Archive for the ‘Budapest – Hungary’ Category

Tribute … Queen Real Jazz – Castle Garden Bazaar Courtyard @ Budapest

Thursday –  18th of June @ 8 p.m. – 2hs to rehear famous Queens tunes

Venue: District I., , 2-6 Ybl Miklós Square – Budapest

Queen Real Jazz will be performed in the courtyard of the Castle Garden Bazaar Foundry, participation of  three popular singers … Kati Wolf, Viktor Király and Tibor Kocsis, where the Budapest Jazz Orchester will reinterpret the legendary songs of Freddie Mercury and Queen  dressed up in  emotionl jazz. At the special concert, rock and jazz meets!  In addition to the most well-known Queen hits, rarely heard compositions will also be performed in unique, improvisational.   The songs were arranged for big band by Viktor Hárs and Zoltán Zakar.

Queen Real Jazz is both a tribute to the musical genius of Freddie Mercury and an exciting genre experiment that presents Queen’s oeuvre from a new perspective. The production combines the momentum of rock with the freedom of jazz, while the unique open-air venue of the Castle Garden Bazaar further enhances the atmosphere of the concert.

In recent years, the Budapest Jazz Orchester has proven with numerous successful crossover productions that the language of jazz can rethink iconic songs from pop and rock history. Queen Real Jazz is one of the most successful and popular concerts of this endeavor, which now returns to Budapest as part of the Castle Garden Bazaar summer program.

To purchase tickets and select exact seats, visit the official Castle Garden Bazaar Tickets page …

https://www.jegy.hu/program/queen-real-jazz-budapest-jazz-orchestra-190484/1420271

Update by Aggie Reiter

Pentathlon Men’s Epic Final Competition – Award Ceremony & Budapest 2026.

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Pentathlon is very much to fit for the future competition.

UIPM President Rob Stull “Q” I couldn’t be more grateful to everyone involved in staging a hugely successful Pentathlon World Cup here in beautiful Budapest.

Sumarizing the Men’s Epic Final … There was a fascinating hare-and-tortoise meeting in Heat 2 as Koleszar (HUN) took off fast against Brown (GBR), only to slip off the Flying Hoops and lose the lead. Remarkably, the local Hero got back in front of his rival as they both hit the buzzer at cca. 31sec.

The next generation of pentathletes then entered the fray to show how it was done. Forrest set a time of 22.21sec that would not be beaten all day and Matous Tuma of Czechia also broke 23sec. Jun (KOR) fell from the Tilting Ladders, hurting his lower back as team-mate Seo (KOR) charged off to win their all-Korea battle in 24.28. Much was expected of world record-holder Mohamed El Ashqar (EGY) but a few minor errors saw him fall short of his usual standards – though a 22.78 still made him highly competitive overall.

Moriz Klinkert (GER) was a non-starter and the final race between Dogue (GER) and Hassan (EGY) shaped up to be potentially decisive. Hassan (EGY) struggled on the Tilting Ladders, allowing Dogue (GER) to extend his overall lead with a solid 26.22.

In the Pool … There was very little to separate the athletes in the pool, though Brown (GBR) and El Ashqar (EGY) deserve special mention for breaking the 56sec mark for 324 and 323 points respectively, with Kovalchuk (UKR) and Jun (KOR) each taking 320 to strengthen their position.

It added up to an incredibly tight Laser Run start line, with El Ashqar (EGY), Fleurot (FRA) and Dogue (GER) all starting within 1sec of each other and Bohm (HUN), Hassan (EGY) and Grycz (CZE) lurking in close proximity.

Laser Run … El Ashqar (EGY) was immediately caught out by a slow shoot, slipping down to 8th, while Hassan (EGY) took 17sec to get his first set away. It led to a defined 1-2 battle between high-flying Dogue (GER) and hard-working Fleurot (FRA), with Grycz (CZE), Bohm (HUN), Bories (FRA), Hassan (EGY) and Forrest (GBR) in the chasing pack.

At the second shoot, Fleurot (FRA) made a mistake and Grycz (CZE) cught up with him, while Bohm (HUN) was unable to find his shooting prowess and it was Forrest (GBR) who looked the more likely to enter the medal equation.

Dogue (GER) remained steady with 12-13sec shoots, while Kovalchuk (UKR) became the big mover from a starting position of 13th. At the final visit to the range, Fleurot (FRA) shot out of the range to overtake Dogue (GER) in a bolt for gold. Sadly for him, the experienced double Olympian found his kick and passed his rival in the outdoor section of the course, to re-emerge into the arena as an unconquerable gold medallist. Similarly for Grycz (CZE), the running pace of Kovalchuk (UKR) was irresistible.

Gold Medallist Marvin Dogue – GER – Silver Medallist – Ugo Feleurot – FRA  … Bronze Medallist -Yurij Kovalcsuk – UKR.

 

Riport & snaps by Aggie Reiter

 

Pentathlon Final … Ladies Day – World Cup @ Budapest 2026.

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Splendid Day with you or without you on the spot. Anyway  for those who couldn’t have made it  was worthwhile to catch up by any means to watch the women’s modern pentathlon final through live stream.  It was a spectcular energy competition.

Started with the fencing … 5 Rounds of Direct Elimination … First to touch or most … touches in 1min wins. Then on they go to the 8 obstacle more speed – more point to go … Thenafter, 100m freestyle racing in the 25meters length … Competition leader go in final heat … Last chance to boost laser the laser run. Still running – handicap start … 5 laps of 600m course … 5 visit to the 10meter laser range … 5 hits needed to exit .. Watch out for overtakes the range … The range is the spot where everything may change … First to finish wins.

Blanka Guzi thrilled her home crowd in Hungary by taking a record-breaking victory in the Women’s Final at UIPM 2026 Pentathlon World Cup Budapest.

Claiming her second Pentathlon World Cup gold of the season, the world No.1 was pushed to the brink at the BOK Sports Center by Great Britain challenger Poppy Clark.

In the absence of world champion Farida Khalil (EGY) and Olympic champion Michelle Gulyas (HUN), Guzi continued to make hay and make history. In the city where she lives and trains, her performance established a new overall record of 1,495 points – the highest tally since the new format was introduced at the start of 2026.

On the spot International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry sitting among the crowd, the local favourite was relentless in moving up the standings, eventually surging clear to repeat her 2023 triumph in Budapest – HUN  by 5sec from 22-year-old breakthrough starlet Clark -GBR.

Paris 2024 Olympian Laura Heredia of Spain won a three-way battle for bronze, also clinching her first global senior medal, ahead of Viyaleta Hureyeva of Belarus and Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Seungmin Seong of Korea, who rounded out the top five with Anna Jurt of Switzerland sprinting to finish 6th.

What a spectcular energy competition! Gold Medallist Blanka Guzi HUN … Silver Medallist Poppy Clark – GBR … Bronz medallist Laura Heredia ESP.

Riport  and some snaps by Aggie Reiter

It’s Women Day – Thursday, June, 11. semi-finals @ UIPM World Pentathlon Budapest 2026.

 

The organizers are expecting more than a thousand spectators to the BOK Hall … are you one above of those thousand-and One? Keep up with your favorite athletes and their achievements.

Hope the Aussie women sporty gals will  Wrap-Up in Budapest – Hungary.  The Australian women are back in action at the UIPM World Cup in Budapest along with Calypso Sheridan and Aleska Van Heekeren taking on strong international fields in qualification.

“Calypso – Give it a burl!” … A former elite swimmer at US collegiate level and junior international level for Australia, Calypso Sheridan is now taking on a completely different challenge: modern pentathlon.  Recently crowned HYROX Asia-Pacific Champion, she represents a new generation of hybrid athletes capable of excelling across multiple disciplines. As the sole female athlete in the Australian delegation at this World Cup, Calypso perfectly embodies the evolution of Modern Pentathlon!  This time Calypso Sheridan finished 28th in Qualification C with 1,349 points

Aleska VAN HEEKEREN

Qualification B was underway in Budapest!  Australia’s Aleska Van Heekeren has successfully navigated the OCR course and is now on piste as the fencing competition gets underway. Aleska here in Budapest finished 32nd in Qualification B with 1,166 points.
Congratulations to both athletes for proudly representing Australia on the world stage in Budapest!
Update by Aggie Reiter

Herald News! Duran Duran Returns to Budapest After 14 Years

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As part of their summer world tour the British music legends Duran Duran are returning to the Hungarian capital after 14 years. Hear … Relive their unforgatable songs on the spot 28th of June, 2026. 8 p.m.

One of the most influential pop-rock bands of all time will take the stage at the Papp László Sport Arena Budapest Venue: District XIV., 2. Stefánia Road. Budapest.

The evening will also feature a remarkable moment in Hungarian music history: after an eight-year hiatus, Compact Disco will reunite in its original lineup to perform as the opening act for the world-famous British band.

Duran Duran remains one of the most successful and defining acts in pop music history. Over the course of their career, they have sold more than 100 million records worldwide and achieved 18 American chart hits alongside 21 UK Top 20 singles.

Their outstanding legacy has been recognized with eight lifetime achievement awards, two GRAMMY® Awards, two BRIT Awards, and two prestigious Ivor Novello Awards, one of which honored their exceptional contribution to British music.

The announcement of the 2026 tour follows several major milestones for the band. Latest album, Danse Macabre, became their 10th UK Top 5 album, while they also completed sold-out arena tours across the UK, Europe, and the United States. In addition, Duran Duran was officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

At the Budapest concert, audiences can expect a spectacular live show featuring both the band’s timeless, generation-defining hits and their newest songs performed live on stage.

Compact Disco to Open for the Global Icons …Historic H.ungarian Reunion: Compact Disco Together Again. “It is a tremendous honor for us to organize the Duran Duran concert, as they are true icons of pop music history and continue to be one of the world’s most dynamic live arena acts. Their return to Hungary is already a celebration in itself. When it became clear that Compact Disco would reunite in its original lineup on this verynight after eight years apart, we immediately knew that an unforgettable and historic evening was in the making. At Green Stage Production, our goal has always been to create once-in-a-lifetime experiences for our audience, and I truly believe this double celebration and reunionguarantees exactly that at the Budapest Sport Arena,” said Gábor Guba, Managing Director of Green Stage Production.

The exclusivity and significance of the evening are further elevated by the return of one of the defining acts of the Hungarian electronic-pop scene. After eight years apart, Compact Disco will once again perform in its original lineup, as Lotfi Begi rejoins Walkó Csaba and Pál Gábor on stage. The internationally recognized band will revive the most defining era of its
career for fans. “Compact Disco has always been more than just a band to us… it is a shared musical world whose time has come again” said Lotfi Begi regarding the reunion and adding “Standing on stage together again after eight years is already a very special experience for us, but the opportunity to do so before a legendary band like Duran Duran is an incredible honor. We are talking about a group that has influenced generations and remains one of the defining names in pop music to this day. We are truly looking forward to this evening, and I hope we will also have the chance to spend some time backstage talking with the guys.”Alongside their biggest hits, Compact Disco is preparing a specially created, reimagined, and newly arranged exclusive set designed specifically for this occasion, setting the perfect atmosphere before the British icons take the stage.

 

Take alittle time… blow you away …

Tickets:
https://www.eventim.hu/hu/jegyek/duran-budapest-papp-laszlo-sportarena-693905/event.html

The concert is organized by Green Stage Production in Hungary

Recommendation by Aggie Reiter

Press Release … Rosalia Wine Picnic @ City Park Budapest

Fejléc EN

The Rosalia Wine Picnic Opens Today at 3 p.m.

The moment we’ve been waiting for for months has finally arrived! Today at 3 p.m., the Rosalia Wine Picnic opens its gates in Budapest’s City Park. And the best news? The weather is on our side. Expect sunny skies and pleasant temperatures, perfect conditions for sipping rosé and sparkling wine outdoors. In short, nothing stands between you and your next favorite glass of wine.

The opening day’s stage program at the Szerencsejáték Stage is already set to create an unforgettable atmosphere. At 4:30 PM, Bohème Acoustic will fill the park with soft acoustic guitar melodies and laid-back vibes. At 7:30 PM, Kontraszt takes the stage with their distinctive sound that explores the space between light and shadow. Their original songs blend personal stories, deep emotions, and social themes into a powerful yet sensitive musical experience, a style that has earned them several prestigious Hungarian talent show awards. The evening concludes at 9:00 PM with Bréda Bia, whose mix of R&B, hip-hop, Latin pop, and reggaeton will effortlessly transform your Thursday evening into a summer party.

At 6:30 PM, the first Kvaterka wine talk begins, featuring Mádi A Borbirtok and Harsányi Winery. The discussion will focus on the new face of Tokaj: dry Furmints and traditional sparkling wines, two categories that have gained increasing recognition across the region in recent years. As always, the conversation will be accompanied by a complimentary tasting, so make sure your glass is empty before you head over to the stage.

If you’d like to save time, you can purchase your Deluxe Glass Package in advance from home and simply redeem it at any festival cashier. When you collect your package, don’t forget to pick up the Exhibitor Guide as well. This handy pocket-sized booklet includes the full list of exhibitors, the QR code for the Wine of the Park voting, Sunday Brunch offerings, stage schedules, a festival map, and all the essential information you’ll need throughout the weekend.

Update by Aggie Reiter

Flash News: Football Champions League Final @ Budapest – Hungary

Due to the UEFA Champions League Final in Budapest on May 30, Városliget (City Park) will be transformed into the official fan zone of Arsenal FC. Due to the tens of thousands of foreign fans and the strict international security closure, no other programs – including pre-Children’s Day events – can be held in the park on Saturday. The restrictions apply only to Saturday, and on Sunday, May 31, Children’s Day will be held undisturbed, in a clean and safe environment.
Hosting the world’s most watched annual sporting event in Budapest is one of the biggest logistical and security challenges in the City Park’s more than two hundred-year history. The park will perform three tasks at once this weekend: it will host the official fan zone of one of the finalist teams, it is the immediate neighbor of the four-day international fan festival taking place in Heroes’ Square, and it will play a key role in welcoming, moving and transporting foreign fans.

On Saturday, May, 30, special flights arrival to the Liszt Ferenc International Airport will continuously transport Arsenal fans to Városliget (City Park) from the early morning hours.
The exact route and schedule of the fan movement: Main axes within the park: Fans move along the Konrád Adenauer Street – Zichy Mihály Street, and to the Kós Károly Promenade.

Around 3 p.m. The huge pedestrian procession begins along the Olof Palme Promenade to the venue match, the Puskás Arena.
After the match … Fans will flow back to the park area along the same routes, from where buses will transport them back to the airport.
Timeframes: Preparatory work will begin on Friday, and demolition will begin after the Saturday game, around dawn on Sunday, and will be completed by Sunday morning.

Városliget Zrt (City Park Ltd) highlighted that the weekend’s implementation is the result of one and a half years pre-planning work, and the organizers indicated the space usage requirements immediately after the Budapest location was selected at the end of 2024.

Full Saturday closure … Security and logistical plans have been prepared for months in close co-operation between UEFA, the Hungarian Police, BKK (Budapest’s Transportation), Volánbusz and the English authorities. The security zones and traffic management protocols agreed with the police apply uniformly to the entire park – regardless of the physical distance of the individual venues from the fan zones.

Due to the extent of the measures, no other parallel events can be held in the park area on Saturday, May 30th.

Constant vehicle traffic and safety lanes are incompatible with the calm and family-friendly atmosphere of a preschool program.

Due to the huge visitor load, the event organizers have officially committed to fully covering the costs of any restoration work that may become necessary. The professional restoration will be carried out with the assistance of the specialists of Main-Gardening Ltd.

Városliget Zrt. (City Park Ltd) are preparing for the entire weekend with maximum operating capacity and reinforced staff, from visitor infrastructure and restrooms to park maintenance and security tasks.

Children’s Day without any disturbances!

Since the last Sunday of May is Children’s Day, Városliget Zrt. asks civil organizations and institutions to submit their land use requests for the weekend of the Champions League final exclusively by Sunday, i.e. May 31. By Sunday, the demolition works will be completely completed by the time the park opens, the fan logistics will be closed, so all parts of the park will be accessible and safe. The park’s iconic attractions … including the Grand Playground, which has already welcomed more than four million visitors, the KRESZ Park (Traffic Park), and the sports fields – await families undisturbed.

The Városliget Zrt (City Park Ltd) asks all visitors, international fans and Budapest families alike, to strictly adhere to the laws and norms of community coexistence, and to use public spaces peacefully, respecting each other’s presence.

Update by Aggie Reiter

PLACCC Weekend Festival @ Budapest 2026.

The PLACCC Festival awaits the audience with a special series of artistic and professional programs between May 26 and 31, 2026.

As part of the PLACCC Weekend, dance performances, monodramas, contemporary dance performances and performance workshops will take place in various locations in Budapest, while the festival will also host international professional programs with the support of the European IN SITU Platform.

The Creative Europe-supported program, which will take place between 2025 and 2028, will provide emerging artists with the opportunity to share knowledge, research and create within the framework of the IN SITU Platform, including in the framework of intensive creative laboratories organized by partner festivals.

Performers and Venues:

On May, 28. Luca Borsos and Máté Kőrösi’s participatory dance performance “Dance the District” invites city dwellers to move together. The special feature of the event is that there are no performers in the traditional sense: the participants dance to the same live-streamed music for an hour on the streets of Budapest, transforming the city space into a spontaneous community experience. Venue: Sandwich Bar Community Square, District VII., 27.István street – Budapest.

On May, 29. A monodrama “The Princess Weeping the Sand”, artist Maria Nasr of Egyptian origin who lives in Budapest, talks about the difficulties of escape and how personal traumas and immigration policy can steal years from people’s lives through her personal story. Venue: DANTE Közösségi Alkotótér, District II., 1. Török Street – Budapest.

On May, 30. The audience are invited to a premiere. The Kata Juhász Company’s production Wasteland examines the relationship between nature and urban civilization. The performance, created with the participation of the six dancers, reflects on the social meanings of pollution, consumption and “garbage” using the expressive tools of contemporary dance and music. Venue: Hungarian University of Fine Arts Department of Scenic Design.

The program series will conclude on the 31st of May with an event titled: Rite Workshop #5: Crowd by Dávid Somló.

International artists from France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Poland, Greece, Cyprus, Kosovo and Ukraine will arrive for the professional programs related to the PLACCC Weekend, so that the artists selected in the open competition will present their upcoming public art projects.It will take place in the vicinity of Boráros Square – Budapest.

The professional programs are held in English language and are free to attend with prior registration @
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdnL0Di74odewEPqoeDR3byT1iF81B9_o8dasCC3yiuPRP0zw/
viewform

Update by Aggie Reiter

Coming Up … Mujahid Zoltán & Group’N’Swing @ Várkert Bazaar Festival – Budapest

One of our country’s favorite swing & boogie show bands, Group’N’Swing, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year at the VárkertFeszt on the 7th of June @ Várkert Bazár Festival.
The nine-member formation is also preparing a surprise for the anniversary performance. The singer did not reveal all the details at the press conference but mentioned there will be from classic tunes, swing-pop, iconic world hits up to current hits.
Spoke about songs included in the program, forinstance
… Elton John’s I’m Still Standing for sure, but Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now and CeeLo Green’s Forget You are also included in the program. The greatest hits of the classic swing era are not left out either: for example, New York, and other audience favorites.

The band was formed in 2006, and in 2009, their first album, Swing, amagim élek, brought them national recognition. Since I started singing in Group’N’Swing, I have shaped the style of the band myself: the sound of our songs has become more modern and pop. They kept the swing basics, which they combined with different musical styles, creating a kind of modern musical fusion, including soul, twist and rockabilly elements.

Also told that jazz and swing come from the same root? The roots of jazz music go back to the culture of African-American communities. Jazz developed from the mixing of several different musical traditions; its early forms were greatly influenced by blues and ragtime, and then the Dixieland style developed from this, among other things. Swing became one of the later, large-band trends in jazz in the big band era of the 1930s. Danceable, virtuoso and extremely energetic music, because it can be easily combined with other genres. The meeting of swing and pop creates a very fresh sound, which the audience also really likes.

Don’t be a square … I mean be there not to skip out.

Update & snap by Aggie Reiter

Catch up … Rosalia Wine Picnic – City Park Ice Rink – Budapest – 2026.

Date: Thursday, June, 4. – 3 p.m. – Sunday, June, 7. 8 p.m.

This weekend don’t have to rush anywhere may arrive as it comfy the visitors. Handy to bring your own blanket to spread it out and relax with your family and friends.

One of the biggest garden party of the summer should not be missed. Discover your favorite wine of the Year, and vote for who you think will be the winner of the Liget Bora election. Get your Deluxe glass package in advance at the City Park on the first weekend of June!

Rosalia promises true gourmet adventures for those seeking new flavors this year. Taste the debuting of the modern Hungarian burgers, including duck liver and truffle variations, while fans of international flavors can look forward to authentic Mexican tacos from Los Monos, Balkan grill dishes from Csevapivo, and crispy slices Pizza. Will be the charcoal-grilled chimney cakes and the colorful waffle wonders. The most peaceful moments of the weekend are promised by the Rosalia Brunch on Sunday between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The visitors may enjoy leisurely, picnic-style snacks at stands marked with Sunday Brunch flags, spiced up with promotions lasting a few hours.

On Friday the rockabilly show of the Dynamite Dudes will enhance the atmosphere. During the day, we can get to know some winemakers better through interactive pop-up conversations, who will also treat us to a little extra tasting. On Saturday and Sunday, the free Creative Nook awaits the little ones with craft activities, face painting and making recycled jewelry, while they are entertained by children’s concerts on stage.

Rosalia welcomes its four-legged friends again this year, with dog massage seminars, obedience demonstrations and spectacular dog dancing demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday. Those looking for inner peace can join Soulty Yoga’s wine yoga on the morning of June 6th and 7th where can greet the morning sun in rosé-colored outfits and with glasses full of cool rosé.

Opening hours:
Thursday-Friday, June 4-5: 3 p.m. – Midnight
Saturday, June 6: 11 a.m. – Midnight
Sunday, June 7: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. – Rosalia Brunch (11 a.m. – 2 p.m.)

Entrance: The Rosalia Wine Picnic is free for everyone. Those who would like to taste can purchase a glass with the Rosalia logo or an indulgent Deluxe Glass Package in advance or on site, but there will again be an opportunity to rent glasses. The payment method for the event is the Festipay festival card, which can be topped up with cash and bank cards, but of course it is also possible to pay with the one-touch MasterCard PayPass and VISA PayWave bank cards.

Update by Aggie Reiter