Tom Odell and Kylie Minogue: A Thrilling Start to Sziget 2024

Jordy Stuivenberg | August 8, 2024 | Festival, Live Review, Sziget | No Comments

From the goosebumps caused by Tom Odell to the nostalgia with Kylie Minogue, from sweating on a scorching festival ground to Marc Rebillet performing on stage in his underwear—Sziget 2024’s first day had it all, once again proving why this is one of Europe’s most popular festivals.

As soon as you approach the bridge to Óbuda Island, you literally step into another world—a world that revolves around music, freedom, and enjoying the coolest acts. This year, artists like Fred again, Liam Gallagher, Martin Garrix, Halsey, and Louis Tomlinson are making their way to Budapest, but on the first day of Sziget, the Main Stage was reserved for Tom Odell, Fisher, and Kylie Minogue.

Emotions ran high, with Odell captivating the crowd with his heartfelt lyrics, often leaving the audience breathless, while Fisher had the entire field dancing to his biggest hits, and everyone sang along loudly to Kylie’s well-known repertoire. It might sound a bit cliché, but Odell’s live performance of “Another Love” was the most impressive, especially when the crowd sang every word. All it took was the British singer and a piano to give everyone goosebumps, even in over 30-degree heat.

The Australian DJ Fisher drew even more people towards the Main Stage, where the large sound tower in the center had been replaced by two smaller ones, placed at an angle in front of the stage. This allowed even more people to stand directly in front of the stage, and that was certainly the place to be for Fisher and Kylie. Fisher’s energetic house beats were complemented by amazing and often humorous visuals, in which he often played the lead role.

Fisher’s roof-raising set made it all the more noticeable that Kylie’s performance took a bit longer to really get going, despite an entrance filled with fireworks. The first half hour was much quieter, and it was clear that not everyone was familiar with her more recent work. The overlap with Joost’s performance also played a role, as many Dutch attendees preferred to watch his show. Later, the field filled up completely, and with her biggest hit, “Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” Kylie got everyone dancing.

Speaking of Joost, the Dutch boundary-pushing Eurovision Song Contest-disqualified singer was also present in Hungary this year. He had the chance to tear down the Revolut Stage tent, and he did a great job. The predominantly Dutch crowd went wild for the humour, chaos, and powerful beats that Joost is known for. When he started “Europapa” (with the accompanying dance), the tent transformed into a seething mass of people, including mosh pits in front of the stage.

Sziget continued deep into the night, and those who stuck around in the Revolut tent were treated to a bizarre yet unique performance by Frenchman Marc Rebillet at 12:30 AM. He appeared on stage in nothing but black underwear and sent the crowd into a frenzy with his beats, improvisations, and absurd humour.