Hungarian Conservative

At the library located in the centre of the city visitors will have a chance to create souvenir cards with Elvish script, learn the secrets of Elvish braiding, participate in quizzes and group singing, and browse through the products offered at the Middle-earth market.

This year’s Sziget Festival will take place from 7 to 12 August. Among the headliners announced on Wednesday is American singer Halsey, who has already received three Billboard Music Awards, an American Music Award, and has been nominated for a Grammy three times. The superstar is preparing for a new album release this year.

The exhibition titled What Does the Cziffra File Conceal? — The Emigrant Pianist: György Cziffra and State Security, open until 14 September at the Historical Archives of the State Security Services building, utilizes numerous previously unpublished documents and sources, primarily archival records and photographs, to illustrate various periods of György Cziffra’s life and art, as well as the workings of state security.

The European Festival Awards serve as a platform to acknowledge and celebrate the outstanding contributions of festivals across Europe. From showcasing remarkable performances to fostering community engagement and promoting cultural diversity, these awards recognize the festivals that go above and beyond in creating memorable experiences for attendees.

‘Based on early ticket sales, we can see a tremendous interest in the 2024 festival. Next year, Sziget will once again host major global stars,
top performers of the day, and freshly discovered, contemporary musical gems,’ Tamás Kádár, the main organizer wrote in a statement.

On Saturday, President of the International Association of Athletics Federations Sebastian Coe planted the first sapling for a legacy forest of 2023 trees in Budapest’s Újpest district in the company of Gábor Schmidt, the Deputy State Secretary responsible for sports management and development, and Gábor Reinitz, the CEO of Pilisi Parkerdő forest manager.

The Zsolnay family’s tireless effort to innovate made the company one of the most successful manufacturers of the Astro-Hungarian times and Zsolnay ceramics and tiles continue to adorn buildings across the country to this day. The brand is not past its prime: Zsolnay products in fact sell for record prices these days.

Over 30 years after the regime change, there are still hundreds of public places in Hungary named after people involved in the introduction and maintenance of 20th-century totalitarian regimes.

Szilvásvárad, the home of the nationally treasured Lipizzaner horse breed, has been announced as the new location of the event. In the past, the Gallop was organized in the capital city.

Mazsihisz head Andor Grósz expressed his view to Minister Gulyás that some of the recent remarks about Regent Miklós Horthy made by Fidesz officials at the 30th anniversary of Horthy’s reburial do not fall in line with the government’s principle of zero tolerance of antisemitism.

‘The time has come when the Hungarian Defence Forces are once again embracing this intellectual legacy, taking charge of preserving the Hussar tradition, allowing the Hungarian Hussar to finally find his way back to where the heroes’ memory is honoured with respect and appreciation,’ the Hungarian defence minister said at the biannual Hussar Gathering in Nyíregyháza.

During a ceremony held in commemoration of the foundation of the state where high state awards were conferred, Chief of the Prime Minister’s Office Gergely Gulyás stated that as Hungary is celebrating the 1023rd birthday of its nationhood, the nation must take stock of its history. He also added that the anniversary of the foundation of the Hungarian state is an apt occasion to express gratitude to those who, with years of effort, have served their communities, big or small, through exceptional achievements.

Tamás Kádár proudly announced that the total attendance of Sziget this year was estimated at over 420,000. He added that although it is less than last year, the company cannot complain.

Tibor Helényi’s legacy as a Hungarian artist extends far beyond the borders of his home country. His iconic Star Wars and RoboCop posters have become symbols of their respective franchises’ global impact, reflecting his ability to capture the essence of stories through visual simplicity.

The Sziget Festival will last six days, until 15 August, on the Óbuda Island in Budapest. Performers from sixty-two countries will arrive at approximately forty venues, and the audience will come from over a hundred countries.

Spread across 76 hectares, this year’s festival was set up in three weeks. The maximum daily capacity is 90,000 people, including both festival staff and attendees, making Sziget the country’s tenth largest city for the six days of the festival. The main stage was constructed in ten days, with a floor area of over a thousand square metres and a six hundred square metre LED wall serving as its backdrop.

Hungary submitted the Hungarian string orchestra tradition as an independent nomination, and it has become the latest Hungarian element of intangible cultural heritage to be added to the international list, following the Mohács Busójárás, the Matyó embroidery, falconry, and blue-dyeing (kékfestés).

 ‘There are few Hungarian brands in the entertainment industry like the Sziget Festival, and we will forever be grateful to its founders for creating it. We are planning a grand celebration this year, which also signifies the beginning of a new era for us: we not only want to preserve the legacy of the past 30 years but also lay the foundation for the next 30,’ Tamás Kádár stated at a press conference in May.

‘Political controversy was very hard on him. We worried for him, and tried to look after him. He took the attacks personally, and we tried to cheer him up, to love him. Sometimes, of course, I wondered why he had to get into a controversy that caused pain for himself and others, and maybe disagreement between us. I spoke about this with his sister. Roger knew what he was talking about and why he was defending his position. He had a sense of duty, and a gift to speak up. A lot of people encouraged him.’

During the opening ceremony of the exhibition on Monday evening, the director-general of PIM pointed out that an inheritance from a legacy only becomes heritage if it is exhibited in a museum. Szilárd Demeter highlighted the uniqueness of the commemorative exhibition.

When asked about the legacy of Sir Roger, Sophie Scruton said that she is pleased her husband’s work inspired so many initiatives. She said that it likely helps that she is encouraging them as well. She added that Roger Scruton wanted to leave a strong legacy and he would be glad to know that his writing is of such interest today.