1/11
Carnival in Budapest
The Carnival Season – called Farsang – is a colorful festival period stretching from Epiphany on January 6th for about six weeks until Ash Wednesday. It is associated with fun festivities, cheery feasts, masquerade balls and folk celebrations that all aim to scare the cold months away and welcome springtime’s warmer weather. The season is annually opened by a carnival-season gala, this year taking place at the Erkel Theater. One of the main events of this vibrant parade however is Busójárás that takes place between February 8th and 13th in the southern city of Mohács. During this Busó walk, scary-looking men wearing wooden masks, horns and wooly cloaks noisily run around and frivolously chase women. Budapest often holds Farsang events in February, too, from festive feasts to playful parades, where you can sample the particular Carnival atmosphere.
2/11
Depeche Mode
On February 2nd you don’t have to enjoy the silence, as Depeche Mode will rock the walls of the Papp László Budapest Sportaréna. The Basildon boys bring their Global Spirit Tour back to Hungary, promoting their 2017 album, Spirit. Last year, the electronic ensemble gave a sold-out concert here, and now they give their fans another chance to enjoy hits like “Personal Jesus”,“Everything Counts” and“Just Can’t Get Enough”. Later in the year, they come back to Hungary to play Sopron’s Volt Festival on June 26th. More details
3/11
World Nutella Day
February 5th marks a monumental day in the lives of sweet lovers, as it is World Nutella Day. On February 4th and 5th Budapest’s colorful candyland, the SUGAR! shop, prepares concoctions from dreamy Nutella-infused recipes, in addition to their other scrumptious cakes and sweets. The lovers of the hazelnut-chocolate spread can try many delightful desserts here for two days, and if you buy two Nutella sweets here, you get one of SUGAR! shop’s most popular macarons – not surprisingly, a Nutella macaron – for free. Riverside Bálna Bistro also celebrates the tasty spread, awaiting guests with treats, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for a whole week from February 5th.
4/11
The Grand Chinese New Year Concert
On February 5th at The Grand Chinese New Year Concert, classical musical traditions of the East meet those of the West, while the cultures of Asia and Europe mingle. At the Palace of Arts, Budapest’s contemporary cultural center, musicians from China play classical Asian instruments while wearing traditional Oriental costumes, delivering an expressive onstage performance. More details
5/11
Finnish Film Days
Within the framework of the Finnish Film Days, a selection of prominent Finnish productions screen through five days – between February 7th and 11th – at Budapest’s alluring arthouse cinema, the Művész. The festival presents some of the major talents of the Nordic country’s film industry, and besides the scheduled screenings, workshops, music events and discussions on scriptwriting and on female roles in the contemporary film industry also feature in the festival. The opening film, Euthanizer, has won various prizes around the world, while Tom of Finland was the country’s official submission for the Academy Awards last year. All of the films screen with original Finnish audio and English and Hungarian subtitles, unless indicated otherwise. More details
6/11
Incendies with English surtitles
Incendies has been one of the most moving and significant theatre performances of the past year in Hungary. On February 8th, the Radnóti Theater will be presenting the play with English surtitles that can be followed from the theater balcony. In the production, Nawal, a mother of two who emigrated to Canada after the Lebanese war, notifies her two children in her will about the existence of their father and a brother whom they have to find and hand over an envelope. When the children embark on this journey, immersing themselves in the horrors of the war, they reveal something truly unspeakable about their mother’s past that will leave the audience guessing and gasping for breath. More details
7/11
Mangalica Festival
Annually in February, Budapest’s central Szabadság Square hosts a celebration of Hungary’s unique breed of domestic pig, mangalica. This buoyant alfresco festival – taking place between February 9th and 11th – features a wide range of mangalica-based meals cooked on the spot, alongside goods handcrafted by local producers, Hungary’s finest wines and pálinka brandy specialties, and live music performances. More details
8/11
Indoor Beer Festival
Well, if you thought that only open-air beer festivals exist in Budapest, the Gellért Hotel and Serfőző are here to prove you wrong. Between February 16th and 18th, the Gellért Hotel will be transformed into a large beer hall, offering more than 100 kinds of bottled and craft brews from Hungary, the Czech Republic, Germany, England and Belgium. True bravehearts can also try the pálinka brandy. On Friday and Saturday, a delicious beer dinner will be prepared, while on Sunday a beer brunch will fill the ample bellies of the assembled ale aficionados. Those who purchase an entry ticket receive a branded beer glass to take home and can sample an unlimited number of tasty beers. More details
9/11
Hungarian Wine Ball
Budapest’s beautiful Corinthia Hotel welcomes an elite crowd to sample 100 of the country’s finest reds, whites and sparkling wines from five of Hungary's diverse distinguished wine regions. The top-notch selection includes fruity olaszrizling, spicy kékfrankos, golden Tokaji Aszú and sparkling champagnes. Creatively presented gourmet delicacies pamper taste buds through the night, while live music by local acts and dance shows entertain the guests of this exclusive event. More details
10/11
Caro Emerald
Clear the way boys, the lady has arrived… Dutch-Aruban diva Caro Emerald has rocked several festival stages in Hungary before, and now returns on February 26th to give her own concert at the Budapest Papp László Sport Aréna. Known for her outstanding live performances, award-winning Emerald combines jazz, pop, electro swing and scat singing. Be ready to hear hits like “Back It Up”, “Absolutely Me” and “That Man”. More details
11/11
Budapest Photo Festival
During this grand photo festival – taking place between February 28th and April 20th – several of the city’s major cultural institutions host exhibitions featuring Hungarian and international contemporary and classic photography. The first event, Malkovich Malkovich Malkovich: Homage to Photographic Masters, held at the Kunsthalle, features photos of John Malkovich by Sandro Miller that also act as a lighthearted homage to masterminds of film and photo history such as Alfred Hitchcock, Andy Warhol and Annie Leibovitz. In these photos, Malkovitch dresses up as the subjects recognizable from iconic photographs in film history. The festival is also complete with workshops, portfolio reviews and exciting events for camera buffs. More details
