There are a lot of major events going on in September that you don’t want to miss: food and wine festivals, all kinds of concerts, races for both humans and animals, a showcase for Hungarian design, and much more. In this event roundup, we collect all of the important happenings taking place in Hungary’s capital during the upcoming month, so that you can plan ahead to attend whatever events are the most interesting for you. Get out there and enjoy everything that Budapest has to offer!
1/16
Beer, Burger & Barbecue Festival
The second Beer, Burger & Barbecue Festival, taking place during September 1-4 at Millenáris Park – is, well, about what you’ve already guessed. Budapest’s best street-food eateries will serve traditional and special dishes, while the best local and international artisanal beers will be on tap. Forget about fast-food restaurants and what you’ve eaten there, and find out everything about barbecue, the American way of eating, and everything related to them. The festival offers free-time activities for all generations, so if you don’t feel like eating (although there’s a really low chance of that), you’ll still find something to do. More details
2/16
Jewish Cultural Festival
The annual Jewish Cultural Festival, taking place between September 4-11 at various venues – including the Dohány Street Synagogue, the Hegedűs Gyula Street Synagogue, the Rumbach Street Synagogue, and the Goldmark Hall – celebrates Jewish culture and traditions with exciting programs: literature, music, dance, cabaret, and children’s shows. The music lineup is diverse and offers something for everyone’s tastes, from klezmer to jazz, and swing to rock: Boban Markovic and his orchestra, Besh o droM, Klezmatics, and the Budapest Klezmer Band will perform, while the up-and-coming Margaret Island band will do a special acoustic set, and funk-soul-pop act Mörk will collaborate with Palya Bea on stage. More details
3/16
Sunn O)))
American drone metal and experimental ambient pioneer act Sunn O))) has been challenging the boundaries between genres for nearly two decades. In that time, core members Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson have made music that connects metal, drone, contemporary composition, jazz, and minimalism, while remaining true to the principles of volume, density, and weight. Their increasingly collaborative output has seen them work with Japanese noise artist Masami Akita (Merzbow), Japanese band Boris, Runhild Gammelsæter (Thorr’s Hammer), Joe Preston (the Melvins and Thrones), Oren Ambarchi, and Julian Cope. On September 6th, they return to the A38 Ship for a show that will surely be remembered by those who are brave enough to experience it. More details
4/16
25th Budapest Wine Festival
Every September, tens of thousands of people visit the Buda Castle to experience good libations at Hungary’s greatest wine festival, taking place during September 8-11 in 2016. Hundreds of exhibitors show their wines from all around Hungary, and even from a few foreign countries. Of course, there is no wine festival without culinary indulgences, so you’ll also be able to feast on traditional festival dishes and gourmet specialties and match the proper bites to your mood – and wine. Even if you are not a wine/gastro expert, the panoramic ambience and the programs guarantee an unforgettable time. More details
5/16
Vegan Food Fest
Are you curious about what a hamburger made of purely vegetable-based ingredients tastes like? Would you like to know how to get satiated with a vegan hot dog? Or have you perhaps ever wondered what raw vegan stuffed cabbage or fried vegan cheese can be like, and what they are made of? Or is it the superfood green smoothies that spark your imagination? In addition to all of these delights, you can taste many other dishes and snacks made of purely vegetable ingredients between September 8-11 at the second Vegan Food Fest, when the promenade next to Allee turns into a swirling outdoor gastro-festival for the city, your friends, and you. On the palette of the Vegan Food Fest, you will find the country’s most popular vegan and raw vegan restaurants, food bistros, street-food places, and confectionaries showcasing purely vegan and raw vegan food. More details
6/16
Főzdefeszt
The ever-growing popularity of small-scale brewing around Hungary is celebrated with the Főzdefeszt (“Brewers’ Festival” in Hungarian), taking place between September 9-11 at City Park. Since autumn is coming, hops fanatics start to crave something that warms them up and keeps the depression away, but which also contains a hint of summer: red beer, be it from Ireland, Belgium, or any other country. The current edition of Főzdefeszt will be dedicated to this variety, but of course you can also chug down other carefully selected local and international suds, and taste what Budapest’s popular street-food vendors has to offer. More details
7/16
Városliget
Run a half marathon with over 16,000 athletes on September 11th and enjoy the city’s incredible scenery along the way. The race route leads through the center of Budapest, along the famous Andrássy Avenue and across the Chain Bridge. Admire the view of the Buda Castle from the Danube banks, and marvel at the panorama of Pest as well as Europe’s third-largest Parliament building. Since the organizers want the competitors to succeed, there will be refreshment stops along the way, as well as several musical points for your entertainment. Pace runners will help you hit your desired tempo, and the fantastic atmosphere guarantees that you’ll have the run of your life. What else would a resolute runner need? More details
8/16
Nickelback
The Canadian rock ’n’ roll quartet Nickelback returns to BudapestArena on September 16th. The heavily hyped band, led by singer-guitarist Chad Kroeger, took the world (and the mainstream rock ’n’ roll scene) by storm in 2002 with the song “How You Remind Me” – and ever since then, they’ve stayed on the top of the charts. “Rockstar”, “Burn It To The Ground”, “Here Without You”, “Gotta Be Somebody” – all of them became smash hits that secured their status as a leading contemporary rock band. Not to mention that their concerts earned rave reviews from critics and fans alike; and this is your chance to find out why. During the whole tour, Monster Truck will open for them. More details
9/16
Sweet Days Chocolate And Sweets Festival
The sweetest festival of Budapest, taking place during September 16-18 at Szent István Square, boasts a variety of local handcrafted and international confections such as chocolates, cakes, and ice creams, presented by a wide range of exhibitors. Besides the sweet seductions, the entry for the three-day-long treat is free, making it even more tempting. The icing on the cake will be wide variety of programs: concerts, family activities, gastro specialties, and a nice wine selection. More details
10/16
National Gallop
Imagine Heroes’ Square as a racetrack with 6,200 square meters of sand with young jockeys and modern-day hussars on horseback, tearing around the track. 250 horses and riders, to be more specific. Add some archers, horseback battles, and racing carriages to it. No, it’s not some kind of medieval fantasy, but the annual National Gallop, taking place during September 16-18. Apart from the Ben Hur-ish programs, there will be grandstands in front of the two museums that flank the square, and on the following two days (September 19-20), the city’s grandest boulevard, Andrássy Avenue, will become the Gallop Promenade, presenting over 1,000 years of Hungarian history. Tents representing towns and cities across the nation will show off local traditions – imagine blacksmiths pounding horseshoes, costumed women embroidering centuries-old flower motifs, and weavers crafting baskets of straw or rugs of wool. During this three-day introduction to Hungarian equestrian tradition, you’ll also get to taste the delights of the Országkonyha (“Kitchen of Hungary”), where the main theme this year is meat, meat, meat! More details
11/16
Wovenhand
David Eugene Edwards, the master of subtle folk-rock ballads, whose profilic work in both Wovenhand and the legendary 16 Horsepower, has influenced a generation of musicians, and he leads his band back to Europe this autumn – when the tour will reach the A38 Ship on September 18th. With its spoken tradition of transference and its roaring guitars and driving percussion, a Wovenhand live concert is one of the most intense musical experiences you can ever witness. A sweeping tapestry of gothic Americana, neo-folk, punk, alternative country, and psych – more like a transcendental ritual than a classic musical performance. Don’t expect a show that will go down easily. More details
12/16
Bridging Europe 2016
A joint production by the Budapest Festival Orchestra and Müpa Budapest, the Bridging Europe Festival, taking place during September 21-28, brings a special flavor to the opening of the autumn performance season. The inspiration and driving force for the series has always been a specific country with a rich, colorful, and significant cultural heritage; this year, it’s France. Besides the usual orchestral symphonies, baroque performances, and contemporary concerts, the audience will get some lighter bites too, with jazz and world-music performances. Iván Fischer’s program selection includes the impressionist composers Debussy and Ravel; a 20th century successor to their traditions in Dutilleux; and Erik Satie, who’s known mostly for his piano compositions.
13/16
Budapest Design Week
Hungarian-made fashion, ceramics, furniture, and myriad other pieces of everyday artworks are in the spotlight during Budapest Design Week – taking place during September 23-October 3 at various locations citywide – aiming to raise social awareness of the economic and social role of design by allowing the public to visualize it as a set of innovative tools and approaches, and it also placing an emphasis on the economic role of design. To support these aims, the events include programs both for the public at large (inaugurations of exhibitions, programs for children, thematic tours, workshop visits) and for the profession, and other elements that would explicitly support the work of economic policy-makers. More details
14/16
LUTTE dance debut
Struggle, fight, revolution, battle. The latest creation by renowned Magyar choreographer Pál Frenák, LUTTE, is an intense, really physical, but also poetic dance piece about our human struggles, our fights – in a symbolic and practical sense as well – along with our social and emotional hierarchies. How can we overcome ourselves and others? How can we defeat on our ego? How can we handle our everyday fights? LUTTE combines the elements of sport and contemporary dance, sign language and design – using certain motifs of conquering from Scandinavian mythology. You can watch it at Trafó on September 23rd. More details
15/16
Budapest International Documentary Festival
The Budapest International Documentary Festival, taking place between September 24 and October 2 at multiple locations, brings the best and most innovative selection of the genre to Hungary, showing the medium’s variety and the newest trends. During the festival, you can watch short films from the Russian Federation, documentaries from Switzerland or Sweden, and learn a lot about what is really going on in the world, while also getting familiar with some breathtaking stories and characters, like Princess Shaw (a star-crossed singer-songwriter), or the 95-year-old Kolozs twins, Hungary’s oldest identical twins. More details
16/16
Oktoberfest Budapest
Like at the Münich-based Oktoberfest, barrels of beer star in the Hungarian edition of the biggest suds-soaked festival in Budapest, taking place between September 29-October 2 at the city’s 1956 Memorial Square, just a short stroll away from the historic Heroes’ Square. Apart from the 50 performers and the 300 different kind of beers, there will be another special flavor added to the biggest beer festival of the capital, coming straight from Africa. Yes, you read it right. In 2016, you can enjoy African dishes and drinks, dance performances, and the concert of Mr. President (aka Coco Jambo) at Oktoberfest. Cheers!
