There are a lot of major events going on in July that you don’t want to miss: the Vajdahunyad Castle Summer Music Festival, the Red Bull Air Race World Championship, the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, a fröccs and lángos festival, all kinds of concerts, and much more. In this event roundup, we collect all of the important happenings taking place in Hungary’s capital during the upcoming month, so that you can plan ahead to attend whatever events are the most interesting for you. Get out there and enjoy everything that Budapest has to offer!
1/10
Vajdahunyad Castle Summer Music Festival
At this year’s Vajdahunyad Castle Summer Music Festival, visitors can see ten concerts amid fairy-tale settings at Vajdahunyad Castle within City Park, between July 4th and August 4th. Besides classical music, the sounds of Gypsy tunes and pop will also fill the castle courtyard. Among the performers you can find symphony orchestras, Roby Lakatos, Budapest Bár, Zoltán Orosz and Mihály Borbély, Lilla Polyák and Kati Wolf, as well as the Budapest Symphony Gypsy Orchestra. More details here.
2/10
“Women in Chanel” exhibit
The visionary duo, Peter Farago (born in Szekszard) and Ingela Klemetz-Farago (born in Sweden), belong to the most creative teams of today’s fashion photography. As part of a unique collaboration with Chanel, they created full fashion stories featuring the most sought-after supermodels from Central Europe and Poland. The result is a highly personal and spectacular fashion saga where the artists’ aesthetics are expressed through sensitivity and perfect timing. The art of composing and the complete reliance between the photographer and the model is significant to their work. The photographs exhibited at the Ludwig Museum are simultaneously fragile, captivating, and spectacular, making a powerful and persistent impression. The exhibition can be visited from July 8th to September 11th. More details here.
3/10
Gentleman & Ky-Mani Marley concert
The Maestro – aka Ky-Mani Marley – teamed up with Germany's most reknowned reggae artist, Gentleman, for a new album collaboration project that they will present to Hungarian rastafarians on July 13th at Budapest Park. The album is a mix of their influences: Ky-Mani brought a mighty, rich sound peppered with rock guitars and hip-hop beats, which was combined with Gentleman's pop-flavored take on reggae. The two joint smokers can very well stand comparison to their Jamaican colleagues, but if they join forces, not even Bob Marley could resist their version of the genre. The perfect summer concert. More details here.
4/10
Fashion Street
The management behind the Deák St. Kitchen invites everyone to enjoy some literal street food on July 14th in the middle of Deák Ferenc Street, at the heart of downtown Pest. While the deluxe eatery’s chef put together a five-course menu paired with carefully selected wines, it will still be more of a laid-back night than an elegant restaurant dinner. The meal features international classics with a slight Hungarian twist, combined with the vibrant summer mood. Accompanied by the live tunes of well-known Hungarian singer Márton Hangácsi and some surprise entertainment, the event will capture the casual summer atmosphere and typical Budapest style. More details here.
5/10
Red Bull Air Race World Championship
Since it was officially launched, the Red Bull Air Race World Championship has become globally renowned as the fastest and most exhilarating motor-sport challenge on the planet. Devised by the Red Bull sports think tank, the initial goal was to create the most advanced aerial challenge the world had ever seen; what has evolved into the Red Bull Air Race that we know today has far exceeded any original expectations – it is a visual spectacle unlike any other held in various cities worldwide, with the Budapest course being the Danube River, as planes fly between floating checkpoints before passing beneath the Chain Bridge. A combination of high speed, low altitude, and extreme manoeuvrability make the race only accessible to the world's most exceptional pilots. This is a breathtaking spectacle like no other, which everyone can experience between July 16-17, in the middle of downtown Budapest. More details here.
6/10
Fröccs & Lángos Festival
For four days, the first-ever Fröccs & Lángos Festival will honor Hungary’s favorite summertime treats – lángos fried-dough delicacies in all of their well-known and strange new flavors, made on the spot; these will surely go well with the most popular ice-cold Hungarian beverage, fröccs wine spritzers (there will be a non-alcoholic version for the kids). Between July 21-24, Rombusz Teracce will turn into a summer oasis for those who want to chill out with their friends, and play table tennis, foosball, or darts – and juicy burgers and high-quality hot dogs will be available alongside the fried dough. If this event doesn’t get you into the summer mood, nothing will! More details here.
7/10
ZAZ concert
Isabelle Geoffroy, known under her stage name ZAZ, is a French singer and songwriter. She is best known for her single “Je veux (I want)”, which hit European radio and TV stations in 2010. That song turned the pixie with a voice as rough and dense as life into a household name. Since then, countless gold and platinum awards testified to the extraordinary appeal resulting from her mix of jazz and soul, blues, chanson and pop, with a fine touch of Gypsy swing. The power, the musicality, and the lust for life that emanates from ZAZ and unfolds live is really simple to plug into – and we have a feeling that her show on July 22nd at Budapest Park won’t be an exception. More details here.
8/10
Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix
Classic. This is what Hungary’s Formula 1 race has become over past years, held just outside of Budapest on the Hungaroring race track. It was built almost three decades ago as a rarity, the first one beyond the Iron Curtain, and now it is still special as the third-longest (behind Monte Carlo and Monza) to have continuously featured in the F1 race calendar. The race track in Mogyoród is preparing for a great event this year, the 31st Hungarian Grand Prix, taking place during July 22-24. Last year, Daniel Ricciardo was the champion of the race, but who will be it this time? Find out on the spot, and participate in the special additional programs organized by the staff at Hungaroring for spectators. More details here.
9/10
Night Run Budapest
The scenery of Night Run 2016 on July 23rd is truly unique, as within the first 4.5 kilometers it passes by both sides of the Buda Castle. The picturesque view is guaranteed by the start time aligned with the sunset. So, different distances, memorable experiences, running partners: check, check, and check. Speaking of distances, racers can choose for themselves: 7km, 12km, 21km (aka a half-marathon), and, for the first time in Europe in 2016: the nighttime marathon (42.1km) – you decide. If you have a hard time getting into summer shape, running through Budapest in the night with thousands of like-minded people is just what you need, or at least Forrest Gump would agree with us. More details here.
10/10
Steve Vai: “Passion and Warfare” 25th Anniversary Tour
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of his landmark album, “Passion and Warfare”, Steve Vai is celebrating the groundbreaking recording by embarking on a very special world tour – which will reach Budapest Park on July 28th. “Passion and Warfare” is regarded as one of the greatest instrumental rock guitar recordings of all time. For the first time Vai will be performing the entire “Passion and Warfare” record from top to bottom, with some very special surprises in store. The tour will feature a unique premium package: the “Passion and Warfare” EVO Experience, giving fans an opportunity to sit with Steve in an intimate Q&A session. More details here.
