7 spots at the Sziget Festival to discover Hungarian culture

 Hungaricum Village

A small hub of Hungarian culture is found in the heart of the Island of Freedom, presenting national values, traditional Magyar customs, and Hungaricums. The Hungaricum Village has a special theme every year, and considering that Budapest’s Sziget Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, this wonderful little village focuses on birthdays this year – including the Hungarian Open Air Museum in Szentendre (aka Skanzen), which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2017, and thus awaits Szitizens with a special tent here. During the day, revelers can attend arts and crafts workshops where they can make special birthday presents, try folk-art activities, get their hair braided in traditional styles, fill out a quiz and solve seemingly impossible Magyar logic puzzles for special prizes, and even climb into an oversized wooden cradle. Furthermore, cut-out peasant houses, oversized fixtures, folklore installations, dance performances, and cool Hungarian games further enhance this time-transcending experience – and when the sun sets, popular open dance instructions entice everyone to join the Magyar motion in the small wooden barn that is the centerpiece of this village, where professional folk dancers teach everyone how to step to traditional tunes in the style of centuries past. People of different nations unite at this mind-boggling old-school party scene, where the atmosphere is truly amazing as the wooden walls of the barn tremble with stomping spirit. More details

NGO Island

Several small white tents await Szitizens at the NGO Island, aiming to present regional organizations striving to support worthy causes, while making their work accessible to open-minded festivalgoers. Just to mention a few truly interesting spots here, revelers can meet living heroes of Hungary’s 1956 Revolution, who were less than 20 years old when they fought the dreaded Soviet occupiers. You can take pictures with these brave military men, as well as with contemporary weapons. Hungary’s Intercultural Dialogue Foundationpromotes open communication between cultures, teaching basics of the infamously unique Hungarian language while aiming to present Magyar culture to young people. Several exciting interactive programs are held here, teaching Szitizens enough Hungarian phrases to survive in the Magyar metropolis, offering them cool Hungarian quizzes, and encouraging them to talk to each other about important topics. The volunteers of the National Textbook project and the index-link publication collect stereotypes about Hungarians from visitors of the festival. Furthermore, in addition to programs with a Hungarian connection, you can find several other cool activities here, such as creative “homebuilding” which helps present the everyday struggle of homeless people, or you can become an animal-rights activist, discover your hidden values in a cooperative game, and find out how corrupt you really are. More details

ArtZone

ArtZone is the most creative spot at Sziget, where those with a talented hand can enjoy creating amazing art during the daytime. Szitizens have the chance to participate in a liberating detox yoga session here twice a day, at 11am and 4pm, as well as in several artistic activities that entertain crowds all day, while also admiring modern artworks by Magyar visionaries. Creative minds can make new products from a wide range of recycled materials and objects at Deák 17 Gallery & Artlocator, learn the basics of DIY and make small but useful objects like a relaxing chair, a beer holder, or a flower vase at Technika, unique cocktail bucket helmets at Art Label Budapest, their own Island of Freedom Flag at cARTc, a cool choker necklace, bracelet, or wristband from real leather at Piszli, or feel fabulous while emblazoned with rainbow unicorn make-up. There are so many intriguing interactive workshops here that you will surely not leave this place with something really special you made. More details

Cinema Hungary Tent

The Sziget Festival joined forces with the Hungarian National Film Fund this year in creating the Cinema Hungary / TEDx Club Tent, where major Magyar-made motion pictures from recent years screen daily in Hungarian with English subtitles. This evening at 11pm, movie maniacs can head to the tent to watch Well, a Hungarian drama that takes place within the course of three days at a remote petrol station. The film revolves around a young man who is reunited with his father, whom he hasn’t seen for some 30 years, as well as four prostitutes whose van breaks down at the same station on the way to Switzerland. This unlikely encounter changes the lives of these people forever. Then at 3pm tomorrow, 1945 brightens up the screen, presenting a day in 1945 when the life of simple Hungarian villagers is completely stirred up when two Orthodox Jews unexpectedly arrive at the train station with mysterious boxes. Guilt about their ill-gotten gains – and the fear of losing them – overwhelm the villagers who moved into the abandoned properties of Jews who were deported during World War II, and by the end of the day, everything changes… More details

WAMP Design Fair

WAMP, a beloved Hungarian design fair that occurs in Budapest every month, set up stalls at Sziget for a week, presenting the best products of the hippiest Hungarian designers in cool and colorfully funky wooden houses created by Hello Wood. Selected collections showcase the best festival outfits, accessories, and bags that get you ready to rock the party in a truly unique Magyar-made outfit that later on will be a wonderful memory to take home with you. WAMP also goes beyond being a regular design fair by creating a community of creative and trendsetting young people and fashion fans, where all kinds of miracles can happen. From unique souvenirs to the latest collections of both renowned and up-and-coming designer brands to eco-friendly pieces, there are plenty of modern treasures to discover for those who peek in here. Furthermore, festivalgoers can also get some fabulous glitter body painting done here, making them stand out from the crazy crowd. More details

Museum Quarter

Countless mini-exhibits and interactive activities await culture-loving Szitizens at the Museum Quarter, where the tents of various Magyar museums stand side-by-side. The Aquincum Museum, the Military History Institute and Museum of the Ministry of Defence, the Museum of Applied Arts, the kArton Caricature and Cartoon Museum, the Hungarian House of Photography, the Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center, the Hungarian Museum of Science, Technology and Transport, the Hungarian National Museum, the Hungarian Natural History Museum, and the Museum of Ethnography all represent themselves with exciting interactive programs and many unknown facts. These mini exhibits are free to visit at Sziget, but you can also visit all of the aforementioned museums in Budapest with a 50% discount until the end of August with an intact Sziget daily ticket or pass, as well as with your CITYPASS between August 5-17. More details
Hungarian food booths

Last but not at least, if you would like to sate more than your cultural appetite, head to any of the many food stalls that sell classic Hungarian meals. We recommend trying lángos – a classic Hungarian treat of deep-fried dough with a crispy exterior and soft middle, topped with various delights like garlic butter, sour cream, and shredded cheese – which is a perfect remedy for a hard hangover. For a more modern Magyar meal, the succulent sausage-filled bread cones of Kolbice are a perfect fusion of Hungarian flavors, while a hearty goulash soup will surely fill up your belly for hours. Furthermore, if you wish to take the first steps to appreciating the colorful drink culture of the Magyars, you can try Hungarian pálinka brandy at the Rézangyal Fruit bar and at various pálinka points, or Unicum – a Hungarian herbal liquor or bitter – at the Unikum Bar, and the finest reds, whites, and sparkling wines at the Wine Village, where excellent bottles of several Hungarian wine regions are showcased.