylie – who’s Kylie?’ my 16year old daughter asked.
‘Padam, padam,’ her younger brother chimed as he danced across the room and knocked out a beat on the bread bin.
‘Oh yeah,’ the daughter said, recognition dawning across her face. ‘She’s old though, even older than you, Dad.’
But my mind was elsewhere.
‘Ahhh Helloooo,’ she said mockingly, waving an exaggerated hand before my eyes. ‘I saaaid – she’s older than you.’
It was no use. I was gone. The mere mention of the diminutive Australian’s name had spun my mind into a parallel orbit – one revolving around a glittering disco ball and a certain pair of golden hot pants.
Now you might think this episode, which took place this week in our kitchen, was sparked by the announcement that Kylie will headline The Electric Picnic this summer.
But what good would that be?
The Laois festival has been sold out since before the last one finished. You couldn’t go even if you wanted to – unless, perhaps, you’re a certain former, just-retired Taoiseach and you get on Kylie’s guest list. But there are other options and one in particular – Budapest’s Sziget
Festival – is a long-time favourite of my music-mad brood.
This year Kylie will be the opening night’s headline act at this mammoth Hungarian event a week or so before she comes to Ireland – and there’ll be no problem getting tickets.
One of the world’s biggest and most vibrant music and cultural events, the Sziget festival is close to 10 times bigger than Electric Picnic so it has room for everyone. In Hungarian ‘Sziget’ means island and the festival takes its name from a shipyard-turned-park on an island in the Danube just a short tram or boat ride from the city centre. With 600,000 attendees over six days, it would even dwarf Glastonbury and California’s Coachella festival put together – with enough room left over to swallow up every Irish festival you could think of.
Yet it takes place in the centre of a civilised European capital with perfect public transport where a double hotel room in a threestar hotel for seven days costs about €600.
To put that in context the cheapest yurt – marketing speak for a piece of canvas held upright – for two at Electric Picnic once you beat your way through hours of tailbacks to get in and out of the rural Laois event, is advertised at €1,385-€1,740 for a single weekend. And that’s if you can get your hands on a fancy tent at all. Currently they are all booked.
Don’t get me wrong, my family all love Electric Picnic too and we had a ball there last summer.
But you just can’t compete with Sziget when it comes to value for money, comfort, ease of access, safety and an all-round world-class event in a glorious location that has all the same artists as any other festival.
This year – Kylie aside – headliners on the main stage include Halsey, Liam Gallagher, Raye, Martin Garrix, Sam Smith, Tom Odell, Stormzy, Fred Again, Louis Tomlinson and more.
Irish acts include Fontaines DC and Kojaque.
But with hundreds of artists from 47 countries due to perform on as many as 60 stages each day, it’s the random discoveries I always look forward to. Nevertheless, in order to maintain a semblance of predictability, I might even check out Kylie and dance like the embarrassing dad I am duty bound to be.
Full six-day Sziget festival passes cost €279 for those aged under 21, and €339 for oldies like me. Kids under 11 are free. Day passes cost €85.
See szigetfestival.com