You can enjoy live jazz performances every night across Hungary’s capital. From up-and-coming local performers to well established international ensembles, a variety of bands play regularly in tiny cafés, a romantic wine bar, and a modern music center. The Budapest Jazz Club even has a separate concert hall, where guests can fully immerse in rhythmic ragtime and the Doblo wine bar jazzes up Budapest nights with fine libations and melodic music. Meanwhile, popular lunchtime hotspot Jedermann turns into a space for contemporary jazz when the sun goes down.
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Budapest Jazz Club
Considered a haven for the city’s jazz aficionados, this District XIII hangout features a walled-off concert hall where guests can see a live act over burgers or burritos, beer or wine. Staging some of the best international and local performers, the club hosts lively shows every evening, while musicians come together for free jam sessions on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays, and after the main concert on Saturdays. Upcoming acts include names like BJC regular Trace Bundy on October 16th, Australian fusion guitarist Frank Gambale on October 24th and the Budapest Jazz Orchestra performing on October 29th.
Address: Budapest 1136, Hollán Ernő utca 7
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Budapest Music Center
In a District IX side street a short walk from Kálvin Square, a contemporary musical information center welcomes audiences with live jazz performances from Tuesday to Saturday inclusive, shows starting at 9pm. Found within this modern institution, the Opus Jazz Club offers a professional concert hall with outstanding acoustics. Besides hosting bands such as the Machado-Ithursarry duo from France (October 17th), the venue is also home to multiple-day jamborees, like the Romanian Jazz Festival happening October 24th-26th. Budapest Music Center also serves as a restaurant, where steamed beef cheek, pastas and evening snacks are served à la carte.
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Doblo
Housed inside a corner building on Dob Street within Pest’s Jewish Quarter, Doblo is a laid-back wine bar for oenophiles during the day, while in the evening the bare-brick interior fills with jazz tunes played by local ensembles several times a week. Talented musicians entertain guests with dynamic tunes ranging from swing to blues and everything in between – every Sunday in October, the Cleo Trio takes the audience around the world of jazz, and during the week, you can look forward to the Sárközy Lily Band (playing on October 17th and 26th), among many other fine formations. And while we move our feet under the table to the rhythm of the beat, we can sample glasses of Hungarian reds, whites and rosés from the bar’s wide-ranging wine selection. Concerts start at 9pm and entry is free for guests.
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IF Café
This unpretentious café is wedged between the long-standing and newly opened culinary destinations along bustling Ráday Street. Inside this tiny hangout, local jazz bands perform daily between café tables – you can also sit at gallery level and enjoy the shows from there. Concerts start at 7:30pm. During performances, you can order tapas-style meals, salads, and hot dishes such as a meat platter for two with roast chicken and rump steak. Prices are moderate for the neighborhood, but you have to pay a little extra for the concerts (from 600 forints). Look out also for the regularly changing exhibitions.
Address: Budapest 1092, Ráday utca 19
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