Top events in Budapest in 2023

Budapest is a fantastic city, and it is worth visiting all year round. It fills your heart with joy to walk barefoot in the grass at Margaret Island on a warm summer day, just like it feels awesome to take a bath in the hot spring of the Szechenyi thermal bath on a cold winter day. Would you like to combine such experiences with a fantastic event in Budapest? What are the highlights coming up in Budapest in 2023? Here you can read about some of the most significant upcoming events, concerts, festivals, and markets in Budapest in 2023.

It is a somewhat cold January day as we write this article. The Christmas markets closed some days ago, but people are already looking for information about the Christmas markets in 2023. What other events should you look forward to in Budapest in 2023 besides the Christmas markets? The dates for the biggest festivals and events are released, but there are also some uncertainties. Let us take a closer look at what we believe will be the highlights in Budapest this year.

The events, concerts, festivals, and exhibitions are not listed in chronological order.

Top events and festivals in Budapest in 2023

Which are the hottest events and festivals arranged in Budapest? 2023 is the year in which Hungary will arrange the biggest event ever arranged in the country. It isn’t a music festival, but the World Athletics Championships.

World Athletics Championships

A brand new stadium named National Athletics Centre has been built for this event. Approximately 35,000 people will gather in this stadium every day between August 19 and August 27 this summer. The best athletes will compete, and even though Usain Bolt has retired, we have a lot to look forward to. Nearly everything is happening at the stadium, but the race walking and the marathons are held in the streets of Budapest. This is a fantastic chance to see some of the best runners in the world as they compete for a gold medal.

World Athletics Championships
August 19-27
More information

Sziget Festival

This is the biggest music festival in Hungary and attracts nearly half a million people yearly. Billie Eilish, David Guetta, Florence + The Machine, and many others will come for this event, and so should you. If you have ever been to this event, you know why people love it so much and return to Budapest to experience it year after year. Maybe 2023 is the year when you will experience the Sziget Festival for the first time?

Sziget Festival
August 10-15
More information

Sziget price

Budapest wine festival

Hungary is well known for its wine. Is there a better way to enjoy a warm summer day than with a glass of bubbled water mixed with rose wine? Or would you instead taste some sweet white wine from Tokaj? The annual wine festival in Budapest attracts winemakers from all across Hungary, and visitors can taste thousands of wines produced in Hungary. The event is arranged surrounded by the castle, giving a fantastic scenery and panorama while enjoying the outcome of Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and other types of grapes.

Budapest Wine Festival
September 7-10
More information

wine festival budapest

Formula 1

The Hungarian Grand Prix is a highlight, and it attracts speed lovers every year. The Hungarian Grand Prix is arranged at Hungaroring, a track located about 30km from the heart of Budapest. Have you never seen a Formula 1 race live? This is your chance. You can easily fly to Budapest with low-cost airlines such as RyanAir and WizzAir. It is easy to find a cheap hotel room (if you book early), and the tickets are cheaper than in many other locations. Ultimately, it will still be expensive, but it will be a memory to remember for a lifetime.

Lewis Hamilton has won the Hungarian Grand Prix eight times. Michael Schumacher, the pilot with the second-most victories in Hungary, has won the race four times. Even though Lewis Hamilton has won eight times, he hasn’t won since 2020. Since then, Esteban Ocon (2021) and Max Verstappen (2022) has won. Who will win in 2023? Come to Budapest and find out!

Hungarian Grand Prix
July 21-23
More information

Formula 1 in Budapest

Christmas markets

It is impossible to list the highlights in Budapest without mentioning the Christmas markets. They are absolutely stunning and attract tens of thousands of tourists. The Christmas markets are located in the center of Budapest, and it is a perfect place to drink traditional Hungarian drinks, eat food that Hungarians love, and to buy all sorts of souvenirs and Christmas presents you didn’t know you needed before you saw them.

The dates of the Christmas markets in Budapest in 2023 are not yet released. The dates for the Christmas markets at Vörösmarty square are usually published in September, while the dates for the Christmas market by the St. Stephen’s Basilica are published in late October. We are still allowed to guess, and based on the dates in earlier years, we expect the Christmas markets to open on November 17th. If we are wrong, they will for sure open on November 24th (unless something like COVID should hit again).

Christmas markets 2023
Not yet announced
More information (here you will find the dates as they are published)

Christmas market budapest

The top concerts in Budapest in 2023

There will be several fantastic concerts in Budapest this year. Do not forget about all the artists coming to the Sziget Festival (such as Billie Eilish and David Guetta), but there will also be several stand-alone events and concerts worth checking out.

Rammstein

Rammstein will go on an extensive tour in 2023, and Budapest is one of the stops. It was initially supposed to be only one concert, but due to the ticket demand, two concerts will be arranged in Budapest in 2023. This might be a perfect event if you like hard rock and loud music. It is arranged at Puskas Arena, the national stadium for football matches and other giant events.

Rammstein Budapest
July 11-12
More information

rammstein budapest

Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode has been to Budapest several times. As they come this summer, they will again perform at the Puskas Arena. They have been to the same stadium before, but then it was called Nepstadion (The People’s Stadium). The concert is a part of their Memento Mori Tour in which they will visit Krakow, Oslo, Helsinki, and many other cities.

Depeche Mode Budapest
July 28
More information

Robbie Williams

Would you like to celebrate spring with Robbie Williams and more than 12,000 people in Budapest in March? The popular singer from England will tour Europe again in 2023, and Budapest is one of the stops. This tour celebrates his 25 years as singer, meaning that he will sing his most popular hits. A perfect event if you want to walk down memory lane with Robbie Williams.

Robbie Williams Budapest
March 14
More information

Måneskin, Eros Ramazotti, Michael Buble, and many others.

There will be lots of other artists coming to Budapest to perform in 2023 besides Robbie Williams, Rammstein, and Depeche Mode. We could write a very long article if we were to mention them all. Look around at our page about what’s on in Budapest to read about other concerts and events in Budapest.

concerts in budapest

No matter when you come to Budapest…

The abovementioned events depend on you being in Budapest at the right time. What should you do if you cannot be in Budapest during these events? Many other things are happening that we haven’t mentioned in this article, so take a look at our calendar before you cry.

No matter when you come, there are some events, activities, and programs you should check out in Budapest. Here you have some recommendations.

Visit a thermal bath!

One of the most important things to do in Budapest is to go to a thermal bath. The most popular and people’s favorite is the Szechenyi thermal bath in the City Park. This is a fantastic place all year round, especially when it is cold outside. There are more than ten pools to choose from, and most of the water temperature is between 30 and 38 Celsius. The warmest outdoor poor is 38 Celsius. Doesn’t that sound nice?

Szechenyi thermal bath

Enjoy a river cruise.

The city of Budapest is divided in two by the Danube. The city is built around the Danube, meaning that many of the most beautiful buildings are located by the Danube. What better way to discover and see them than during a river cruise on the Danube? There are lots of river cruises available throughout the year. Some cruises come with food and drinks, while others are guided tours where you listen to information about Budapest and what you see while traveling up and down the river.

The city is beautiful 24/7, but if you want a memorable experience, travel on a river cruise after sunset when the buildings are illuminated. It is true magic. You can read more about different river cruises in Budapest here.

river cruise in budapest

Taste the local foods and drinks.

Hungary is world-known for its gastronomy. We have mentioned the wine production earlier, and no matter when you come, you should drink some glasses of Hungarian wine. The story doesn’t end there. Hungary also produces fantastic Palinka, the Hungarian fruit spirit. It might be too strong for some (40% alcohol or more). If it is too strong for you, taste the Hungarian Unicum instead.

You shouldn’t drink all that alcohol by itself. Why don’t you combine it with a traditional Hungarian Goulash soup? Another great option is to drink Hungarian red wine combined with a traditional stew made from pork, chicken, or beef.

Are you afraid of tasting new things? Eat the traditional Hungarian schnitzel with french fries instead (a big favorite among kids).

You can read more about all sorts of restaurants in Budapest right here.

We hope you have found the content of this article useful and interesting. If you have further comments, questions, suggestions, or thoughts on your mind, use the comment field below.

Sziget Festival kick-off in Budapest today!

Budapest is invaded by people today coming for the annual Sziget Festival, one of the coolest and best music festivals in Europe every single year.

Some of the artists performing at Sziget Festival today (August 7th, 2019)
Some of the artists performing at the Sziget Festival today (August 7th, 2019)

The festival attracts almost half a million people every year who pay the quite steep entrance fees to see and listen to some of the best artists from around the world. In 2019, the Sziget Festival is arranged between August 7th and August 13th. On the opening night (which is tonight), one of the highlights will already perform, Ed Sheeran.

But, there are so many stages and places to visit at the island (Sziget means island) where the festival is arranged, that you will have a hard time getting bored. There is something happening at the different stages all the time, so make sure to take a careful look at the schedule and plan your whereabouts if you do not want to miss out on something important.

Other artists coming to Sziget 2019

Ed Sheeran will perform tonight, but he is not the only hotshot coming to the festival this year. Some of the other famous artists coming include Foo Fighters, Twenty One Pilots, Florence and the Machine, Martin Garrix, The National, The 1975, CHVRCHES, Kodaline, Of Mice & Men, James Blake, Franz Ferdinand, and lots of others.

If you want to see the full program of the festival, visit the official website of the Sziget Festival which can be found here.

Other programs in Budapest

If you do not want to spend all your time at the Hajogyari island, but instead spend some time in the center of Budapest as well, that is a good idea. There are lots of cool programs in the city center, and you should, of course, drink some good Hungarian wine, taste the Hungarian Goulash soup, maybe enjoy a river cruise, and definitely, enjoy the view from the Gellert Hill!

You can read about lots of activities and programs in Budapest here in the Budapest Guide, so make sure to look around!

Free Sting and Shaggy concert in Budapest on November 24th

Will you be in Budapest on November 24th? Are you a fan of Sting, Shaggy, or maybe Punnany Massif? If you haven’t ordered your plane tickets to Budapest yet, hurry up! It will be worth it!

The concert with Sting and Shaggy (with Punnany Massif joining in as a warm-up band) will be arranged at the Heroes Square in Budapest on November 24th. It will start at 18.00, and it will be a completely free event. The occasion for the event is the 30-year anniversary of the most popular kind of lotto in Hungary. But, who cares why it is arranged and who is arranging it – this is your chance to listen to Sting, Shaggy and Punnany Massif for free in Budapest on November 24th.

Sting and Shaggy coming to Budapest

And, when you first visit Budapest, make sure to visit the fantastic Christmas markets in town, and since you do not have to spend money on the actual concert – spend your money on a romantic river cruise, a delicious wine dinner, or maybe a rustic brewery visit instead? You can read more about all these and other programs here in our Budapest Guide.

Do not forget to share this article on social media to let all fans of these artists around the world get the chance to listen to them all for free!

Ps: Do not try to approach the concert area with a car. There will be roadblocks everywhere, so park your car far away and approach the area on foot or using public transportation!

OneRepublic concert in Budapest 2015

One Republic concert BudapestOneRepublic will give a concert in the capital of Hungary in Budapest in the summer of 2015. OneRepublic is an American rock band which was formed in 2003.

OneRepublic released their first debut album Dreaming Out Loud in 2007 and from the album Apologize which was remixed by Timbaland was a great success and brought international success for the band. The second album of OneRepublic was Waking Up which was released in 2009. From the second album All the Right Moves, Secrets, Marchin On and Good Life were number one hits on several charts. The band came out with their third and latest album Native in 2013. OneRepublic is currently on a world tour with The Native Tour which is the band’s third world tour. The tour started in 2013 and will last until 2015. The band will give in total 142 concerts all over the world from North America through Europe to Asia. In this occasion OneRepublic will also visit Hungary where they will give one concert in Budapest.

In Budapest the concert will take place at the Papp László Budapest Sportarèna and the concert will be on Sunday 7th June in 2015. Tickets for the concert are already available.

For more information on the concert tickets and prices check the following site: WorldTicketShop.

If you look for some other cool program in Budapest, why not do a winetasting program or something similar?

Roxette concert in Budapest 2015

RoxetteRoxette is on a world tour from this year until next year in 2015 and in this occasion Roxette will visit Budapest as well. During the world tour they will be on stage in different cities all across the world.

Roxette is a Swedish rock pop duo which was formed in 1986. The duo achieved great success and got world wide known after releasing their first album the Look Sharp! in the late 1980s. Their next great success came with the third album Joyride which was released in 1991. With this album they truly became one of the most popular bands at the time. Their most popular hits are The Look, Listen to Your Heart, It Must Have Been Love and Joyride. Their latest album the Travelling came out in 2012.

Roxette is on a world tour from 2014 until next year 2015. They will visit several countries during the world tour from Europe to Australia. In Europe they will be on stage in different countries across Europe including Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Hungary and so on. In Hungary the concert will be in the capital of Hungary in Budapest. The concert will take place at Papp László Budapest Sportarena on Tuesday 19th May in 2015. Tickets for the concert are already available and can be bought from WorldTicketShop.

If you want to know more about other concerts and events in Budapest, visit the following site.

For more information on the concert and prices check the following site.

Slipknot concert in Budapest

Slipknot the American heavy metal band will be on a world tour from 2014. Slipknot was formed in 1995 in the United State, in Iowa.

Slipknot

In the early days of their career there were several line up changes and the band consisted 9 members. Nowadays Slipknot only has 7 members. Slipknot is best known of their attention grabbing image, their aggressive music style and their energetic live performances. Slipknot came out with their first album called Slipknot in 1999. The first album brought them great success and they became worldwide known. Slipknot came out with their 5th studio album 5: The Gray Chapter in October in 2014. Slipknot will be on a world tour from 2014 and they will be on stage in different countries all around the world. They will start their concert tour in North America this year and they will continue their tour next year in Europe. They will perform in multiple European countries such as Hungary, Ireland, the UK, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany and so on. The Slipknot concert in Hungary will be held in the capital city of Hungary, in Budapest. The concert will take place at Papp László Budapest Sportaréna. The Slipknot concert will be on Thursday 5th February in 2015. Tickets for the concert are already available.

If you want to know more on the concerts tickets and the prices check the following site for more information: WorldTicketShop.

Andre Rieu concert Budapest 2015

Andre RieuAndre Rieu is a Dutch violinist and conductor. He is best known for forming the Johann Strauss Orchestra. With the Johann Strauss Orchestra he turned classical and waltz music in to a world wide known music concert tour which is as successful as some of the best rock or pop shows in the whole world. Andre Rieu was interested in music from a really early age and he started playing on the violin at the age of 5. Later from 1974 to 1977 he studied at the Music Academy in Brussels. Andre Rieu formed the Johann Strauss Orchestra in 1987 and his own production company. In the beginning the Orchestra only had a few members but nowadays it includes between 60 and 150 musicians.

Andre Rieu and the world wide known Johann Strauss Orchestra is on a world tour this year. They will visit and perform in different countries and cities all around the world. They are touring with the “Eine Nacht in Venedig” The visitors will have the chance to experience a really unique and colourful performance from Rieu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra. They will be on stage in several European countries such as Hungary, Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic and so on. In Hungary the concert will be held in Budapest at Papp László Sportaréna. The concert will be held on Wednesday 20th May 2015. Tickets for the concert are already available.

If you want to buy your ticket for the concert check this site: WorldTicketShop

Cirque Du Soleil Quidam Budapest

CirqueThe Quidam is the ninth stage show by the Cirque Du Soleil. The show premiered in 1996 and it has been watched by millions over the years. The whole story is imagined by a little girl called Zoè who is ignored by his parents. She dreams the world of Quidam which is the only way of escaping her monotony and boring life. The shows title refers to a character in the show, to the man without a head who is carrying a bowler hat and an umbrella. According to the show “Quidam: a nameless passer-by, a solitary figure lingering on a street corner, a person rushing past. … One who cries out, sings and dreams within us all.”

During the years Quidam received several awards and nominations and became one of the most popular shows in the world.

The Cirque Du Soleil is on a world tour and they are performing Quidam several countries and cities all around the world from North America to Europe. They will be on stage in several European cities and countries such as Germany, Italy, UK, Poland and Hungary as well. Quidam will be shown in Budapest the capital of Hungary. It will take place at Papp László Sportarèna between 13th and 15th February in 2015. Tickets for the shows are already available.

For the tickets check the following site: WorldTicketShop

Hungarian Song Day, Kobuci garden 2013

On the Hungarian Song Day, on 8 September 2013, whole Hungary dresses up with music. In the capital, Budapest loads of programs will welcome visitors. The Kobuci garden will give the place for the world music and children stage, just like in every year. Those who will visit here, could see the greatest members of the Hungarian music life, live, for example the Quimby, or the Csík band. Maybe our foreign visitors haven’t heard about these bands, so we warmly recommend, listen a few songs from them on the Internet. The lyrics will be mostly in Hungarian, but besides the atmosphere and the melody, you wouldn’t miss the lyrics. Visit the Kobuci garden during the Hungarian Song Day, on this beautiful autumn day. Have fun!

Address: Kobuci garden (Óbuda, 1 Fő Square, Garden of Zichy Castle)

Hungarian Song Day, World music stage

Hungarian Song Day in the Akvárium club 2013

If you decided that you will visit to the Hungarian capital, Budapest to see and to listen the Hungarian Song Day’s artists and programs, you definitely won’t be disappointed in the Akvárium club on 8 September 2013 which is located in the heart of the capital, at the Erzsébet square. This place will give place to the Jazz stage. Those, who love this fantastic and varied music, do not miss the nightclub at the Elizabeth square.

The environment is already worth to see. Do not miss the Hungarian Song Day’s Jazz stage on 8 September 2013 in the Akvárium club! This will be an enjoyable program for every age! Have fun!

Magyar Dal Napja 2013

Place: Akvárium club (1054 Budapest, 14 Erzsébet square)

Program
14.00 Emilio and the Gitano Band
15.15 Urbán Orsi Group
16.30 Mariann Falusi, Nikoletta Szőke, Bálint Gajer and the Studio 11
18.00 Mrs. Columbo

Hungarian Song Day, Jazz stage