The festival season is almost here so you can start planning your rave-cation. Whether you’re looking for rock ’n’ roll headliners, house and techno bangers or boutique festival frolics, there is so much musical mayhem in and around the Hungarian capital that you’re sure to find something to your liking. We Love Budapest has put together your go-to guide to the best musical extravaganzas for the coming months of sun and fun. See you down the front!
1/10
This super chilled music festival is relatively fresh-faced as 2018 is only the third time that it’s taking place. Hidden away in a big forest, on the border of Budapest and mother nature, Kolorádó welcomes mellow merrymakers for five days of live music and fresh-air fun. During the day, revellers can recover from the previous night while chilling amid the greenery and awakening their arty side, while after the sun goes down, local and international musicians take the stage, enticing everyone to dance under the starry skies until dawn. This year you’ll be able to party to the music of Kelela and Wavves from the USA, the UK’s Perc, Tops from Canada, Axel Boman from Sweden, and several other music acts. Discounted early bird tickets are on sale until mid-May, with other purchase options available afterwards.
When: June 13th - 17th.
How to get there: Take bus 63 from Hűvösvölgy to Nagykovácsi.
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2/10
The annual VOLT Festival has been one of Hungary’s greatest good-time gatherings for two decades now. It draws world-famous musicians of diverse genres along with exceptional local acts to fill a forested campground in the hills above the western city of Sopron. Main-stage performers of this year’s festival include Depeche Mode, Iron Maiden, Limp Bizkit, Hurts and Rudimental, drawing crowds along with many open-air pubs, one-off shows, outdoor yoga and other colourful attractions. Last year, tickets completely sold out for VOLT Festival, so if you’re thinking about going, you’d better be quick. Once arrived and settled in – either in tents, wooden huts or caravans – you can stroll amid tree-shaded attractions in a happy daze between the diverse concerts.
When: June 26th - 30th.
How to get there: Frequent trains run from Keleti station to Sopron, journey time 2hrs 30min, single tickets 5,000 forints. See more info here.
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For fans of electronica, the southern shore of Lake Balaton is the place to be in early July. Taking place on the sprawling lawns of a lakefront recreation area in Zamárdi, this sun-splashed celebration annually attracts herds of swimsuit-clad party people from all around the world. Every year an ever-increasing number of festivalgoers wade in the water and buzz around open-air bars around the site to dance the days and nights away to pounding tunes. This summer’s headliners include The Chainsmokers, David Guetta, Rita Ora, Ella Eyre and Martin Garrix, among many other crowd-pulling names. Tickets to the festival are currently on sale (see below).
When: July 4th - 8th.
How to get there: Trains from Budapest Déli take 1hr 30min to Zamárdi (single tickets 2,700 forints). See more info here.
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"No crowd. No dust. No monuments. No sponsors, no investors. Just us, Samsarians." Samsara Festival is the land of neo hippies; a psychedelic meet-up for the fans of yoga, music, dance and nature, held in the privately owned Töreki woods near Siófok between July 6th and 11th. The festival features talks with yoga instructors, therapists, psychologists, doctors and healers in the daytime, while at night you can party to psychedelic trance music. The four-day event features 120 yoga workshops, seances and 90 musical artists and DJs.
When: July 6th - 11th
How to get there: Although easiest by car (ironically...), take the train to Siófok from Budapest Déli or Kelenföld, journey time 1hr 20min, single tickets 2,400 forints.
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5/10
If you want to catch John Newman, Jessie J, Dub FX, Sub Focus or Lost Frequencies at a chilled-out festival, EFOTT is for you. Hungary’s biggest student party once more conquers Lake Velence to provide lively daytime activities and cool concerts for an entire week – and all just 50 kilometres south-west of Budapest.
When: July 10th - 16th
How to get there: Trains leave Budapest Déli and Kelenföld for Velence, journey time 30min, single tickets 1,000 forints.
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6/10
Between July 18th and 21st, the cobblestoned lanes of this historic lakeside town transform into an open-air festival venue. Inspirational musicians from several countries, performance artists and buskers give shows all over the city’s streets from morning till the late-night hours. Walk and dance around the whole town, and pop in for a few drinks in between gigs at this fun festival.
When: July 18th - 21st
How to get there: Trains leave Budapest Déli and Kelenföld for Veszprém, journey time 1hr 30min, single tickets 2,400 forints.
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7/10
About 130 kilometres south-west of Budapest, O.Z.O.R.A stages a psychedelic tribal gathering, inviting festivalgoers to form free-flowing dance formations in a valley of peace and serenity. O.Z.O.R.A has been shaping Hungary's psychedelic scene since 2004 – but its founder, Dániel Zimányi, passed away in March. The event will honour his memory with another festival happening on his estate between July 30th and August 5th.
When: July 30th - August 5th
How to get there: If you choose to travel to Ozora by train, there is a service from Budapest Déli and Kelenföld to Simontornya (2hr journey time, 2,200 forints). A party bus then shuttles guests from Simontornya station to the festival grounds for about 1,000 forints.
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8/10
The highlight of summer in Hungary is the Sziget Festival, a week-long jamboree that’s taking place this year between August 8th and 15th, attracting throngs of revellers to Óbuda Island north of Budapest. This is one of the largest festivals in Europe and, as there's no Glastonbury this year, Sziget is going to be super crammed with festivalgoers. Fans can look forward to 2018 headliners Arctic Monkeys and Kendrick Lamar, plus Lana Del Rey, Dua Lipa, Gorillaz, Kygo, Shawn Mendes, Stormzy, Parov Stelar, Bastille and a plethora of Hungarian and international bands. In addition to cool concerts, all kinds of fun activities feature.
When: August 8th - 15th
How to get there: Take the HÉV train from Batthyány tér or the Buda side of the Margaret Bridge to Filatorigát, then follow the crowds. Alternatively, boats leave from various points in the city centre.
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9/10
Sweeping Lake Balaton views serve as the backdrop for nearly 100 DJs spinning epic electronica amid sprawling lawns at the B.my.lake festival in Zamárdi. This late-summer extravaganza brings renowned music masters ashore, such as Richie Hawtin, Alan Fitzpatrick, Amelie Lens, Agents of Time and many more, all performing amid unique visual and sound effects.
When: August 22nd - 25th
How to get there: Trains from Budapest Déli take 1hr 30min to Zamárdi (single tickets 2,700 forints). See more info here.
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10/10
Music lovers can let loose at the STRAND Festival, where numerous international headliners take the stage, including Rag'n'Bone Man, Robin Schulz and Thirty Seconds to Mars alongside several local performers. Besides the music shows, revellers can challenge themselves with adventurous activities, chill out at the many lounging spots or enjoy the adjacent free beach.
