Friday
10am - 12:30am: Budapest Beer Week at various venues
Between May 20th and 27th, Budapest dedicates a whole week to craft beer. This hop-fuelled festival brings together 16 countries, 45 breweries and 180 beers for you to sink as many suds as you wish. The main events, two unlimited tasting sessions and rowdy parties, take place on Friday and Saturday at Dürer Kert.
noon - midnight: New menu at Deák St.Kitchen
This notable Budapest restaurant has just shaken up its menu with flawless seasonal flavours, so if you're looking to eat out this weekend, Deák St.Kitchen should be the place to go. Besides classic all-time favourites, 18 new dishes feature on the menu, expanding the already impressive selection with duck-liver mousse and green apple, cold cucumber soup with Ossetra caviar and confit duck leg with cabbage. And the 40-item wine list presented by talented sommelier Dániel Varga should guarantee a great night.
4pm - 10pm: Downtown Festival at Szabadág tér
Between Friday and Sunday, Budapest once again hosts the city’s biggest free festival in the heart of town at Szabadság tér. Cold drinks constantly flow here while live music by popular local bands and fine bites entertain crowds.
9pm: The Doors Live At The Bowl ’68 at Uránia National Film Theatre
The Doors Live At The Bowl ’68 is thought to be the band’s best performance ever captured on film. In 2012, the complete version was released in digitally re–mastered glory with 5.1 surround sound as the entire concert was carefully restored from the original camera negatives to include the lost performances of Hello I Love You, Texas Radio & Big Beat and Spanish Caravan. The film opens with a special feature of interviews with the band talking about this event at the Hollywood Bowl and its enduring significance.
11pm - : Felix Kröcher at Corvin Club
Frankfurt’s Felix Kröcher starts at two-month European tour tonight at the Corvin Club, before heading off to spin his unique brand of techno at the Adriatic party-destination of Novalja in Croatia and Amsterdam’s legendary Milkweg club.
Saturday
5:15am - 6am: Yoga session at Heroes' Square
Head to Heroes' Square at dawn on Saturday and salute the sun when it rises at this fun flashmob. Anyone can join in from beginners to professional jogis, just bring your own mattress. Due to the success of this event last year, this summer it will be held regularly between May and August.
10am – 10pm: CitiMatiné S07E02 at Citadel
Delicious drinks in the daytime, good food, dancing to hedonistic house beats amid the coolest company, and you’re in bed by 11pm. Does it get any better? The pioneer of daytime parties, CityMatiné, goes up to the Citadel this Saturday.
7pm - 9pm: Iconic Women at József Attila Művelődési Ház
This unique dance theatre show will feature iconic female figures who played a significant role in social, cultural and political changes throughout history, including Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, Elizabeth I, Mata Hari, Frida Kahlo, Marlene Dietrich and Monroe.
9pm - 11pm: Cape Fear at the Bem Cinema
Watch Martin Scorsese's masterpiece and one of the finest thrillers of the '90s on Saturday. In Cape Fear, Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte) knowingly withholds evidence that would acquit violent sex offender Max Cady (Robert De Niro) of rape charges. Max spends 14 years in prison. But after his release, he is after Sam... Not as chilling as the 1962 Robert Mitchum version but well worth another viewing. Original English audio, Hungarian subtitles
9pm - 2am: SUP Budapest Nighttime Session at SUP Budapest (Római Part)
On Saturday night you can see Budapest after dark by paddling through it. The team of SUP Budapest guide you all the way from Római Part to Kopaszi-gát on the Danube during a three-hour paddle tour. Reservation: reservation@naturelle.hu
Sunday
8:30am - 5pm: 23rd Aldi Women's Run at Népliget
The ALDI Women’s Run takes place on Sunday, welcoming experienced runners and beginners alike at Népliget, a large park in south Pest. While this event primarily focuses on ladies, men are also welcome to join in some fun fitness activities. Long distances, up to 17 kilometres, shorter races (including a 700-metre family run) and fitness work-outs await enthusiastic runners here all day. More details
9am-2pm: Szimpla Farmers’ Breakfast at Szimpla
One of the most popular ruin pubs in Budapest – Szimpla on Kazinczy utca – fills every Sunday with a friendly artisanal farmers’ market, where you can buy high-quality locally made goods and fresh produce. The market has always been very popular, so Szimpla has decided to select the best ingredients from the market and make a delicious brunch out of them. Meet friendly local farmers after trying dishes made from their products.
10am - 2pm: Children's Day at the Gozsdu Courtyard
The last Sunday of May is children's day in Hungary, so little ones will be pleased all day. At Gozsdu Courtyard, free events include arts and crafts activities, face painting and a fun workout for kids.
4pm - Jewish Art Days at various venues
Jewish Art Days opens on Sunday, brightening up Budapest with concerts, exhibitions and dance performances until June 10th. Events take place at various venues citywide, including the Franz Liszt Music Academy, the Budapest Jazz Club, a hidden downtown synagogue, the Mazel Tov ruin bar and many more cultural hotspots. For more details, see our upcoming article.
4pm: The Night of a Thousand Lanterns at Városliget
On the occasion of International Missing Children’s Day, the Night of a Thousand Lanterns is held on Sunday at Városliget. The aim is to raise public awareness of the alarming problem of child disappearances and to call the attention of the public to the importance of preventive action. As the major event of the night, 20,000 illuminated balloons will be released at the same time, to light up the night sky, showing the way home for all the little lost souls. During the day, family-friendly events await.
