The Palace of Arts presents top-quality shows in many genres, with concerts including symphonies, world music, jazz, and rock, and other presentations including opera, dance, films, and even contemporary circus. Known locally simply as Müpa (short for "Művészetek Palotája", Hungarian for "Palace of Arts"), this gigantic modern complex presents both local artists as well as preeminent international shows. The building houses the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall, the Ludwig Museum of contemporary art, and the Festival Theater. The Concert Hall also has one of the world’s largest pipe organs. The Palace of Arts is home to the Wagner in Budapest Opera Festival – the famous Wagner "Ring" cycle will return in June 2015 with the Ring of the Nibelung tetralogy , along with a staging of "The Flying Dutchman".
The Müpa website features a handy events calendar that makes it easy to see the performance schedule months in advance. Tickets can be purchased online via the website, and it’s wise to buy tickets as soon as possible, because Müpa shows often sell out. There are special season tickets and discount passes for students and seniors. Here are some of the exciting shows coming up over the next few months:
Birthday bash: Müpa10The 2014/15 season marks the 10th birthday of the Palace of Arts. To celebrate, there will be a special lineup of "Müpa10" programming that including star opera tenor Jonas Kaufman (October 7, 7:30pm), modern maestro Elvis Costello (October 24, 7:30pm), innovative conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner (October 30, 7:30pm), and cherished songbird Marianne Faithfull (December 15, 7:30pm). There'll also be special exhibitions and publications throughout the season to mark the occasion, and in March some free events are planned.
Bridging EuropeThe Palace of Arts is getting together again with the Budapest Festival Orchestra to create the second Bridging Europe arts festival, aiming to use music to link Hungary with another European country – this year, it's Germany (last year was the Czech Republic). The festival is on during September 10-16, and aims to forge cultural connections by introducing local audiences to German cultural traditions. At this festival you can find everything from the music of Brahms to the well-known Hungarian saxophone player Tony Lakatos to a German-Hungarian literary chanson. Check the events calendar here.
More at MüpaWhile it's worth exploring the events calendar, among the many and varied programs available, we can highlight the Palace of Delights (every Sunday, 10am-1pm) to engage children in the arts. On September 22 at 7:30, Concerto Budapest introduces the music of Gustav Mahler and Franz Schubert. On September 26 at 7pm, the Honvéd Dance Theater promotes treasures of Hungarian folk-art tradition. In the final month of autumn, popular Hungarian band Kiscsillag performs on November 7 at 8pm, while on November 13 at 7:30pm the Hungarian National Philharmonic and Szeged Contemporary Ballet team up. Of course, the events don't end here – there's something scheduled almost every day right through the end of the 2014/15 season in May.
The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HDIn addition to live shows, opera fans can watch performances broadcast from the Met in the Festival Theatre, with Interviews and behind-the-scenes footage also shown. The screenings start on October 11 at 6:55pm with Verdi’s "Macbeth", but other highlights include operas of Verdi, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky. Productions are broadcast in the original language with Hungarian subtitles.
How to get to the Palace of ArtsThe Palace of Arts is on the Pest bank of the Danube near Rákóczi Bridge. Take tram number 2, which runs along the Danube. Trams 4 and 6 stop at Boráros tér, where you can transfer to tram 2. Once on tram 2, Müpa is located by at the Millenniumi Kulturális Központ stop. The Palace of Arts box office is open 10am-6pm, and of course later during evening performances. By the way, the sparkling lights of the monumental Palace of Arts is part of why taking tram 2 along its entire length is an excellent sightseeing opportunity, as we mentioned in this earlier story.
