Friday
6pm - : The Nightmare Before Christmas at the Bem Cinema
Jack Skellington is back! This Tim Burton Christmas classic screens twice on Friday evening, with original English audio and Hungarian subtitles both times.
8pm - : Szabó Balázs Band Concert at Akvárium Klub
Hungarian multi-instrumentalists and indie folk band Szabó Balázs Bandája play two concerts at the Akvárium Klub on Friday and Saturday. If you fancy seeing a local band this weekend, this should be the one. As the event is officially sold out, you can only look for tickets on (legal!) ticket swapping websites.
8:30pm - :Kistehén at the A38 Ship Kicking off the pre-Christmas weekend with a bang, the frantic rhythms of Kistehén should keep the main concert hall of the A38 Ship swinging with ska, Balkan and Gypsy beats. Hungarian speakers will enjoy the irony of the odd lyric they might happen to catch.
10pm - 4am: Electroswing Party at Mika Tivadar Mulató
The Mika Tivadar Mulató hosts an evening when swing and jazzcombine with cool contemporary tunes, and the best hits of the 1990s mingle with modern music presented by Lapidem from France and Lay DNA. Entry is free for all!
Saturday
11pm - : Manni Dee at Lärm
Manni Dee plays Lärm on Friday. In his sets, he combines mechanical beats and field recordings of abstract noise, playing with the conventional boundaries of music. He’s a regular at Berlin’s illustrious techno meccas of Berghain and Tresor, and released his first LP The Residue this year.
Noon - 7pm: Tereza Christmas Market at Tereza
If you’ve postponed your Christmas shopping until the last moment, visit Tereza on Saturday to browse secondhand, vintage and designer products created by Hungarian artists. The market is child- and dog-friendly. After shopping, you can also tuck into tasty Mexican delicacies.
7pm - : John Lennon & Yoko Ono Imagine Film Screening at Uránia National Film Theatre
The hour-long film, Imagine, originally released in 1972, has been restored frame-by-frame from the original tapes with an audio remix by multi-Grammy winner Paul Hicks. The release also features 15 minutes of yet unreleased studio footage of John and his solo band performing How Do You Sleep? and Oh My Love, as well as a version of Oh Yoko filmed during John and Yoko’s bed-in for peace in the Bahamas.
9pm - : The Holiday screened at the Corinthia Hotel Budapest
Once home to the first cinema in Budapest, the Corinthia Hotel has hit upon the quite splendid idea of screening Christmas films in their original language over the course of the holiday period. For Saturday night, the movie is... The Holiday. In this 2006 you-say-tomato-I-say-tomato rom-com, Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz play two cheated-on spouses who cross the Atlantic to hook up with Jack Black and Jude Law. For more details of the Corinthia Christmas film season, see here.
Sunday
10am - 7pm: Last day of the Christmas Fair at the Gozsdu Udvar Today is the last chance to browse the seasonal stalls lining the Goszdu Udvar, the bar-lined courtyard linking Király and Dob utca in Budapest’s party district. Little can top the appearance of Santa himself earlier in December, but at least you might pick up that piece of artisanal jewellery you’ve been looking for, a reprint of a vintage poster or a retro coffee cup. For more details, see here.
4pm - 9.30pm:Christmas tram One of the many elements that make Budapest’s Yule magic is the Christmas tram. Running through December until 6 January, this glittering conveyance done out in blue-and-white LED lights is a treat for passengers and onlookers alike. As it’s Sunday, you’re in luck, because today’s route is the panoramic number 2 that skirts the Pest embankment past the illuminated bridges of the city centre. Regular fares apply – just stamp your BKK ticket or carry your pass. More details here.
6pm: -Budapest Jazz Orchestra at the Budapest Jazz Club In a special show at the prestigious Budapest Jazz Club, the Budapest Jazz Orchestra celebrate their 20th anniversary and are joined by acclaimed singer/actress Erika Náray, American swing specialist Mark Blake and compatriot singer Nina Josephs. On the cards is a night of Rat Pack and Count Basie faves, with that big-band backing. More details here.
7pm: -Snétberger Trió at the Várkert Bazár Legendary Hungarian jazz guitarist Ferenc Snétberger returns to Budapest for a special Advent show at the elegant Várkert Bazár overlooking the Danube. To close the Christmas season, Snétberger is laying on a show of two halves – the first features pupils from the music school that he founded, the second the Snétberger Trió. With his son Toni on drums and the UK’s Phil Donkin on double bass, Snétberger showcases 2017 album TITOK. More details here.
