Sziget Legend Killed In Crash

“Dan was around in the Hungarian and the international festival scene since the start of Sziget back in 1993. He was known for his professional, very human and straight way. He was a great colleague, who was there if you needed him and he was never afraid to argue if he felt he is right,” the European festival association Yourope said in a statement.

“You could discuss things with him for many hours and he always had an open ear and a shoulder if you needed him between booking bands, dealing with agents, managers. He was very open-minded to the world and was always interested and very up to date with what is happening out there. Together with him Sziget grew into the premiere league of the top 10 best festivals in Europe, many festival awards marked his work. No words can describe this huge loss. He was a personality that nobody can ever forget.”

Panaitescu’s bookings earned Sziget the best lineup award at last year’s European Festival Awards.

 For hours now we are receiving condolences from musicians, managements, agencies and bookers from all over the world. The whole festival industry is grieving,” the Sziget team posted on Facebook. “Dan was an acknowledged professional, a great colleague, our friend and a caring father to two children. You will be missed, Dan!”