Don't sleep on this lot. Words: Ali Shutler. Photos: Frances Beach. There's always a lot of brilliant stuff happening at Sziget 2024. From the near-constant rave happening in the dance corner of The Island Of Freedom to the firework-strewn shenanigans of the main stages via brilliant new bands making their own mark on the festival, the six-day event is jam-packed with an awful lot of brilliance. There's so much good stuff going on; we're very thankful we booked a nearby Ibis hotel to try and catch our breath. Good content like this needs a good night's sleep, after all.
Ahead of a massive review of the entire event, we've cherry-picked some of the sets that blew our minds so you a) know what you missed and b) can make sure it doesn't happen again. We're nice like that.
Louis Tomlinson From regular stadium tours with One Direction to his own sold-out headline shows, Louis Tomlinson hasn't exactly had much time for festivals. He admits this to the crowd early on during his Saturday evening slot, before quickly delivering the sort of rowdy rock show that's made for these unpredictably wonderful environments. The ambitious, heartfelt indie of 'Faith In The Future' makes up a bulk of the show and gives the set a real sense of swagger, while glistening covers of 1D's 'Drag Me Down' and 'Night Changes' only added to the gleeful sense of community he's created. This may have been one of his first festival performances, but don't expect it to be the last.
Stormzy "It doesn't matter if you don't know who I am or if you're into this type of music or not; we're all here for the same reason," explains Stormzy, wanting this set to be an unforgettable memory for everyone present. "If you give me a little bit of energy, I'll give you everything I've got," he promises. From that moment, he has the ever-growing crowd in the palm of his hand. From snotty, cocksure tracks like 'Big For Your Boots' and 'Clash' to the more tender 'Blinded By Your Grace, Pt. 2', the 75-minute set is a boisterous grime party that makes everyone feel included. Stormzy has already made a name for himself via celebratory sets at both Reading & Leeds and Glastonbury, but he attacks the stage of Sziget with something to prove and ends up delivering another undeniable triumph.
