More than a hundred programmes await those who celebrate Hungary’s birthday in the capital city this year. The free festival starting on 18 August will once again be crowned by a spectacular fireworks display on the evening of the 20th.
Connected to the most important Hungarian national holiday, St Stephen’s Day, more than twenty event locations will offer a diverse range of entertainment in the two days preceding the national holiday and on 20 August. Visitors will be able to taste traditional Hungarian foods and enjoy the diversity of cultural and musical programmes, as announced by the organisers. This year’s celebration also provides an opportunity to discover the city of Budapest and its historical heritage.
As every year, the Cake of Hungary is selected ahead of August 20, with those attending the holiday events being the first to taste the creations of Hungary’s best pastry chefs. The competition this year was won by the torte named Tipsy Fig Respectus of the Levendula és Kert (Lavender and Garden) cake shop from Szigetszentmiklós, located on Csepel Island. Essential ingredients of the cake include Aszú wine, figs and honey. Competition entrants this year were required for the first time to include at least one of a selected number of Hungaricums. Each year the best sugar-free cake of the year is also selected. In 2023, the winner is Springtime, created by the pastry chef of the Makó Papp cake shop, the main theme of which is black tea, spiced with lavender and blueberries.
The backbone of the 20 August programmes will be, as is customary, the traditional state events: the 20 August holiday begins with the hoisting of the national flag at Kossuth Square, and the St Stephen’s Day ceremonial event, followed by an air parade, the festive mass at St Stephen’s Basilica, and the Holy Dexter procession. The evening will conclude with a fireworks display. During the display, which is now considered a tradition with a history spanning decades,
34 thousand pyrotechnic effects will illuminate the sky over the capital city.
The fireworks will be launched from 230 firing sites between the Margaret Bridge and the Petőfi Bridge section of the Danube, as well as on Liberty Bridge and Elizabeth Bridge.
Throughout the three-day event series, the iconic Golden Train originally built in 1938 will be displayed in the city centre. The Promenade of Cities will showcase installations of flags, counties, and the 102 cities of historical Hungary, while in Heroes’ Square the heroes of the Hungarian nation will be showcased in a special exhibit. The Street of Hungarian Flavours will feature the culinary culture of the Carpathian Basin, and at the Csárda Festival, the offerings of the country’s most beloved inns will await visitors.
In the musical line-up, Retro Tabán will be the venue of of pop and rock music, with performers including Charlie, Demjén Rózsi, and the Neoton Family. Fans of classical music will be able to enjoy their favourite tunes at the Panorama Classical venue in the Philosophers’ Garden on Gellért Hill. At a new location in Vigadó Square, Vigadó Piano will host the enthusiasts of bar music. Electronic and live music will resonate at the Road Movie Live and Szabadrét Festival, featuring concerts by groups like the Bagossy Brothers Company, Tankcsapda, and Mystery Gang.
As part of the St Stephen’s Day event series, the Fashion & Design Festival will welcome for the third year in a row those interested in Hungarian fashion, jewellery, and design, but at a new location this year: the Millenáris Park. The centre of children’s programmes will be again the Enchanted Garden, spanning from Vajdahunyad Castle to the Kós Károly Promenade.
The Crafts Festival will once again be free to visit in the Buda Castle. This year’s largest folk art festival will be held with the participation of around a thousand Hungarian and foreign craftsmen. The event will offer numerous stage performances, dance and musical shows for the audience.
Those attending the St Stephen’s Day programmes will once again
be able to purchase designated foods and drinks at heavily discounted prices at the event venues in Budapest.
In a statement, the organisers wrote that among the St Stephen’s Day products, mineral water (190 forints), beer (350 forints), and pretzels (300 forints) will be available, the same prices as last year. The costs of other fixed-price products have only minimally increased compared to the previous year.
The discounted prices will be valid at more than twenty locations in the capital city from throughout the entire three-day event series. It was noted that the organisers collaborate with numerous companies that meet the expectations in terms of experience, quality, and product range. Furthermore, they stated that guests can obtain the discounted food and drink offerings at St. Stephen’s Day Points, and the officially partnered vendors selling the price-frozen items will be distinguished from non-official partners by a visible sticker featuring the St Stephen’s Day logo.
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