Art Festivals in Hungary

Natural beauty and historic monuments are not all that Hungary has to offer. Visitors are not just greeted by its villages, sporting activities, touring opportunities, and healing waters, but by a whole variety of cultural events. Almost every day of the year there is a festival taking place somewhere! All you have to do is look around a bit.

It is no surprise, given its wide variety of cultural and art festivals and its displays of Hungarian and foreign artistic treasures, that Budapest offers the widest selection. Yet regional art festivals have carved out an important national and international role in creating and preserving art and culture, directing attention to particular regions or places. Hungary has many more hidden treasures than just its capital. Festivals are extremely varied and programs on a single theme - usually contemporary classical music or fine art are joined by those based on a whole range of artistic genres. These might include professional theatre festivals, dance festivals, and classical music series.

The Traditional "festival season" used to be the summer. Today - in the regions as well as in Budapest - autumn and spring festivals are becoming increasingly popular. Apart from two festivals in Budapest, this program looks in detail at events in Szeged, Gyula, Kisvárda, Kecskemét, Győr, Sopron, Debrecen and Szombatbely.

We also provide information on all the activities organised by the nearly 40 members of the Hungarian Art Festival Federation, in date order. (We do not mention the generous quantity of amateur artists’- meetings, competitions and festivals!) It is true of almost all the festivals that they take place annually or biennially, at the same time of the year and with a similar profile, but with artistic variety, displaying a range of national and international works. So those who do not make it to a festival one year can still count on it taking place the following year, and plan their travels accordingly.

In all instances festival organisers endeavour to offer visitors the chance to acquaint themselves with their particular region’s history, monuments and natural assets. Just as important can be having a look at the beauty of the Hungarian countryside, taking a visit to the great Hungarian plain, tasting Hungarian culinary delicacies and wines, or just a few days’ rest.

In the name of all the festival organisers, I look forward to welcoming you to Hungary: I do hope you will visit Hungary, get to know its people, experience its activities at first hand and share in its artistic life.