Okay, first off, where is this Park? Contrary to all rumors, it won’t be at the side of Lánymányosi Bridge, or rather Rákóczi Bridge where the MÜPA is, but the other other side, where the HÉV is. More exactly, it will be opposite the OBI store between the two embankments. If you walk that way, you’ll see a huge construction site, which cannot be envisioned as a club capable of accommodating 1000 people a week from now. Yes, they’ve been building Park in an 11 000-squaremeter area where 12 000 people could potentially fit. Yet, it's interesting that after circling the site it didn’t seem gigantic at all. Sure, it was huge enough but not something really titanic.
At the entrance stands the Dome, that is, a metal structure of sorts covered with a white canvas. This will be the part of Park that’ll be open virtually 24/7. They plan this corner to be a lively place at day, too, with people munching on their breakfast or lunch. This will suit OBI-employees and people commuting with the HÉV fine but coming here from downtown for a breakfast seems somewhat unpractical, to say the least. Here, there’ll also be opportunity to watch sports events on the big LED screen from the grandstand. Next to the Dome stands a Pop-Art container disco. Having learnt about the programs, so far this seems to be the closest to the musical genres that describes downtown Pest. East of here is the big stage with the container pub that comes with it. The music here will be quite eclectic.The program for the first three days: Dorfmeister, Kowalsky, Slam Poetry. There really could be nothing you will miss. Entry fee is 500 HUF if paid in advance and 1500 HUF on the spot. Concerts start and 8 and end at 10. Backstage and the adjoining VIP-room, Hoppá, will be south of the big stage. Immortals and dignitaries lucky enough to have been born under a good sign to get a Hoppá-card will occupy this place. The other corner of the Park will be the place of the Retro Garden. You might wonder who will come here. People who actively listened to music until the 90s or people whose musical taste is defined by the radio? Or maybe those who haven't drunk enough energy drinks to survive the electronica tent. At Retro Garden such DJs will spin the vinyls as DJ Cantana, DJ Freeze and DJ C Hernandez. The place near Park where the homeless lived until spring was cleared and cleaned and transformed to a gallery of contemporary arts.
Since Park got this area from the local government for two years every bit of it is very temporary. As we informed you about it earlier, almost all of it is made of containers and pallet-like elements. This gives the place an atmosphere of festivals and construction sites at the same time. Besides the interior, the fact that the music won't be determined with a particular audience in mind will also contribute to the festival feeling.
This place is for everybody: the middle-aged people who get about retro tunes and your usual ruin pub visitor alike. The big question, though, is whether the youngsters of Budapest used to entertainment close at hand will come this far out. This is what could be worrying and even more so in the case of ZP and Rio about to open on the other side of the bridge. One thing’s for sure, if you happen to choose Park as a place to visit frequently, it's for the best if you get yourself a bike within days and prepare yourself for a longer tour. And we’ll see what’ll it be in three years, right? If everything goes well, Park will finish their two-year term successfully and without problems and their lease will be prolonged because in the scorching hot of summer there's dire need for a rosé spritzer with vapor drops on the glass drunk in the lawn.
