Catch a world-renowned DJ, lounge on Liberty Bridge or plunge into the river and swim across it – these are only some of the attractions and challenges taking place this summer in Budapest, in which the Danube plays a leading role. It is hoped that these cultural, communal and sporting events, attracting partygoers, opera fans and families will bring the river back into public life. While admission is required for certain shows, you can join in many of these alfresco actions for free. The riverside season gets underway next month with the Budapest Summer Festival on Margaret Island, where ballet, electronica and swing all get a look-in.

In the upcoming months, life in Budapest will be swirling around the Danube. With the Budapest Summer Festival beginning on Margaret Island in June, riverside locations will be filling with music, dance and opera. From ballet to DJs and violin virtuosos, a prominent line-up of performers should entice crowds to the city’s centrally located island parkland – and to the other festival location at Városmajor on the Buda side. Highlights of this three-month extravaganza also include a show by star DJ Jeff Mills and a dance performance themed around classic film Casablanca.

Meanwhile, the city has given the green light to open Liberty Bridge for more summertime picnics. This popular event started as a grassroots movement in 2016, when the statuesque span was closed to car traffic due to urban renovation in the area. The bridge instantly became one of the city’s most coveted hotspots for spontaneous lounging, one-man concerts and alfresco yoga sessions.

A year later, Liberty Bridge was turned again into a mini-festival ground – this time the city officials also gave the thumbs-up to the event and the local Valyo organisation volunteered to stand behind the project. For 2018, dates and news about these cool community gatherings have just been announced: you can make the bridge your playground on four consecutive weekends between July 14th and August 5th.

Budapest bids farewell to the summer months with another joyful jamboree focused on culture and arts. Between August 31st and September 2nd, major riverside landmarks will host jazz, pop and rock ’n’ roll for the Dunapest Festival that also features theatre, literature, gastronomy and even a graffiti jam. Venues include the A38 Boat, the elaborate Várkert Bazaar, the casual PONTOON bar near the Chain Bridge and the newly opened Valyo Kikötő, a vast community hangout near Rákóczi Bridge. Meanwhile, Kabin at Népsziget will host activities for children.

Finally, on September 1st, Budapest Urban Games will bring sports competitions to public places in the city. No question that the highlight of this one-day activity will be the Danube cross-swimming contest. For this attraction, daredevils plunge into the river on the Pest side of Liberty Bridge and battle the currents all the way to the opposite bank on the Buda side, where swimmers emerge in front of the Budapest University of Technology. You can also join a panoramic running contest at Citadel or a five-a-side football and streetball championships in Klauzál tér in District VII.

It is hoped that all these innovative initiatives along the riverside will help bring the Danube more into the daily life of the capital.