The mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony, previously said on Facebook that he had received a letter in which the festival was “forced to terminate the contract between the city and Sziget.” According to the mayor, it would have been a business decision by the investor of the festival, which had been in financial distress for some time.
“While Budapest does not have to interfere with the business affairs of a private company, the city must be committed to the long-term survival of the Sziget Festival. I hope that the cancellation does not mean the end of an era, but rather the hope of a new beginning,” the mayor wrote in the message.
And that restart has now happened after negotiations. The organization announced in a press release that Sziget and Superstruct have reached an agreement about the future of the festival. An agreement has also been reached with the municipality of Budapest on the lease of the island where the festival will be held.
Ticket sales for Sziget start Friday, November 7 at 12 noon. The pop festival will take place next year August 11 to 15 on Óbuda Island. The festival also attracts many visitors from the Netherlands and Belgium every year.