HATC SAMPLE EDITION:    Politics & Foreign Relations    Economic News    Business News    Other News of Interest    All stories	24th September, 2026 Sziget may seek state support Sziget Festival founder and returning owner Károly Gerendai said he may seek state support to secure the event’s future, HVG reports. Speaking at a GKI conference on Wednesday, Gerendai said his priority was to rebuild Sziget’s international appeal, targeting growth of at least 30%, and ideally 50%, in international attendance within a year. Without a strong recovery, he said, state support would merely keep the festival afloat rather than provide a long-term solution. The festival’s foreign owner announced its withdrawal last October after several loss-making years. Gerendai subsequently established a company to take over Sziget and, after negotiations with Budapest and the government, succeeded in staging the festival in August. Attendance was weaker than expected, however, resulting in a substantial loss. Sources regularly consulted, with abbreviations used in text: Népszabadság (N); Magyar Hírlap (MH); Világgazdaság (VG); Napi Gazdaság (NG); Magyar Nemzet (MN); Népszava (Nsz); Kossuth Rádió news (KR); nightly TV news (TV).
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