Festival for Kisvarda,
Hungarian Theatres Outside Hungary

Annually in May-June

The meeting has been held in Kisvárda since 1989, with the participation of Hungarian-language theatres from Romania, Slovakia, the Ukraine and Yugoslavia. While in 1989 there were only three theatre companies in all, now all significant Hungarian theatres outside Hungary are represented. The objectives of the festival are to collect treasures from both inside and outside Hungary’s borders, and to bring them to the centre of attention; to act as a meeting place for Hungarians from both sides of the border, and as a forum for them to display their work to each other and to the Hungarian and visiting public. The festival allows the audience to see a selection of dramatic performances from the Hungarian-speaking region, which they would otherwise need to travel many miles to see. Apart from their performances in Kisvárda, the theatre companies perform in many other places in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county.

The Kisvárda region is one of Eastern Hungary’s leading tourism centres. Worthy of mention in the city is the Castle, built in the thirteenth century and now a listed building, the Synagogue, now the home of the Rétközi Museum. The thermal pool of the Castle Baths and the international camping site are favourite stopping points for tourists. Interested visitors are encouraged to visit Ajak and Gyulaháza, where they can see unspoilt Hungarian folk music and folk dancing. The neighbouring settlements preserve the values of village life to this very day.