He wrote it won't happen because the two largest factions in the city council, Tisza and Fidesz, have made that decision.

"Today’s Budapest City Assembly session is different from all the previous ones in at least one clear way: it is now causing tangible harm to the city.

It’s important that we learn from this (non) decision, to confront and acknowledge what it reveals about responsibility, governance, humility, expertise, trust, and, more broadly, the future of this city and country.

For now, all I can say is this: I tried, we did everything we could, and I am sorry."

His post in Hungarian is available here.

MTI reports:

Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony had submitted a proposal which the council voted down, with 13 votes in favour and 19 abstentions. Representatives of the ruling Fidesz-Christian Democrats and the opposition Tisza Party abstained from voting, while Tisza councillor Judit Barna did not vote.

The future of the Sziget festival became uncertain after the CEO of Sziget Zrt sent a letter initiating the termination of the agreement between the capital and Sziget, as reported by Karacsony on Oct 13.

On the same day, it was also revealed that the owners of Sziget Zrt had contacted the festival's founder, Karoly Gerendai, offering him the opportunity to continue running the event.

At this Wednesday's meeting of the Budapest general assembly, Karacsony said that Sziget was an important cultural asset and tourist attraction that also has an impact on the capital's economy.

Ambrus Kiss, director general of the Mayor's Office, said the event generates 31 billion forints (EUR 80m) in direct revenue for the national economy, and the organiser pays 200 million forints in business tax

- 54 percent of which remains with the capital and 46 percent with the districts, while the spas and the Budapest Transport Centre also generate significant additional revenue during this period.

David Vitezy of the Podmaniczky Movement said Sziget is one of Budapest's cultural and export products and also serves local young people.

Kata Tutto of the Socialists party said that saving the Sziget festival was in Budapest's interest, and Gerendai was "taking a huge personal risk", and the general assembly must also take a risk because "there is no super-safe path."

Andrea Bujdoso, leader of the Tisza Party group, said that everyone wanted Sziget to continue, but there were differences of opinion on how this should happen.

She said there was no obstacle to Gerendai buying the company that holds the public space use permit for 2026, in which case nothing would prevent the festival from being held. 

She added that if the general assembly agreed to terminate the current contract, the capital would lose the revenue specified in it and could be accused of negligence, as it would be giving up legitimate revenue in favor of a private investor. 

She said Tisza's amendment proposal was that the state should be asked to reimburse the capital for its lost revenue.

Tibor Deri of the Democratic Coalition called it an "absolutely brilliant idea" to expect help from "a government that is taking away from the capital and not even fulfilling signed contracts".

He added that an honest, transparent, and responsible decision would be needed "relatively quickly" if they wanted to save Sziget.

Fidesz councillor Bela Radics said they could not risk the money of Budapest residents and give it to an American company with no guarantees, especially one that had revenues of 7,300 billion forints last year.

As soon as there were guarantees and assurances that the people of Budapest would get what they were entitled to, "we will gladly agree to continue", he said.

Gerendai said the organiser had announced that there would be no Sziget next year, "so there is no need to vote on it." 

He added that it was worth considering whether the capital would be able to successfully sue for the 220 million forints in public space usage fees, and that if there was no Sziget, there would be no other income for either the capital or the state. 

Terminating the current land use agreement would give Sziget a chance to happen and generate revenue, Gerendai said.

After the session, Gerendai told reporters that he did not see any solution, and "it seems that a door has closed."

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