The weekend starts here – gigs, films, festivals & more

Friday, 24 June

Red Bull Flying Day 2022  
On Friday, Kopaszi-gát at BudaPart will be swarming with savvy engineers and daredevil pilots making their dreams come true, soaring into the air in their crazy planes. After ten years, Red Bull Flying Day returns to Budapest, where wild machines try to gain momentum in the most entertaining ways before, as usually happens, plunging into the water from the sky above. The crazy race starts at 11am, with 40 teams competing. The expert jury will evaluate the performance of each team according to three criteria – distance travelled, aircraft design and ramp display – before cash prizes are awarded to the top three finishers. During the afternoon, a concert by Valmar livens up the audience and contestants. Admission free. For more information, see here. The event will be well served by public transport, with no on-site parking. (x) More details

FINA Championships
The world’s greatest swimmers, divers, and water-polo teams compete at the highest level here in Budapest in the FINA world championships until 3 July. Having staged this prestigious event in 2017, Budapest also hosts in 2027. Thankfully, there are superb facilities at the Tamás Széchy pool on Margaret Island, the Alfréd Hajós pool next door, the Duna Aréna on the opposite bank and, further north, Lupa Beach for open-water swimming. Find the schedule here. Friday sees several swimming finals, including the 50m butterfly for women, 50m freestyle for women, the 200m backstroke for women, the 100m butterfly for men and, always exciting, the 4x100m mixed relay. Buy tickets here. More details.

Midsummer Night at Budapest Zoo
On Friday night, folk tradition and fire take centre stage at Budapest Zoo. In addition to exciting family activities and entertainment, a love of nature and animals are also brought to the fore. Fire jugglers, a special LED show, a concert and a folk dance all await, and braver ones can even try fire-jumping. You can observe the heavens at a planetarium, see the world of myths brought to life and learn about fluorescent animals. More details

Saturday, 25 June

Night of Museums 2022  
Now in its 20th year, the Night of the Museums takes place over the nearest weekend to the summer solstice. Museums and galleries open their doors until late, laying on special events, guided tours, live music, family activities and all kinds of surprises. For the knock-down price of 2,200 forints (HUF 1,000 for 6-18s), a wristband entitles you to enter some 50+ attractions and institutions over the course of the evening, although certain presentations and performances may cost extra. Wristbands can be purchased at all participating venues and online from Jegymester. Most locations open at 6pm, the Museum of Fine Arts at 2pm and the Franz Liszt Memorial Museum at 4pm. More details

5Dudás Winery – Wine Tasting  
The Gyöngyös-based 5Dudás Winery hold a wine tasting at the Három Szerb café in the city centre, bringing their Irsai Olivér, Kékfrankos and Olaszrizling produced in Mátra vineyards for sampling. More details

Suduaya
French music producer Suduaya presents his latest album, SoulQuest, with a show at Dürer Kert. No stranger to Hungary – EarthDance is among the many festivals he has graced – this soulful exponent of psytrance should fill the outdoor venue with beautiful vibes on Saturday night. Support is provided by StereOMantra of similar ilk. More details

Sunday, 26 June

Producers’ Market & Communal Lunch  
In the courtyard of Élesztőház, a community market will showcase the wares of primary producers from around Hungary, fruit and vegetables, cheeses, homemade hams and salamis, baked goods, syrups, jams, juices and wines. To test their quality, a communal lunch sourced from these products is also being set up. More details

Nyolcésfél Ceramics & Design Fair
The last Sunday in June sees another fair at Nyolcésfél, this one with ceramics in focus. More than 40 artisans spread out their ornaments, jewellery and household items across the car park for visitors to browse and buy. More details

The Maltese Falcon
Another Hollywood classic is being screened at the estimable Bem cinema, this time John Huston’s remarkable directorial debut, The Maltese Falcon. Humphrey Bogart stars in this timeless film noir as private investigator Sam Spade whose partner’s murder drags him into a web of multinational intrigue. A clique of fascinating rogues, including Mary Astor, Hungarian Peter Lorre and an impeccable Sydney Greenstreet making his filmic debut at 61, has roamed the globe in search of a mysterious, jewel-encrusted ornamental bird. Huston, who also wrote the rapid-fire screenplay, had his father Walter play the ship’s captain. Bogart was never better. In original English with Hungarian subtitles. 7.30pm. More details