Ambient pop band Cigarettes After Sex and American rapper Desiigner are among the sea of performers hitting the A38 stage for Sziget 2018. A special tent set up by the cargo boat-cum-Budapest concert locale has been broadening the festival offering for a decade. Between August 9th-15th, this major performance venue on Óbuda Island hosts emerging artists and well-known bands, including guitarist and bluesman Seasick Steve and Wolf Alice, an alternative rock formation recently nominated for the prestigious 2018 Mercury Prize.

Budapest’s biggest summer extravaganza kicks off on August 8th when the likes of Stormzy, Lykke Li and Kendrick Lamar hit the Dan Panaitescu stage of Sziget. However, this main platform for shows is not the only venue for prominent concerts during the festival. The following day, the candy-coloured A38 tent is unveiled to provide a week-long mix of music to revellers.

After the opening show by Copenhagen-based WhoMadeWho, the Unknown Mortal Orchestra take the stage on Thursday at 6:30pm. This experimental ensemble have recently been venturing into the world of funk inspired by Prince, while their live shows are intertwined with more than a pinch of rock music. They are followed by Cigarettes After Sex, bringing melancholic-yet-intimate noir pop tunes to the Sziget audience.

On the same night, Seasick Steve will alter a few perceptions by playing his DIY guitars from 10pm, while German DJ Alle Farben spins hits after 1:30am. Friday afternoon, good-time gatherings start again at the A38 stage, with Shame from 4:45pm. Debut album Songs of Praise by this post-punk formation was released earlier this year, and the south-London band are now considered one of the most promising for 2018.

Then vlogger-cum-metal rapper Scarlxrd screams his heart out, combining trap music and heavy metal. For some of his videos, the Wolverhampton performer was filming in the Hungarian capital and who knows, maybe Sziget scenes will be next on the artist’s list of filmic settings...

For that night’s finale, electronica master Perturbator will create an interesting medley of music usually heard in video games, horror movies, all blended with industrial tunes. The name behind this unorthodox project, James Kent, has been a popular act at major events, including Roadburn in The Netherlands, Czech Republic’s Brutal Assault and the UK-based Download Festival.

On Saturday, kaleidoscopic tunes by Everything Everything, Fink’s emotionally charged acoustic features and Borgore’s basses should keep most music fans entertained. The fun continues with the entrancing soprano of Scando electro-pop artist AURORA and a house selection by the Grammy-nominated ZHU.

Sunday is for indie-rock band Wolf Alice, punk-rock duo Slaves, and Australian psychedelic rock ensemble King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. But, Sziget szitizens can also look forward to the exponent of popular song Panda,Desiigner, sophisti-pop and R&B artist Rhye and Jan Blomqvist, whose music is often considered as "a mix of Radiohead, Bodi Bill, Muse Stephan Bodzin and James Holden".

The last two days of the festival involve an equally exciting line-up within the A38 tent. Monday, My Baby’s shaman rock, La Femme’s retro-futurist synth-pop and Chet Faker’s soul-infused R&B hits should get everyone moving. The A38 will be setting sail from the Sziget with shows by Fever Ray, Nothing But Thieves and Gorgon City on Tuesday.

For more information about the festival schedule, including shows at the A38 tent, visit the Sziget website.