Sombr and Dijon ripped up the rulebook on day one at Sziget Festival 2026

In partnership with Sziget Festival Words: Jordan Bassett and Rhian Daly Not for nothing is Sziget Festival held on a stretch of land dubbed ‘The Island of Freedom’. This is truly a place in which to get lost. Punters access the island via a bridge adorned with colourful bird sculptures, only to be greeted by a marching band clad in suits decorated with flashing LED lights, before working their way through a wonderland that features, among many other attractions, its own fairground. We’re not in Kansas – or indeed Budapest – any more. Even before you get to the world-class acts (as it celebrates its 33rd birthday, the festival has attracted the likes of Florence + the Machine, Lewis Capaldi, Sombr and Twenty One Pilots), there’s plenty to stumble upon here. Punishing darkwave? An elderly man crooning away at a piano in the woods? Sziget has you covered. As we pick up the pieces of our tiny minds, here’s the lowdown on day one. JB Sombr celebrated a career milestone How do you headline a festival with just one 37-minute album and a handful of loosies? If you’re Sombr, you show no fear in roping in superstar mates and running up your tracks more than once. New Yorker Shane Boose tick...