Friday 27 May
Kraft Beer Festival
With more than 30 local and foreign breweries and specialities from the most important beer outlets in the country, the Kraft Beer Festival is being hosted in Buda's Dürer Kert on 26-29 May. Free concerts every night and food trucks provide good vibes and snacks to go with your beer. Choose between Czech Siberian, German BrewHeart, Hungarian Mad Scientist or Dealbreaker, among many others. More details
Romeo and
Juliet
Now nearing the end of its run, László Seregi’s Romeo and Juliet presents the famous love story in a three-act show as performed by members of the Hungarian National Ballet. Seregi's spectacular and colourful piece takes its inspiration from Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film, with careful attention to detail and a stunning set design. Take the chance to see it while you can at the recently refurbished Opera House. More details
The Moog
Once upon a time, riding the new wave of Hungarian bands singing in English, The Moog had it all before them, signed to an American label, produced by big names, playing at SXSW and the Viper Room, and touring with the B-52s. Then it all fell apart, but the band still play now and then, here with the much-vaunted Black Bartók. Party series Tesco Disco ends the night. More details
Nico Bar terrace opening
Opened to much fanfare in the summer of 2021, the Nico Bar tucked away on the Buda embankment evokes the decadence and elegance of the Velvets chanteuse it’s named after. Closed for some time since, it now reopens for the summer with a riverside party on Friday night. DJ Dr Pepper will be grinding out downtempo, deep house and techno numbers while old regulars convene over cocktails. More details
Saturday, 28 May
BelFeszt
The annual BelFeszt takes place at six locations in the city centre or Belváros, with free concerts and sundry cultural events between 27-29 May, at open-air spots Szabadság tér, Erzsébet tér, Zrínyi utca, Vigadó tér and Bástya park, as well as the V.30 Downtown Sports Centre. Live music will be provided by Aurevoir, Bagossy Brothers Company, Ivan & the Parazol, Blahalouisiana (pictured), with folk dance ensembles coming from around the world, as well as foreign performers such as Bilja Krstić. During the day, magic shows, a petting zoo, games and workshops will entertain the little ones. More details
Mark Fell & Okkyung Lee
Mark Fell is a renowned multidisciplinary artist, who's had a huge influence on electronic music over the years. The work of this extraordinary musical producer is based on various electro styles and experimental genres. Together with cellist Okkyung Lee in this joint project, they pay homage to the Greek-French architect-composer, Iannis Xenaxis – one of the people who inspired the Sound Dome here at the House of Hungarian Music. The show starts from the link between time and musical structures in relation to architecture and Greek philosophy. The performance ends with a talk about architecture and a musical workshop. More details
Champions League Final
Liverpool take on Real Madrid in a repeat of the Champions League Final of 2018, in which Sergio Ramos crocked Mohamed Salah and the Spanish giants took advantage of goalkeeping howlers to lift Europe’s premier prize. This season, the recently crowned Spanish champions have performed near miracles to reach the final, overcoming Chelsea and Manchester City against all the odds. The Reds, meanwhile, seek revenge. The game kicks off at 9pm and nearly every bar in Budapest will be showing it – if you fancy a change of scene at half-time, hopping around Erzsébet körút wouldn’t be a bad option, say between Score! and Ziccer five minutes away.
Guts, Bosq, Captain Planet
Benjamin Woods alias Bosq hits the A38 Ship on Saturday night, bringing fresh Atlantic vibes to start the party with African-Latin music, disco, funk, reggae, house and hip hop. The concert moves on to vinyl obsessive and sound sampler Captain Planet, offering reggae, Latin & African music and other styles. Veteran headliner Guts, with six albums behind him, then delves into tropical culture, especially African and Caribbean. More details
Sunday, 29 May
Gourmet Festival
Sunday is the last day of Budapest’s prestigious Gourmet Festival. After two years of fasting, the finest Hungarian cuisine is being showcased once more at this year's event. Appearing at the Millenáris Park will be Budapest's finest restaurants, wineries and confectioneries. Exhibitors include Canadian-Hungarian winery, Gilvesy, the Kistücsök restaurant from Lake Balaton and the Gerbeaud Confectionery, among many others. More details
Belfeszt
Markets Day
Centrally located Erzsébet tér, alongside focal Deák Ferenc tér, will once again be transformed into a huge communal market place for BelFeszt Budapest. New items for the wardrobe, pieces by Hungarian designers, DIY and vintage products, cosmetics made from natural ingredients, delicacies by local producers, unique baby accessories and toys will all be on offer. The event is underscored by a zero-waste approach and environmentally friendly alternatives, and also features a fundraising initiative for Ukrainian refugees. More details
Waiting
for Waiting for Godot
In this new take on the Beckett standard, two understudies are waiting for their chance to take to the stage and wait for Godot themselves. This one-act play in English, written by Dave Hanson, features Roderick Hill and Ralph Berkin. The last shows is on 29 May, at the cultish Három Holló Café. Tickets available here. Find our article on the Godot play here. Details here
Alex Torres
Peruvian guitar master Alex Torres launches his new
album, Reborn, with a special show at the Fonó Club on Sunday night. First
performing with this father, renowned Peruvian creole musician Pepe Torres, from the age of 12, Alex
came to Hungary in 2014 then began studying jazz guitar at the Franz Liszt Music
Academy. Having played with major Hungarian names at the Sziget Festival, Müpa
and the Erkel Theatre, Alex now puts his unique, energetic Latin-Flamenco style to
good use for his latest solo release. Details here
