Advent Feast at the Basilica
The Advent Feast outside the St Stephen’s Basilica opens on November 24th, turning heads with a stunning scene – the centerpiece here is a towering illuminated tree that spreads lovely light garlands around like a spider web. At the market visitors can browse stalls offering prime Magyar-made gifts from jewelry to leather produce to colorful ceramics, while savoring delicious Hungarian delicacies. And as parents drink and dine, children under 14 can use the ice-skating rink for free. This market is especially popular for after-sunset screenings of creative and colorful 3D animations projected on the façade of the cathedral every half-hour after dark. This year, the light shows are enhanced with new technology, including animation that appears to fly out from the Basilica’s frontage for anyone wearing blue-and-red 3D glasses. You can pick up glasses at the market or can bring your own, but the shows will also be enjoyable with the naked eye. This is an eco-conscious fair, where only special biodegradable cups, plates and cutlery will be used, and all waste will be collected for recycling.
When: From November 24th to January 1st
Address: Budapest 1051, Szent István tér 1
Budapest Christmas Fair at Vörösmarty Square
Budapest’s biggest holiday bazaar is often called one of the prettiest Christmas fairs in the world due to its downtown location, mouthwatering scents and countless Hungarian handicrafts offered by vendors carefully picked to provide excellent quality merchandise. A 1.200-square-meter gastro terrace tempts taste buds with traditional Hungarian meals such as goulash soup, meaty stews and sausages, while as an innovation this year, visitors can also try new gastronomic specialties every week with the seasonal menu. Sweet treats include sugar-dusted chimney cake pastry, gingerbread houses and traditional Jewish flódni cake, and these can all be washed down with aromatic mulled wine made from high-quality Hungarian libations, hot tea or apple punch infused with Hungary’s fruit-based pálinka brandy. In the evenings, concerts, dance performances and puppet shows entertain crowds, while at weekends children can join holiday-themed workshops. For the first time this year, from 5pm every evening a stunning light show illuminates the iconic Gerbeaud Confectionery with animations.
When: From November 10th to December 31st
Address: Budapest 1052 Vörösmarty tér
Fővám Square Christmas Fair
If you did not have enough Christmas fun at the Vörösmarty Square Fair – or, let’s face it, mulled wine – you can take a stroll all the way down Budapest’s prominent Váci Street, lined with intriguing shops on both side, to soon find yourself at another smaller Yuletide Market. This is the little brother of the Vörösmarty Square Christmas fair, and the greatest thing about it is by the time you reach it, you’ll forget about all the meals and drinks you had minutes before, and can start another feast of Christmas treats without anyone noticing. The selection of the small wooden stalls is intriguing, but the panorama from here to Gellért Hill, Liberty Bridge and the Great Market Hall truly takes your breath away. This is definitely an idyllic place to sip a glass of hot drink hand in hand.
When: From November 17th to December 24th
Address: Budapest, 1093 Fővám Square
Gozsdu Christmas Market
Budapest’s ever-bustling hub of leisure and partying, Gozsdu Courtyard, turns into a jolly Yuletide fair for almost an entire month, awaiting visitors with special artisanal stands featuring an alluring selection of fragrant and flavorsome Christmas treats, as well as high-quality handmade items such as leather works, jewelry, notebooks, posters and bags. Found right in the heart of Budapest, just off Király Street, this market is best for true treasure hunters. Visitors at the fair can also sip mulled wine while admiring the picturesque panorama of the city at a heated rooftop bar, the Gozsdu Sky Terrace, where the sights of beautifully illuminated Budapest lie at their feet.
When: From December 1st to December 24th
Opening Hours: Wednesday - Friday: 10am - 7pm; Saturday and Sunday: 12pm - 7pm
Address: Budapest 1075, Gozsdu Udvar
Müpa Winter Open Air
The spacious square outside the Palace of Arts turns into a mini winter wonderland between December 2nd and 31st, awaiting visitors with cultural shows, concerts, a massive ice rink and Christmas melodies. On the ice rink, skaters can slide and glide to atmospheric music, and warm up between laps with wintry treats from the kiosk. A large tent, the Müpa Marquee, houses colorful children’s attractions, spectacular contemporary circus performances, theater productions and pop-music concerts, while visitors also have the chance to try the hugely successful Müpa Melody Wheel between December 3rd and 29th in the foyer.
More details
When : From December 2nd to December 31st Opening hours: Mon-Fri: 2pm – 8pm, Sat-Sun and school holidays: 10am – 8pm
Address: Budapest 1095, Komor Marcell utca 1 Müpa Winter Open Air is closed on December 24th, 25th and 26th.
Óbuda Advent
Filled with love, laughter and life, Óbuda’s Fő Square will be the home of various festivities such as concerts, folk-dance shows and plenty of fun-filled attractions throughout the entire time of Advent. Outdoor bakeries making chimney cake and lángos fried-dough treats spice up the chilly air, while visitors can also warm up with intoxicating hot drinks such as mulled wine, tea or hot chocolate beneath festive lights. High-quality Hungarian handicrafts fill the stands of friendly vendors here and a spacious ice-skating rink is usually set up for gracious or clumsy sliding and gliding. The Óbuda market is best for those who seek a more peaceful Christmas adventure away from the hustle and bustle of the city center.
When: From December 1st to December 23rd
Address: 1035 Budapest, Fő Square
Várkert Bazaar Advent
Set on the side of mesmerizing Castle Hill, the Castle Garden Bazaar is one of the most elegant edifices in Budapest, providing the perfect atmosphere for a stately Christmas fair. Here, visitors can admire a breathtaking panorama of Budapest, looking down on the comings and goings of the city from the soothingly serene atmosphere of the Buda side. The Castle Garden Bazaar comprises a small fair, an ice rink and plenty of attractions, such as performances of well-known Magyar musicians and dance groups, interactive shows, as well as a playhouse, and arts and crafts activities for children.
When: From November 24th to December 24th
Address: Budapest 1013, Ybl Miklós tér 4
Városháza Square Advent Fair
Only a few steps from Deák Ferenc Square, this Advent Fair is also full of light, except that it’s enticingly hidden away. Dotted with wooden stalls offering all kinds of wintertime treasures and delicacies, this Christmas craft fair has as its centerpiece a charming heated Glass House, offering cultural and musical treats. On week nights, amateur choirs, music students and theater troupes appear on stage, while weekends are more focused on family-friendly attractions, presenting jazz, folk and World Music concerts, handicraft workshops and charity events – some of them for free. Visitors can also admire an installation created by schoolchildren, featuring nearly 60 small Christmas trees around the square.
When: From November 17th to December 27th
Address: Budapest 1052, Károly körút
