Friday
6pm - :
“Echoes – 100 Years in Finnish Architecture and Design” exhibit opening at Fuga
Admire simply graceful pieces of applied art from Finland – ranging from furniture to apparel to coffee cups – at this new exhibit hosted by Budapest’s Finnagora Finnish Institute, on view at the Fuga architecture center through July 17th. Featured works include renowned Finnish-design classics alongside lesser-known pieces and new creations by young designers now making a Scandinavian splash.
More details7pm - 9:40pm: “Billy Elliot – The Musical” at the Erkel TheaterThis week, a new run of this musical version of the hit film Billy Elliot – the tale of a ballet-loving boy in a hardscrabble English mining town in the mid-1980s – began at Budapest’s recently renovated Erkel Theater, with performances continuing through July 16th. With the music composed by Sir Elton John, the dialogue of this show is in Hungarian, but English surtitles are presented above the stage.
8pm - 11pm: Vintage Trouble concert at A38With a soulful sound reminiscent of blues and rock groups from the late 1950s and ’60s, Vintage Trouble formed in Hollywood in 2010 and soon earned widespread acclaim for their high-flying performances, going on tour with the Who, Bon Jovi, and AC/DC as an eagerly anticipated opening act. Catch them live when they are the headliners aboard Budapest’s A38 Ship.
More details8pm - 11pm: Kolorádó After party at GólyaIf you missed the second Kolorádó Festival that rocked the Buda Hills in early June, you can still feel the laid-back spirit of this harmonious gathering at the Kolorádó After Party happening Friday night – except instead of being surrounded by pristine woodlands, these festivities take place amid the charmingly gritty setting of District VIII’s Gólya ruin pub.
10pm - 4am: Budapest Pride Opening Party at TeslaBudapest’s annual Pride Festival celebrates love in all of its orientations with a weeklong series of rainbow-colored gatherings and presentations held at varied venues citywide, climaxing with the Pride March on July 8th. It all begins with this festival-opening party at Tesla that promises to be one of the year’s most fabulous shindigs; proceeds from entry fees support the Budapest Pride Festival expenses.
More detailsSaturday
10am - : Red Bull Air Race along the Danube River
Prepare for an incredible display of amazing aerobatics as the world’s top stunt pilots – including Hungary’s own Péter Besenyei – climb into the cockpits of high-performance planes to compete in Budapest’s Red Bull Air Race. During this one-of-a-kind competition, the Danube River is transformed into an airplane obstacle course of inflatable checkpoints – and pilots must also fly beneath the iconic Chain Bridge.
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10am - 11pm: Pool&Beer party at Vituki Strand
Summertime, and the living is easy... especially while lounging by a cool pool with an even cooler beer in hand, listening to groovy tunes and watching scantily clad beautiful people frolic in the sunshine. All this and more awaits at the next Pool&Beer party at an oft-forgotten pool complex located just south of central Budapest.
More details2pm - 2am:
“Secret Garden” daytime party at 360 BarHigh above the city, discover an enchanted scene of lush wildlife as some of Budapest’s hottest party animals leave the nocturnal scene behind to instead get wild on the loftiest peak of our concrete jungle. Expect cold drinks, tasty treats, and smooth tunes chosen by untamed DJs.
More details5pm - 10pm: The Great Budapest Rosé Festival at Rudas RomkertPink elephants will definitely be on parade at this special celebration of rosé wine, held amid the riverfront centuries-old ruins found beside Rudas Bath. Soft melodies and beautiful sunset views over the Budapest skyline will entice all wine fans, but the event’s free entry is certainly an intoxicating offer, as well. More details
8pm - 7am: Cinema Bizarre: Secret Cinema Live at Csillebérc Pioneer Camp
Leave city life behind for an illuminating night atop the Buda Hills, when a former communist-era kids’ camp becomes a sprawling open-air movie theater showing Fritz Lang’s seminal sci-fi classic from 1927, Metropolis. After the silver-screen presentation, the scene instantly transforms into an outdoor party lasting until dawn and beyond.
Sunday
6pm - : Terrace Summer Session at Akvárium Klub
As shadows get long in the heart of downtown Budapest, the super-central Akvárium Klub heats up every evening with their Terrace Summer Sessions series, bringing diverse musicians and DJs to the popular oversized staircase where friends convene for cool conversations. On Sunday evening, Mesterházy sets the mood with good grooves.
6:30pm - 11:59pm: Budapest Rooftop Cinema presents Baby Driver at Corvin Club
Up on top of a communist-era department store, the Budapest Rooftop Cinema series fills Corvin Club’s sprawling open-air party space with cinephiles all summer long. On Sunday night, watch Baby Driver – the wildly entertaining new movie about a getaway driver who depends on his own playlist soundtrack to achieve peak performance.
8pm - 11pm: MaNNazz Lithuanian electronica party at KabinSit back on the riverside at Kabin – the city’s newest open-air hangout on the Danube, located beneath a bridge on Népsziget island – as the Lithuanian musicians of MaNNazz come to this waterfront wonderland to create a modern electronica mosaic melding ambient, drum ’n’ bass, and atmospheric elements.
8pm - 9:30pm: Méhek concert at EllátóházPart music band, part performance art, and 100% weird – this is the Hungarian duo of Méhek, a pair of artists who dress up like bees and take the stage to entertain all ages with oddball performances incorporating percussions, kazoos, and bells... these may very well be the most bemusing bees anywhere in the world, amusing even for those who don’t speak Hungarian.
9pm - : Doctor Zhivago musical at the Margaret Island Open-Air StageThe epic tale of Doctor Zhivago is brought to life in an all-new musical production starring several premier Hungarian performers, all under starry skies amid the amphitheater beside the historic Margaret Island Water Tower. The performance is in Hungarian, but English-language subtitles are provided throughout the show.
