Friday, 3 June
1Kárpát-medence Fesztivál
The wonderful Carbonfools headline the Friday night at the 1Kárpát-medence Fesztivál, the annual celebration of the cultural diversity of the Carpathian Basin. For four days on the A38 Ship, all kinds of acts will be performing pop, electronica, indie and folk, including Jovilágvan from Slovakia, Teddy Queen and No Sugar from Romania, followed by the DJs from party crews Lick The Click and LavaLava. Hungarian folk legends Muzsikás bookend proceedings on the last day, Sunday, 5 June. More details
Friss Hús Budapest
International Short Film Festival
Celebrating its tenth anniversary, the Friss Hús (‘Fresh Meat’) short film festival showcases domestic and international features, the majority screened with English subtitles. This year’s event has been categorised into four themes: Brave New World, Letting Go, Family Matters and, with sport in focus, Faster, Higher, Stronger! Screenings take place at the Toldi cinema over eight days, consecutively until Wednesday, 8 June, then the following Saturday and Thursday. Look out for the Ghosts of Europe selection from the Berlin Interfilm Short Film Festival on Saturday, 4 June, and the Best of Austria the next day. More details
Budapest International
Comic Festival
Illustrators and artists gather at the Dürer Kert over the weekend to present and discuss comics. Walter Venturi, a designer at legendary Italian pocket-book publishers Bonelli, holds a presentation workshop, while French artist Ronan Toulhoat, known for his medieval fantasy series Ira Dei, gives a presentation for children. Some of the talks and workshops will be in English, with plenty of comics on sale, of course. More details
Hey June!
Starting today, Müpa’s annual celebration of June runs until the 23rd. Kicking off proceedings will be dream-pop combo, the Mayberian Sanskülotts, who have been producing their bitter-sweet, contemplative music for the past ten years. Four more live shows then follow, most notably Anna and the Barbies on 21 June. More details
Saturday, 4 June
Children’s Island
Starting today, Hajógyári Island will be taken over by children every weekend in June. All age groups will find activities to enjoy, with theatre and puppet shows, dancing and various concerts. Kids’ favourite Judit Halász starts proceedings, with Belvárosi Betyárok, Veronaki, Kiskalász, Kaláka, Réka Farkasházi and Apacuka all due to perform. Other attractions include a petting zoo, a Knight's Castle, the Pretzel Gastro Playground, Kids’ Paradise, Dog House, board games, the Four Seasons Giant Bouncy Castle and lots of other exciting games. More details
Peony fair at Czakó Piacz
Along with the usual small-batch domestic delicacies, the producer’s market at the Czakó Garden in the Tabán will be brightened up by peonies provided by Grajnai The Florist. Lovely colours and sweet aromas accompany the jams, homemade juices, strudels, truffles and pesto sauces. The two-day event also runs over into Sunday. More details
360 Bar: Secret Garden S06E01
To start the summer season at the panoramic rooftop 360 Bar, Sobek, Marco Grandi and StereoStrip b2b Teomo spin the tunes as the refreshing cocktails flow. Entry before 4pm is 2,500 forints, and 3,500 thereafter. All kicks off at 2pm, with 12 hours of sounds and sipping to look forward to. More details
Sunday, 5 June
Mad Zine Fair
At this market for self-published books, booklets, comics and prints on topics such as illustration, music and literature, representatives of Hungarian zine culture all appear, including aula.co, BPZines, Deposit, Live-Dead, FUSS Productions, Gyulai Panni & Mészáros Bori, ISBN book + gallery, MOME Anim, Anna Tőkés, Utca & Karrier and Zabella Zine. The setting is the recently opened Mad Garden Buda, the latest venture by the ever-intrepid Mad Scientist brewing crew. More details
Don Carlo
Tickets are still available for this second performance of a six-night run of the Verdi piece at the Opera House. The Italian composer took Schiller’s drama, and poured it into music in a way that emphasises individual emotions and spiritual vibrations. Frank Hilbrich, a director long renowned across the German-speaking world, stages Verdi's work in Budapest, giving it a genuinely artistic atmosphere. Performed in Italian with English and Hungarian surtitles, it's labelled as an 18+ production by the Opera. More details
Bohemian Betyars & Parno Graszt
The Bohemian Betyars and Parno Graszt have similar aims in mind: to present and disseminate to all generations folk- and Gypsy-music traditions. The two bands separately feature a wide range of music, speed-folk, freak-punk and traditional Roma motifs. The venue for this exciting and energetic show is atmospheric Kobuci Kert, an alfresco spot around a pretty cobbled main square in Óbuda. More details
Monday, 6 June
Summer Opening Plant Exchange
The Climate Garden at the Auróra community centre behind Rákóczi tér market attracts gardeners and plant lovers on Whit Monday. Márti from Zsályás Garden will be on hand to advise and answer all the questions you may have about herbs. Otherwise, browse and buy to your heart’s content. Admission is free. More details
The Marriage of Figaro
Human emotions, desires, dreams and disappointment dovetail in Mozart's comic opera in two parts, performed in Italian with Hungarian and English with Hungarian and English surtitles. Judit Galgóczy’s direction focuses on the dynamic and pulsating interaction in which everyone appears different to what they are and desires someone other than the one they have. More details
The Thin Red Line
Everyone wanted to star in this Terrence Malick Pacific war epic, marking the great director’s return to the screen after 20 years. In the end, everyone barely gets their 15 minutes of fame, but only just. Mickey Rourke was even left out of the final cut – editing took forever. For all that, it’s an absolutely magnificent piece of work, nominated for seven Academy Awards, and well worth 170 minutes of your time. Screened in English with Hungarian subtitles, at the revered Bem cinema, from 8pm. More details
