Every year, Sziget Festival transforms Budapest’s Óbuda Island into the Island of Freedom. First established over 30 years ago, it now welcomes hundreds of thousands of punters – alongside A-list popstars and world-class bands – for a week of revelry.
For its 2026 instalment, Szitizens were treated to megawatt pop shows, huge party-starting DJs, the best in new music, on a festival site that’s part concert venue, part whimsical playground filled with stunning art installations. We joined the fun for the first three of the festival’s five full days of music. Here’s what went down…
TUESDAY
Travelling to site on Tuesday – the festival’s first full day of music – is a lengthy process, with gridlocked queues of revellers into the main festival site delaying entry. But once you’ve crossed over the bridge decked out in colourful ribbons and birds, and flashed your ID to pick up your wristband, you’re welcomed by a maximalist wonderland. The festival site is usually a leafy public park, but for the week it’s transformed into the Island of Freedom, with vibrant light displays, lantern-adorned trees and hundreds of performers.
One of the biggest of these performances might just be Zara Larsson. The crowd that surrounds Sziget’s Main Stage is a testament to the pop star’s trajectory over the past 12 months. With her stellar fifth studio album ‘Midnight Sun’ (released September 2025), Zara’s had a game changing year. Leaning into the playful maximalist aesthetic, and releasing belter after belter, it’s not clear when her never ending midnight sun will end.
Thousands of punters decked out in glitzy outfits inspired by the artist are spilling out around the stage, eagerly trying to catch a glimpse of her onstage. Moments that have gone viral on social media over and over delight, like the now-iconic ‘Lush Life’ choreo which sees her bring two fans onstage to join her (one dressed as a dolphin, a la the memes of her Clean Bandit collaboration ‘Symphony’).
It’s pure pop perfection, from an artist who’s grafted for over a decade and now is rightfully being paid her flowers.
Later on, on the same stage, Sombr begins his set with a starry cameo: arriving with the star of the moment Zara Larsson and her dancers in a minivan, Sombr helps them climb out one by one and clinks glasses of tropical cocktails with Zara, before he walks onstage.
Blitzing through tracks from his 2025 record ‘I Barely Know Her’, the 21-year-old artist is appreciative of the moment: “This is my first time playing a festival in Europe…and I’m headlining it!” he grins. And who can deny that playing synth-pop hit ’12 to 12′ twice to finish, isn’t tons of fun.
For Szitizens keen to kick-start a night of dancing until the sun rises, Jazzy is on hand to provide the soundtrack. Playing the Yettel Colosseum, a circular venue with an impressive light show ideal for late night revelry, the crowd rapidly fills up, following the siren call to the dancefloor. It’s an electric set, with particular highlights including a phenomenal remix of the Macarena.
WEDNESDAY
Wednesday plays host to a rockier line-up: Biffy Clyro pull out all the stops for their rip-roaring set, and later in the night the Skeleton Clique turn out en masse for Twenty One Pilots. The latter put on a megawatt show, filled with pyro, the two band members scaling various parts of the stage and huge sing-a-longs (the bridge of ‘Tear in My Heart’ a particularly unifying moment). Plus there’s a video cameo from Jack White, who gives punters the pre-recorded message of: “Hi, I’m Jack White, and I give Tyler and Josh permission to do this song,” ahead of the band’s cover of ‘Seven Nation Army’.
Elsewhere on the Revolut Stage, Natasha Bedingfield offers something totally different. You can barely get into the tent to see the British pop legend, fans squeezing in to join the fun. Her voice soars, and the show is littered with starry covers (an electric rendition of The Cranberries ‘Zombie’, and Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ are particular standouts). But really, it’s her stone-cold smashes the audience are here for: ‘These Words’ shines, and the mass chorus singing to ‘Unwritten’ is a goosebump-inducing festival highlight.
Later, German pop-provocateur Ikkimel keeps the party going on The Buzz. An electric performance of filthy tunes and industrial techno production for fans of Slayyyter or Confidence Man, it’s wicked fun. “Do you do mosh pits here?” she asks revellers politely at one point, “For my next song I actually need a huge mosh pit!” The crowd can only obey.
Next door on the Revolut Stage, Ashnikko transports the throng to “Smoochie World”, the fantastical world of her second record ‘Smoochies’. “I’m going to put on a little performance for you tonight,” they announce early on, and continue to deliver on this promise. It’s a brilliant fever-dream, filled with vibrant visuals and organised chaos. There’s creative choreo (Ashnikko is flanked by two dancers throughout), shoutouts to Bilbo Baggins (“he did a brave thing!”), and celebrations of the miniskirt (“for me, the most important tool in my tool kit is an itty bitty, teeny, tiny, little, slutty skirt,” they reflect before earworm ‘Itty Bitty’), in another triumph from the artist.
THURSDAY
Opening the Main Stage on Thursday, Paris Paloma offers a balm to woozy, hungover heads on the Main Stage. Performing in the bright sunshine, it’s a lush performance of the Brit artist’s intriguing alt-pop, fans creeping out from their shady spots to watch. A moody cover of Nelly Furtado ‘Maneater’ is excellent, and a powerhouse rendition of ‘Good Girl’ sees her run down the catwalk and encourage the crowd to jump.
Celebrating her new record ‘The Fatal Flaw’ (“this album is the thing in my life I’ve ever felt most creatively fulfilled by”) set for release next month, Paloma also gives the Sziget crowd an exclusive, revealing a new tune will drop the next day. Finishing with 2023’s viral smash ‘Labour’ – which sees the crowd swell as groups of women run to belt back the empowering tune – it’s a gorgeous start to the day.
Paloma is followed on the Main Stage by Loyle Carner, whose performance in the early evening is an utter delight. Highlights come in the form of the gorgeous ‘Ottolenghi’, a perfect soundtrack as the sun gradually starts to dip.
The Revolut stage plays host to Black Country, New Road, for a charming performance of their intriguing genre-spanning tunes; and later Fcukers offer something entirely different in the same venue. The US party-starters provide slinky electronic anthems, blowing away any remaining cobwebs of last night’s merrymaking. Highlights come in the stomping ‘Homie Don’t Shake’ and electric ‘Bon Bon’, in one of the festival’s best sets.
Headliner Florence + The Machine deals another smash-hit of a show, with a stunning, hit-stacked setlist of lush baroque pop. It’s all imbued with witchy magic – be that through Florence Welch’s red gown that billows behind her as she traverses the stage, her “witch choir” of dancers (a recent – and excellent! – addition to the band’s live show) who provide additional ethereal routines, or when Welch encourages the audience to make offerings, by hoisting pals on their shoulders for a song. She’s typically charming, too. “This song almost didn’t make it as I thought I was too old to be writing songs about people not texting me back,” she jokes before ‘Buckle’.
It’s a wonder to behold, Welch’s beautiful and distinctive vocals soaring over her band. The poignant ‘Hunger’ is emotive and powerful, the roaring ‘What Kind of Man’ channels female rage to live catharsis, and the jubilant ‘Dog Days Are Over’ is pure joy. It’s a truly spellbinding performance.
