The month of May will be an eventful one for Budapest this year. The city will celebrate its 20th anniversary of EU membership and usher in spring with plenty of festivities. If you’re just hearing of the Hello Europe Festival and Budapest Spring Festival and not sure what to expect, you’re in the right place. Here’s everything you need to know about this month’s coolest festivals.
Hello Europe Festival Budapest
Exactly 20 years ago, Budapest joined the EU to commemorate that, the city will be celebrating in style. This year’s celebration will be centered around freedom, diversity, and, well, being European. The festivities will begin on May 1st and go on until the 5th. Throughout
Programs at the Hello Europe Festival
Free light art installations
If you haven’t yet seen the brilliant light art installations at cool museums like Light Art and Cinema Mystica, this week will be your chance to do that. Join the light installation at Budapest’s City Hall powered by the Light Art Museum or visit the Great Market Hall for it’s light projections. If you happen to commute along Ferenciek Tere, don’t forget to pass through the underpass which will have a free light installation of its own.
Art on Bartok Bela Street
Bartok Bela is one of the most popular streets on the Buda side of the city. It’s filled with chic spots ranging from restaurants and brunch places to pubs and art galleries. During the Hello Europe Festival, you can catch a couple of DJs at Szent Gellert Ter or see the graffiti installation at Móricz Zsigmond körtér. There will also be several other contemporary art installations in the area at a couple of other squares.
Free concerts
If you’re into Hungarian tunes, you might enjoy stopping by the City Hall Pop-up Park for a little concert. On May 1st, between 7 pm and 10 pm, well-known local artists will perform hits from the last couple of years.
Car-free Liberty Bridge
Once again, Liberty Bridge will be car-free and ready for you to enjoy. Over the weekend, you can enjoy a yoga session, circus performances, DJ sets, and car-free bliss.
If you’re looking for more ways to spend your free day, check out these 50+ activities to do in Budapest. You could also try some new brunch spots or, better yet, get a discount at 60+ restaurants in Budapest. More interested in museums? I’ve got you covered. Here are 5+ interesting museums to visit in Budapest.
Budapest Spring Festival
This year marks Budapest’s 44th Budapest Spring Festival, and as always, the program will not disappoint. During this two-week festival, from April 29 to May 12, Budapest will buzz with various events. You can participate in programs ranging from dance performances, jazz concerts, classical music, photo exhibitions, and open houses.
Programs at the Budapest Spring Festival
Opera
If you haven’t yet explored the opera scene in Budapest, the spring festival is the perfect chance to do that.
The Budapest Spring Festival will unite acclaimed performers worldwide to grace several stages with timeless classics and modern masterpieces.
Throughout the 2-week festival, several opera performances will take place in various locations, each at a different cost.
If you’d like to know more about the performances, check out the festival’s main website.
Orchestral Concerts
Orchestra lovers, brace yourselves for captivating performances at this year’s spring festival. You can see the opening concert on March 30 and join several other performances throughout the festival.
Beethoven, Schumann, and Handel are just a few musical geniuses whose melodies will echo in various locations.
Ticket prices are as low as 2500 HUF and go up to 15,000 HUF.
Performers will be Hungarian and international, so browse the different events and grab your tickets soon.
Jazz
The Budapest Jazz Club is a visit for all jazz lovers in the city. This time around, you’ll also have the chance to enjoy some jazzy tunes in other locations during the spring festival.
What’s being called ‘The Feast of Hungarian Jazz’ will take place on the 18th and 19th at the Jazz Club, and the event will also follow award ceremonies.
There will be several other concerts at the Jazz Club and Palace of Arts/Müpa, with ticket prices as low as 2500 HUF.
Dance
Contemporary and Hungarian folk are some dance performances at 2024’s spring festival in Budapest.
It may also pique your interest to know that the Hungarian dance festival will be jointly organized with the 36th National Dance House Festival and Fair.
Find out more here.
Hungarian Press Photo Exhibition
This year’s Budapest Spring Festival will also present the opportunity to learn more about some of Hungarian’s award-winning photographers.
You’ll get to see everything from portraits to landscape photographs.
Budapest Art Week
The Budapest Art Week will be a 6-day event in over 50 locations in the city. These will range from exhibition halls and galleries to museums and include workshops.
A full ticket price is 5000 HUF; students can pay 1000 HUF less.
This event will be an excellent opportunity to experience Budapest’s contemporary art scene and showcase local and international works.
You’ll need to visit the official website for all the details and watch for the Day of Open Studios, when private studios and galleries will be open.
The Budapest Spring Festival is just one of the festivals in Hungary that you need to look forward to. Soon, crowds will be coming for the Sziget Festival, Beer Fest, and several other events.
Discover more Budapest gems here.
