The six-day celebratory program series commemorating St. Stephen’s Day and the founding of the country featured over 100 musical, cultural and gastronomic events across Budapest.
According to organizers, the programs, which started the weekend preceding Hungary's national holiday attracted over three million visitors.
The wide array of programs — from classical and pop concerts to folk performances and culinary showcases — drew record crowds in the days leading up to the August 20th fireworks show.
Hundreds of thousands gathered along the Danube embankments to watch the spectacular pyrotechnic show, enhanced this year with monumental light projections and a unique drone display.
Music was central to the celebrations. The Panorama Classical series at the Philosophers’ Garden on Gellert Hill presented two days of classical and jazz concerts in interactive, family-friendly formats, featuring the Modern Art Orchestra, the Hungarian Defense Forces Garrison Band of Budapest, and the Danubia Orchestra. Programs included joint performances, evenings dedicated to film music and Hungarian song classics, and hands-on “instrument petting” sessions for children.
At Vigado Square, Vigado Piano offered three days of piano-centered concerts, ranging from French chansons and film scores to performances by Andrea Malek and Andrea Szulak.
Meanwhile, the SzabadRet Festival hosted rotating DJs, the Road Movie Live stage on the BME quay featured popular Hungarian acts, and the Retro Taban brought four nights of evergreen hits by legendary groups including Koral, R-GO, Neoton and Bikini.
Beyond music, the program offered a wide variety of attractions.
New venues included the Family Adventure Island with sports activities on Margaret Island and the Culture Cavalcade on Erzsebet Square.
Food lovers flocked to the Street of Hungarian Flavors and the Csarda Festival, while families enjoyed interactive programs at the Creative Festival and Magic Grove.
