Széchenyi István University had a sensational weekend: the most popular performers of the country followed each other in a row on the stage of the Bridge Student and Teacher Club. On Friday Beton.Hofi and Azahriah rocked the audience, and on Saturday the festival ended with an astonishing performance of the Bagossy Brothers Company. In this article, we find out what makes the Széchenyi University Days different from other festivals, and we also look at what makes SZEN an unforgettable experience for the students.

Although the capricious April weather did not favour the Széchenyi University Days (SZEN) in the beginning, by the end of the week spring had arrived on the Győr campus, so everything was in place for the perfect festival atmosphere. The campus had a vibrant atmosphere both literally and figuratively during those days: the Helix Event Office made sure that the students had a fantastic time during the daytime programmes, while the Kollégiumi Stúdio was responsible for the sound system in the "chill park".

“Chill Park” was the centre for the daytime programmes in the SZEN. (Photo: Márton Horváth)

The organisers have arranged at least one - but preferably two lectures each day, to which they have invited both nationally renowned influencers and university alumni.

Thursday's special guest at the campus was Bence Meizer, who presents the world of school in his TikTok videos with a large amount of humour. Bence graduated as a primary school teacher at Széchenyi István University. On Friday, Barna Baranyai, also an an alumni student of the Faculty of Apáczai Csere János, made his audience laugh. The performance of Presi, alias Martin Győri - the former president of the Student Council

 of the Faculty of Arts was also held in the chill park on Friday. The band called "Kóklerek" performing in the event also has university ties, as several members of the band were or are students of the institution.

Barna Baranyai returned to the SZEN as an alumni from the Faculty of Apáczai Csere János – but this time as a performer. (Photo: Márton Horváth)

Besides the all time favourite teddy bear making, the "marriage ceremony" turned out to be the most popular activity.

The constant arrival of the couples who wished to "get married" did not leave too much time for the organisers, who turned into registrars for the duration of the festival, to relax. Although the water bomb battle got postponed until Saturday, the atmosphere was buzzing - everyone got soaked to the skin, but no one minded.

Glitter tattoos was immensely popular at the SZEN. (Photo: Márton Horváth)

"Being on your feet all around the clock was extremely tiring, but every minute was worth it as an organiser," told us Enikő Balogh, a member of the Helix Event Management Office.

"I also like the university days because, despite my work, I can relax for a few days  and even be a kid again. The glitter tattoos and the bouncy castle are great fun for 20-year-olds, all the students including me love them," said Enikő, who is a student of Business and Management.

What makes SZEN different from other festivals? Talking to the participants, it became clear that they think of the university as a special place:

it feels as if not them, as students, need to visit a festival, but the festival comes to them.

They feel at home on the campus, at the Bridge Student and Teacher Club and, unlike at other big festivals, they can meet many acquaintances in common, colleagues or alumni who have already graduated and said goodbye to the university but now are returning to this event.

Among the latter, there is Mátyás Nyikos from Vitnyéd, who graduated as a logistics engineer at the Széchenyi István University, and is currently working as a logistics equipment design engineer at Audi Hungaria Zrt., and also studying for a master's degree in automotive engineering. The young professional says that the SZEN programme was so convincing that he even took time off work just to be here in the evenings.

"I went to the SZEN for the first time last year. Unfortunately, I missed it out earlier because of Covid, so from now on, I come whenever I can. The concerts and DJs caught my attention, plus we can have a good time at relatively cheap, student-friendly prices. Not to mention that I love getting back into student life," he said.

There was full house in the Bridge Student and Teacher Club during the University Days (Photo gallery: Csaba József Májer)

Although SZEN ended at the early hours of Sunday, the summer still has a lot to offer: the Bridge Garden will open again this year, hosting all the major artists of the Hungarian music scene until October and their details will be published in a separate article soon.