Zsolnay Cultural Quarter @ Pécs … Easter Monday!

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The Zsolnay Cultural Quarter in Pécs is preparing for Easter Monday with a full day of family programs.

On April 6, visitors will be able to enjoy music classes, interactive storytelling, egg-hunting detective games, crafts and two concerts. The aim of the event is for families to enjoy the spring holiday together, playfully and creatively. Participation in the programs is free – with one exception!

The day starts at 10 a.m. with the Rocking Children’s Concert in the E78 Concert Hall, where families can sing and play together, and also have an instrument massage. During this time, young and elder can get to know the instruments and the joy of music together. Morning 11 a.m., the interactive storytelling game “Forest Exchange Bear” will follow in the performance of the Télapódium company. In the cheerful story, interwoven with its own songs and humor, the inhabitants of the forest get into amusing complications during a misunderstanding-filled exchange. The special thing about the production is that the children are not only spectators, but also active participants in the tale, so the performance becomes a real community experience. Also at 11 a.m., the egg-hunting detective game “Following the Easter Bunny” will start, in which children can search for special eggs hidden in the Zsolnay Quarter using an exploration map. During the adventurous game, participants can become real detectives. The program is limited to 30 children, and participation is possible by purchasing a 1000HUF ticket. In the afternoon, between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., a craft workshop awaits those who want to create. With the help of Tímea Varga-Mohácsi, the crafts playhouse manager, the participants can try out special techniques: felt bellflowers are made, and they can also learn the basics of furniture painting. The activity offers meaningful relaxation for both young and elder folks. The day ends with musical programs. At 3 p.m., the Lajtorja Orchester concert creates a cheerful atmosphere … the humorous lyrics, the sophisticated musicianship and the joint dance are guaranteed to put the audience in a good mood. Then at 5 p.m., the popular Kiskalász Orchester takes the stage, providing an experience for the whole family with their own poems set to music and their “adult-friendly” children’s music.

Recommendation by Aggie Reiter

Spring’s Nationwide Restaurant Week 2026.

Up-to-Date …. The Spring is at our doorstep and open its door to yummy menüs from the 12th of March until the 29th of March not just in Budapest … excellent representatives of Hungarian restaurants will present their multi-course menus composed for the National Restaurant Week, at fixed prices.

The Spring’s National Restaurant Week, open its doors from the 12th of March which will last until March 29, has started, and a total of 252 top Hungarian restaurants have joined the event nationwide, including the booking period. The excellence of the participants is demonstrated by the fact that a good number of them can be found in the Top 100 elite of Hungarian gastronomic publications, 16 of which also have an international Michelin recommendation. This time, the renowned restaurants will spare neither the idea nor the first-rate ingredients from their menu lines.

At the event, the fixed menu price will be 6900HUF including service charge at Top category restaurants, 8900HUF at Premium category restaurants, and 10000HUF at Exclusive category restaurants. As visitors to the popular event have already become accustomed to, some of the participating restaurants will also offer an even wider selection for gourmet guests for a favorable additional surcharge.

In the National Restaurant Week program, the participating restaurants will once again prepare their dishes from selected ingredients, from truffles to Argentine beef steak to lobster. Those following special diets will find vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free or dairy-free dishes on offer, while international cuisines will include classic Hungarian, Italian, French, Lebanese, Indian, Japanese, Georgian, Mexican and Moroccan flavours.

Table reservations for the event can only be made on the website http://www.etteremhet.hu. According to the undisclosed intention of the organizers and participating restaurants, the event aims primarily to present quality hospitality to the general public, which is why, unlike mass events, places are limited during the National Restaurant Week.

Update by Aggie Reiter

“By the Bog of Cats” premiere @ the Centrál Theater Budapest

Marina Carr the Irish playwright, known for her play “By the Bog of Cats” (1998) and now her play comes to one of Budapest’s favorite thearter Centrál Thearter. Will be shown on the 21st anniversary of the domestic premiere on the 13 th of March. The play is in Hungarian language.

A short overall to the play to be seen at the Centrál Thearter (Hungarian title:”A Macskalápon“).. The play takes place in the Irish Midlands in an unspecified time in the modern era. It is loosely based on the  Greek myth Medea. In this myth, the sorceress Medea marries the hero Jason and has two children with him. When Jason leaves her for another woman, Medea kills their children, Jason’s new bride, and the bride’s father. By the Bog of Cats contains many mystical and mythical elements, including ghosts, curses, and references to witchcraft. It includes themes of land ownership, mothehood, betrayal/abandonment, and ethnic prejudice. On stage staring in addition to Dorina Martinovics, who plays the main character, may can see such great actors on stage as Juli Básti, Judit Csoma, Tamás Szabó Kimmel, Sándor Gáspár, Mariann Hermányi and Tamás Fodor.

The play is translated and directed by Samu Puskás.

In breif about Carr was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1964, but spent most of her childhood in Pallas Lake, County Offaly, adjacent to the town of Tullamore. Carr’s father, Hugh Carr, was a playwright and her mother, Maura Eibhlín Breathnach, was an Irish poet. As a child, Carr and her siblings, John and Deirdre, built a theater in their shed.

Tickets can be purchase on the spot of the Centál Theater.

Recommendation by Aggie Reiter

PIERRE RICHARD’S direction will also be shown at the 16th Francophone Film Days – 2026.

Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Efira, Pierre Richard, Daniel Auteuil, Louis Garrel, and perhaps a little surprisingly, Jodie Foster, Angelina Jolie and the dashing Canadian director Xavier Dolan will also be seen on the screen, but among others, Francois Ozon’s latest directorial effort, the Dardenne brothers’ film, which won the Best Screenplay and Most Positive Film awards at the Cannes Film Festival, and Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague, which won four César Awards, will also be brought to Hungarian cinemas by the 16th Francophone Film Days. Organized by the French Institute, between March 4-14, the Hungarian audience will be able to watch enjoy 23 contemporary Francophone works in their original language, with Hungarian subtitles, including the work of nine female directors, at the Uránia National Film Theatre and the French Institute. Nadia Melliti, who won the Best Actress award at last year’s Cannes Film Festival for her performance in The Littlest Girl, will accompany her film to Budapest. Francophone Film Days will be held in 17 rural towns between March 15 and 28.2026.

By-the-way … for the French speaking folks staying in Budapest they can enjoy their mothertounge language on screen. The French Institute is to promote French culture and language in Hungary.

Les Journées du film francophone débarquent dans les rues de Budapest ! 5 affiches du festival sont parsemées dans la ville, saurez-vous les retrouver ?
Les images proviennent des films Partir un jour, Vie privée, L’inconnu de la Grande Arche, La femme la plus riche du monde et Nouvelle vague, à découvrir du 4 au 14 mars à l’Urania Nemzeti Színhaz et à l’Institut français.

Before you miss out check the available tickets for yourself worthwhile to get yours.

Uránia National Film Theater … ticket price: 2800HUF
Venue: District VIII., 21. Rákóczi Rd. Budapest

French Institute
Venue: District I., 17. Fő Str. Budapest … ticket price: 2500HUF

Recommendated by Aggie Reiter

Hungary … Exhibition on Screen – Caravaggio’s Masterpieces – March 2026.

The latest in the British art documentary series Exhibition on Screen, now in cinemas from March, which will be the fortieth!

This most comprehensive film about the revolutionary artist ever made took five years to complete. Using the painter’s own first-hand testimony on the day before his mysterious disappearance, this film presents Caravaggio in a way never before seen before. Through a series of masterpieces and the testimony of the world’s leading experts, viewers can delve into the unknown stories of the Baroque genius’s life, piecing together the clues to his unparalleled art.

Caravaggio’s masterpieces are among the most famous works of art. No one else uses his signature style of dramatic light, intense naturalism and bold, striking figures. His stunning paintings have captivated audiences for centuries. But there is also a deeper mystery that still leaves us asking more questions. What do these masterpieces reveal about the painter? The intriguing self-portraits found among his works – sometimes veiled, sometimes overt – offer a rare glimpse into his soul and personal struggles. Join us and discover the life story and career of one of the most brilliant, complex and controversial figures in art history!

The Pannonia Entertainment will be presenting Caravaggio, a spectacular exhibition film featuring biographical information, feature film inserts and many artistic and curatorial annotations about one of the greatest painters who ever lived.

Update by Aggie Reiter

Overall Riport of the Winter Olimpics 2026 – covered by HBO Max & Discovery+

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Warner Bros. Discovery’s Winter Olympics streaming breaks record – triple-digit growth in Europe
Milan-Cortina 2026: Viewership increases across linear channels and streaming platforms compared to Beijing 2022*

Most successful Winter Olympics streamed ever: over 1,000 hours of coverage on HBO Max and Discovery+, plus popular new features including Olympics Multiview

Social media video views exceed 4 billion (+580% vs. Beijing 2022) across Eurosport (Europe) and TNT Sports (UK & Ireland)

The return of the Winter Olympics to Europe, combined with world-class coverage and a highly innovative streaming experience, has driven significant viewership and user engagement growth across Warner Bros. Discovery’s (WBD) European platforms.

Highlights from the seventeen days of competition (February 6-22, 2026) and the two days leading up to the opening ceremony (February 4-5, 2026), when several sports began competing, include:

Streaming (HBO Max and Discovery+):

The most successful streaming Winter Olympics in Warner Bros. Discovery history (compared to Beijing 2022 and Pyeongchang 2018).

Triple-digit growth in total hours watched (+103% compared to Beijing 2022) – with triple-digit growth in France, Germany and Italy (HBO Max), and the United Kingdom (Discovery+).

HBO Max and Discovery+ had three times as many viewers streaming the event (+234%) as they did during the Beijing Winter Olympics.

The number of subscribers streaming the Milan-Cortina Olympics exceeded the number of viewers who watched the entire Beijing 2022 Games after just three days.**

Video views on Eurosport (Europe) and TNT Sports (UK & Ireland) exceeded 4 billion, all driving viewers to their respective streaming platforms.
Innovative streaming features helped drive engagement and viewership. The full Olympic experience on HBO Max and Discovery+ included:

Live coverage of all 246 events – with up to 11 parallel events at peak times, including 116 medal events; featuring a total of 2,900 athletes, over 19 days.

Nearly a third (32%) of users used the Olympics Multiview feature, which for the first time allowed viewers to watch up to four Olympic events simultaneously on one screen, with the audio of their choice.

Gold Medal Notifications and Timeline Markers helped navigate between concurrent live events; personalized watch lists were used by the majority of users; and live broadcasts were available in up to 21 commentary languages.

Commenting on the Milan-Cortina 2026 Games, Andrew Georgiou, President and CEO of WBD Sports Europe, said: “The success of the opening days carried through to the Games, delivering a highly successful Winter Games for Warner Bros. Discovery, with significant growth in streaming viewership and user engagement, while our linear channels also achieved extremely strong audiences. The Olympic broadcasts on HBO Max and Discovery+ clearly resonated with UK and European viewers, with three times as many people choosing to stream as they did during the Beijing 2022 Games. The freedom to choose from 116 live events and innovative features such as single-screen Multiview significantly increased viewing time on our streaming platforms. This Olympics sets a very strong foundation for the Los Angeles 2028 Games and for the Olympic Winter Games to continue to grow.” Return to Europe in 2030, in the French Alps.”
On linear channels (Eurosport in Europe; TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland)*:

Linear viewing increased by 3% compared to the 2022 Beijing Games, reversing the general downward trend in TV viewing in recent years and continuing to account for the majority of live coverage.

Total viewing hours increased by more than 50% (+51%) compared to the Beijing 2022 Olympics, and in Hungary, viewing hours on Eurosport 1 increased by 103%.

WBD’s streaming platforms, HBO Max (Europe) and Discovery+ (UK), were the only places where all the events could be followed live, while its linear channels – Eurosport in Europe and TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland – provided comprehensive, full Olympic coverage to millions of fans.

Press release … images by the individuals named under the snaps.

Update by Aggie Reiter

16th Francophone Film Days … 40 screenings coming again adding 23 films @ Budapest Cinemas!

The movie lovers community will be able to see the works of nine female directors and Enyedi-Maraton at the 16th Francophone Film Days. Cinema fans will have plenty to choose from… The thriller Private Case starring Jodie Foster and Daniel Auteuil, Stitches with Angelina Jolie and her work, The Little Girl, which won the Best Actress award and the Queer Palm at the Cannes Film Festival. Among others, a truck road movie from Canada, the story of a mother believed to be dead from Morocco and a film depicting deep poverty from Switzerland will arrive. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, there will be a roundtable discussion entitled Women, Media and Film.

The 16th Francophone Film Days is organized by the French Institute, and will be held between March 4-14 at the Uránia National Film Theater and the French Institute, and the domestic audience will be able to watch 23 contemporary Francophone works in the original language with Hungarian subtitles.

The main patron of the event will therefore be Ildikó Enyedi, who is closely connected to French culture, and three of her films will be on offer. The audience will be able to see the works of nine female directors in total. The thriller Private Case starring Jodie Foster and Daniel Auteuil, Stitches with Angelina Jolie, and her work The Littlest Girl, which won the Best Actress award and the Queer Palm at the Cannes Film Festival. Among others, a truck road movie from Canada, the story of a mother believed to be dead from Morocco, and a film depicting deep poverty from Switzerland will arrive. On Sunday, March, 8 International Women’s Day 2026, there will be a roundtable discussion entitled Women, Media and Film.

On the 4th of March, 3 p.m., the 16th Francophone Film Days will open at the Uránia National Film Theater in Budapest with Amélie Bonnin’s feel-good film, Enjoy the Moment!, which opened last year’s Cannes Film Festival. It is about a reunion with a childhood love. Canadian Joëlle Desjardins Paquette’s Rodeo is a bittersweet, lyrical road movie, a film that explores the depths of a father-daughter relationship, in which a truck driver crosses the whole of Canada. The only problem is that he takes his nine-year-old daughter with him on the road, whom he should never see.
In Rebecca Zlotowski’s twisty film Private Matter – starring Jodie Foster, Daniel Auteuil and Virginie Efira – the renowned psychiatrist launches a private investigation into the death of one of her patients, who she believes was murdered. Jodie Foster’s acting is not only perfect, her French is also perfect.
In Moroccan Layla Triqui’s moving film Gone with the Wind, Sophia, who lives in Tangier, learns one day that her mother, who she thought was dead, is very much alive, having just moved back to France. So the woman travels to Europe to confront her family past.
In Swiss Jasmin Gordon’s drama Through Fire and Water, a not-so-smooth, single mother struggles on a daily basis to raise her three children in dignified circumstances – and at least to preserve her honor in front of them. A touching film about poverty, determination and inner human reserves.
Hafsia Herzi will also be in the lineup for her work, The Littlest Girl, which won two awards at the Cannes Film Festival – Nadia Melliti, the Best Actress award, and the Queer Palm. Fatima is 17 years old and grew up in a traditional, loving family with her two sisters. After graduating from high school, she moves from the suburbs to Paris, where another world opens up to her. This touching film adaptation of Fatima Daas’s coming-of-age novel is an ode to acceptance.
In Pauline Loquès’ deeply moving debut, Nino, the protagonist is given three days by doctors to prepare for the greatest ordeal of her life. And for those three days, she is given two tasks that could bring her closer not only to others but also to herself. So Nino takes on Paris. The fear of death often reminds us that there is still work to be done.
In Alice Winocour’s Stitches – starring Angelina Jolie and Louis Garrel – three women stumble upon each other in the hustle and bustle of Paris Fashion Week. The only thing the American filmmaker, the South Sudanese model and the French make-up artist have in common is that they all have their own problems. But solidarity is a strong bond, and it leads them to realize that it is time to set boundaries and take the thread of their own destiny into their own hands.

On Saturday, March 7th from 2 p.m till 11 p.m. there will be an Ildikó Enyedi Marathon at the French Institute. First, Simon the Magus, set in Paris, will be screened, then at 4 p.m. My Wife’s Story will be shown with Léa Seydoux in the lead role, and finally at 8 p.m.

Finally, the Silent Friend will be screened on Sunday, 9th of March at 3.30 p.m. at the French Institute within hosting a roundtable discussion.

Tickets are already on sale:
Uránia National Film Theater – HUF2800
(Concessional ticket: HUF2300). Discounted tickets are available for students, pensioners, teachers, people under 26 and people over 65 with ID.

French Institute – HUF2500.Ticket prices:
(Concessional ticket: HUF2300). Discounted tickets are available for students, pensioners, teachers, people under age 26 and people over 65 with ID.

Time goes by quickly so get your tickets in dvance before they will be sold-out.

Update by Aggie Reiter

Open-air exhibition – Castle Garden Bazaar – Budapest.

“From Oppression to Freedom – the History of the Gellért Hill Citadel”

An exhibition presenting the centuries-long history of Gellért Hill and the renewed Citadel. Within the hdtory tells the story of oppression, destruction and rebirth through the fate of the former fortress. The free exhibition can be viewed until mid-April on the ramp leading to the Gloriette of the Castle Garden Bazaar. Gellért Hill was a cult site in Celtic times, later it became a fortified center, and since the Middle Ages its history has been inseparable from the turning points of Hungarian history. The Citadel was intended by the Austrian imperial autocracy as a tool of oppression as part of a planned military fortification system after the suppression of the 1848–49 War of Independence. In the atmosphere that eased after the Compromise, the modernizing capital increasingly surrounded the separate block of the fortress. The rethinking of its role began at the end of the 19th century: its walls were symbolically demolished. By the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the Citadel had become a defining element of Budapest’s skyline and a popular tourist attraction. However, after World War II, the Soviet Victory Monument erected next door once again reminded us of who was the real holder of dictatorial power. Since the 1960s, efforts have been made to turn the former fortress complex into a tourist attraction, but little care has been taken to preserve its condition. The Statue of Liberty, which can be admired from many points in the capital, has become a symbol of Budapest over time, but the Citadel, which was granted World Heritage status in 1987, was still in a state of disrepair. The decay of the neglected building complex continued in the controversial decades following the change of regime, in undignified conditions, an inaccessible fortress building welcomed visitors to the top of Gellért Hill. Its closure became inevitable. The rebirth of the Citadel was delayed until recent years, but today it has been reborn as a 21st-century urban site. Several entry points have been opened on its walls as a continuation of the previous symbolic demolition, and next to the completely renovated Statue of Liberty and one of the most beautiful panoramas of Budapest, a spacious park and an experience-oriented exhibition will soon await visitors, complete with family-friendly community spaces, a café and a gift shop. The open-air exhibition not only presents the historical and religious traditions and military roles associated with Gellért Hill and the Citadel, but also the process during which the former citadel became part of the city and now a renewed community space.

In 10 free-standing, illuminated installations, on a total of 20 tableau surfaces, visitors can learn about the turbulent past and exciting present of the Citadel and Gellért Hill. The open-air exhibition entitled “From Oppression to Freedom – the History of the Gellért Hill Citadel” awaits visitors from the 20th of February to mid-April 2026.

Photo source: Castle Captaincy

Further information: http://www.varkertbazar.hu

Recommendation by Aggie Reiter

“TASTE BALATON” – Festival around the shores of the Hungarian Sea – Lake Balaton.

TASTE BALATON Festival coming up this year in March … programs in English: https://tastebalaton.hu/en/home/

Sourdough bread, macarons, fermentation and pizza workshops, brunch with morning yoga, wine dinners with music, tours, bike explorations, cakes and perfumes… – all around early spring Lake Balaton. The TASTE BALATON festival will be held again from March 6-15, 2026, promising 10 days of sparkling wine, culture and gastronomy on the shores of Lake Balaton.

Local wineries, confectioneries, cultural institutions will be present, it is worth browsing the website, where everyone can put together their own festival. Follow infomation in English: https://tastebalaton.hu/en/programok/


Recommended by: Aggie Reiter

Travel+ Exhibition 2026 – Hungexpo

This year’s Travel+ Exhibition opens its doors tomorrow Thursday and awaits visitors again at the same time as the Budapest Boat Show, the Caravan Salon and the E-bike Test&Show between February 19-22, 2026!

Summary of the Program offers:


HEALTH ISLAND … Hungária Med is coming to the Travel+ Exhibition so that visitors can check their health quickly, conveniently and with expert support. During the event, they are offering free and discounted health packages.

FESTIVAL ISLAND … The isitors can buy their tickets and weekly passes to several major Hungarian festivals at a special price and at a discount.

EDUKIDO … Special LEGO®-based activities await children, where play becomes learning and building becomes discovery. Edukido’s classrooms hold skill-building classes mainly for children aged 3-10, where they can acquire complex knowledge in a creative environment with building blocks.

WINE REGIONS … On the Wine Regions program island, Hungary’s wine regions come to life in one place, with selected wines and stories. Egri Borélmény, Villány–Siklósi Borút Egyesület, Tokaj-Hétszőlő, Etyek Kúria Winery and Tornai Pince bring not only their wines, but also the atmosphere and sense of life that makes each wine region unique.

AEROPAR … Are you interested in the world of aviation? Your going to be at the right place at the Travel+ Exhibition, you can meet active and retired pilots, technical experts and flight attendants! At the event, we will take you back in time: you can see one of the most beautiful buses in Aeropark’s nostalgia fleet, the Malév Air Tours Ikarus 250, and a Malév Zsiguli that served on the Ferihegy concrete for decades. In addition, our rolling simulator will arrive, in which anyone can experience the experience of flying an airplane.

BOARD GAME ISLAND … At the Board Game Island, experienced game masters from Gémklub await anyone who wants to play, with their help you can try out the most popular family, children’s and party games, as well as several Game of the Year award-winning board games. In addition to the gaming experience, there is also a discounted shopping opportunity at the stand.

E-BIKE TEST&SHOW … On a 3,000 m² test track, anyone interested can test out a wide range of electric bicycles from Hungarian brands free of charge.

CARAVAN FAIR … One of the most important topics at Hungary’s leading tourism exhibition is undoubtedly the Caravan Fair, featuring caravans and motorhomes, which will continue to welcome visitors in 2026 as usual. Most of the exhibitors travel regularly themselves, so for those who are more experienced, this is an annual meeting place, and for those who are just getting to know this form of travel, it is a great opportunity to gain first-hand information from more experienced travelers.

UNTRAVELED ROADS FESTIVAL … If you are attracted by unknown destinations, special stories and discovering the world from a different perspective, the Untraveled Roads Festival is for you. Meet travelers, listen to inspiring presentations and gain ideas on the main stage of the Travel+ exhibition!

AFRICAN EXPO … The Expo welcoming everyone to the 14th Africa Expo Budapest, one of the largest international African forums in the region! This time, the focus of the event is on global responsibility, the role of young people and the diverse values ​​of Africa.
The event aims to strengthen relations between Hungary and Africa and provide a platform for professional and business cooperation.

PRIZE GAMES … During the 4 days of the event, visitors can not only gain experiences and inspiration for their upcoming travels, but also compete for valuable prizes. Among other things, a one-week dream vacation in Egypt will be won, and among the e-bike testers, a TYGON R10 P electric bicycle will be raffled off, offered by KELLYS BICYCLES!

To participate, you need to register using the QR codes placed in Pavilion A and then answer the questions correctly. The draw for the offered prizes will take place after the exhibition, on February 25, 2026, in the presence of a notary. To follow the offered prizes open: https://utazas.hungexpo.hu/en/prize-game-2026/

Register and visit the event at a discount or buy your ticket online for the professional and public days, avoiding the queue! Ticket prices: https://utazas.hungexpo.hu/en/tickets/

Recommendation by Aggie Reiter