Concerts5 May: Sleep Party People, Polar Dear at A38 Ship
Taking as inspiration the work of Boards Of Canada, David Lynch and Erik Satie, Brian Batz (alias Sleep Party People) found the sound of the old battered piano in his apartment and coupled it with a freaky electronic alteration of his recorded voice to create an eerie, hypnotic sound. He and his four piece bunny band are coming to one of the most special concert venues in Budapest.
8 May:
Nils Frahm, Dawn Of Midi at AkváriumThe man who took the world by storm with his musical humility and talent. A contemporary composer who opened a window on the magic of classical music for the younger generations with his amazing piano skills. A true virtuoso is coming to Budapest.
17 May:Anthony Braxton Diamond Curtain Wall Quartet at MüPa - Palace Of Arts One of the most important figures of the avant/free jazz scene is coming to Budapest. As a composer, Braxton's ideas have been defined by Cage, Stockhausen, Boulez and Schoenberg. In his music (to be heard here with his latest group the Diamond Curtain Wall Quartet) a major role is assigned to computer-assisted composition and his multi-instrumentalist skills.
25 May: Agent Side Grinder, Black Nail Cabaret at A38 Ship Drilling industrial sounds, hypnotic synth sequences, feverish vocals and post-punk influenced bass lines - Agent Side Grinder was surely influenced by bands like Joy Division, New Order, Depeche Mode and Kraftwerk. But luckily, they can turn their influences into hypnotic, mid-tempo synth hymns that not just the fans of the aforementioned bands will dance to.
26 May: Accept, Red's Cool, The New Roses at Barba Negra TrackOne of the biggest European heavy metal acts, Accept, is coming to Budapest with its whole new lineup for another round of Teutonic terror!
30 May: Stereo MCs Live Band Show at AkváriumStereo MCs – best know for their 1992 hit Connected, is still one of the most iconic groups in Great Britain. Rob Birch and Nick Hallam are gearing up to present a host of musical genres at Akvárium Klub and on this occasion, they’ll have established drum &bass MC Five Alive to assist them in their mission. They’re sure to get feet shuffling and heads nodding on the dance floor.
Clubbing8 May: Zomboy, The Prototypes at Akvárium Zomboy and The Prototypes have both rapidly become the most recognised names among the new wave of drum 'n' bass/dubstep artists. Both acts want nothing but to rip up the dance-floor every time they stand behind the decks, and knowing that they were the masterminds behind some club-bombs, we have no concern that they will succeed in doing so.
15 May: James Holden, Magamura at A38 ShipBritish techno sorcerer and psychedelic shaman James Holden is a man of many talents: zeitgeist-defining label boss, trend-setting producer, hugely in-demand monster remixer, and last but by no means least, he can count himself amongst that very modern breed of disc jockey with a special knack for layering seemingly divergent records with an unparalleled musical ear. This time, he will do a special, three-hour-long live performance with him and a drummer on stage.
16 May: Eton Messy DJs, Mentalien, Sirmo, Bergi at TeslaThe DJs/founders behind one of the most wildly successful YouTube music channels that dishes out velvety smooth, retro-tinted garage aka the Eton Messy guys are coming to Budapest to throw a party for those who likes the music of Disclosure, Bondax, Maribou State and Shadowchild.
22 May: Phil Weeks at Corvintető
DJ/producer Phil Weeks is a house music purist. His mixing is old school Chicago with a nu-school French flare going from the deepest house to the techiest. His production sounds like they could have been released in the 90s partly because he uses the same gear: 808s, 909s, 606s, even vintage keys. He prefers vinyl, likes his mixes dirty, and knows how to rock a crowd with a heavy hitting bass line.
23 May: Terence Fixmer, Isu, Dork at A38 Ship Terence Fixmer's sound deftly avoids repetition by developing soundscapes that appeals as much to the dancing feet, as it does to the searching soul, whilst still maintaing musical depth and integrity. Above all, he preserves a unique take on techno; an increasingly experimental, simultaneously ruthless and instantly recognisable sound.
30 May: Ambivalent at Tesla Techno veteran Ambivalent already released his music through labels like Ovum, Cocoon, Mobilee and Minus and, if anything, that should guarantee that he knows what to do with the decks in front of him.
Exhibitions Aside from the major ongoing exhibitions (which are listed at the end of the article), the following exhibitions are on this month: OFF-Biennále Budapest is a series of exhibitions and art events in and beyond the city of Budapest.
The organiser's aim is to to bring a segment of culture - contemporary art - closer to the public, in other words, that contemporary art is much more than mere luxury and a source of aesthetic pleasure. Altough some of its exhibitions have already opened, some will open only in May: ULAY's, Svätopluk Mikyta's.
Martin C. Herbst, who is known for his convex glass works will have a new exhibition at Várfok Gallery, titled Wunderkammer.Theatre 8-9 May: Compagnie 111 - Aurélien Bory for Karoi Ito: Plexus at Trafó Aurélien Bory concentrates on movement, body and image, turning them into pure theatre. In Plexus, he uses delicate brush strokes to outline the features of the Japanese performer Kaori Ito, a puppet-woman, encased in a cube pervaded with taut strings, she strives towards her freedom in spite of the hurdles, alternatively as a warrior or a fragile fugitive.
20-21 May: Budapest English Theatre - Pretext at MÜSZI Pretext is a comedy that explores how the sexes face their mortality and whether it’s our lovers, or our friends, that we can really count on. "“Light as a soufflé, but just like that confection, it’s also rather delicious. Breezily post-feminist but refreshingly non-misandristic… there are plenty of laughs to be had, from knowing snickers to the more full-bellied kind,” wrote Scott Alexander Young.
21-22 May:
Compagnie Pál Frenák - Tricks & Tracks 2 at Trafó Compagnie Pál Frenák presented Tricks & Tracks in 1999, a performance which made them well-known to many. The basic concept of this legendary and momentous production still has not lost its relevance. Tricks & Tracks 2 is the revision of the original performance: ironic, cruel and provocative; the performers slip from one character to the next, undressing themselves and then slipping back in their created roles. Their bodies leave real traces while slamming into each other or the sterile white surfaces, clashing and clinging, eagerly seeking each other's presence. Major Events1-7 May: Coca-Cola Pop-Up Store at Millenáris Park Be part of the experience! Pick up all the coolest Coca-Cola merchandise at the Coca-Cola pop-up store, as part of a world tour covering 6900 km.
1 May: Labour Day Of Pubs at Dürer-kert After last year’s successful event, the organisers are trying to kick things up a notch. Like last time, Budapest pubs and catering establishments will face-off to win valuable prizes in a full day of Gastrolympics. The teams will compete in a main event and several side-events, while visitors are entertained by DJs and a fair, and the little ones can hang out at the playhouse.
1 May: The Big Race at Elizabeth BridgeFormula 1 racing cars in the heart of the city? Yes, this is the Big Race ("Nagy Futam"), which, apart from being an exceptionally intriguing spectacle for all visitors, endeavours to bring F1 and auto and motor sports in general, closer to the audience. This year’s guest star is Kimi Raikkönen!
7-10 May: Budapest Pálinka Festival at Városháza Park The annual Budapest Pálinka Festival welcomes visitors with a greater variety of exhibitors, more spirits and free entry. Over four days everyone will be able to taste the best of apple pálinka (a Hungarian fruit brandy), plus other apple specialities, as well as jazz concerts and street musicians.
8-10 May: Food Truck Show Budapest at Ajtósi Dürer sor 19-21.
What better way to spend an entire weekend in spring, then hanging out in a park surrounded by people and food? Budapest's Food Truck Show will allow you to taste from a huge number of food trucks in the one spot.
8-10 May: Rosalia at Gesztenyés Garden
Rosalia is organised by the Budapest International Wine festival. It´s the only festival in Hungary to celebrate fancy rosé, sparkling wines and champagne.
The program at the Gesztenyés Garden will also include a lot of Hungarian snacks, great jazz background music and activities for kids.
9-10 May: PixelCon at MÜSZIInsert Coin Egyesület switches to a higher gear in terms of their parties, as they are working on organising the first PixelCon, the cultural meet-up of gaming communities.
At the convention, the association will also throw its regular retro party Retro Kütyü Játszóház. They’ll bring all the gadgets in the world to geek the hell out. And that is only the warm-up phase.
17 May: 20th Coca Cola Wake Your Body Women's Running Day at City Park The "awaken your body women's run" is a great event for women. There are 10km, 5km and 2km options (or you can run all three). It starts at City Park in Budapest. For the men it's a great opportunity to support all the female runners!21-14 May: Gourmet Festival at Millenáris A prominent event of Hungarian gastro culture, Gourmet Festival will take place over the Pentecost weekend. A new feature of this year’s festival is that it will open its gates as early as Thrusday, awaiting guests with chicken paprikash, which is the dish of the year being presented in different variations by some of Hungary’s most outstanding restaurants. Along with the best eateries, the event will be attended by the most excellent wineries, confectioneries and other prime representatives of the Hungarian gastro world from Budapest and the countryside as well.
Many long-term events are actually coming to an end in May, so get in while you still can:
- The 33rd Hungarian Press Photo Exhibition at Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center- Imre Bukta's exhibition, titled Landscape thrown off balance at Godot Gallery. In his pictures, the artist focuses on a contradiction. While people tend to leave the countryside cities of Hungary and small rural villages disappear with more and more moving to the capital - A memorial exhibition, focusing on the artistic oeuvre of István Csók, featuring more than 60 of his works - The no pain no game exhibition at the Ludwig Museum Check out other must-see
events, happening in Budapest over the coming weeks, at our regularly updated
