Go On … Choof Off! Sziget Festival within 2 weeks @ Budapest

 

 

7th to 16th August – Budapest

Enjoy the spirit of Óbudai Island offers, whereas  foreigners and locals enloose at the self-contained world campsites, stages, food stalls, and art installations exist side by side, creating a genuine sense of community among attendees. Visitors often describe the vibe as more relaxed and open-minded than comparable festivals elsewhere, with a strong emphasis on inclusivity, environmental consciousness, and creative self-expression.

Yes, every summer, hundreds of thousands of travelers from across the globe descend on this compact island city just north of central Budapest. What began decades ago as a modest gathering of music lovers has grown into a sprawling, multi-stage extravaganza featuring international headliners, immersive art installations, and a genuinely welcoming, inclusive atmosphere. Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned festival-goer, Sziget 2026 promises the same blend of unforgettable performances and laid-back island charm that’s made it a bucket-list event for music fans worldwide.

Between August 7th and 16th, dozens of Budapest cultural and entertainment venues will offer exclusive discounts to those arriving with a Sziget wristband. Venues that have joined the Sziget City program and their current offers can be found in the festival’s official app. Venues that have joined the Sziget City program and their current offers can be found in the festival’s official app. Just like Szimpla, Dugattyús, Arzenál, Turbina, Heavy, Atno, Palazzo Permanents, Pontoon, Szatyor and Trafó.
The full range of Sziget City is available in the Sziget City menu of the official Sziget app (external link). With the help of the interactive map, users can discover the venues participating in the program, as well as current recommendations, discounts and programs.

Coinsider a few practical matters: Choosing the Right Ticket: Ticket types vary significantly, ranging from single-day passes to full-week camping packages, so it’s worth deciding early how much of the festival experience you want. Those attending just for a favorite headliner might lean toward a day pass, while music lovers hoping to soak in the full island atmosphere often find the week-long options better value. Prices tend to rise closer to the festival dates, so booking early isn’t just about securing your spot — it’s usually the cheaper route too.

Join the fantastic Sziget Cruisin Boat Party crew and marvel at Budapest’s beautiful sights from the Danube! Make the most of your festival holiday and join us for one of the boat parties during Sziget!

Booking Accommodation Early: Accommodation in Budapest tends to book up quickly during festival week, making early reservations a smart move regardless of whether you’re camping on-site or staying in the city. Central neighborhoods like Downtown or the Jewish Quarter offer easy access to both the festival shuttles and Budapest’s café and nightlife scene, making them popular choices for visitors who want the best of both worlds.

Pairing your visit to the Sziget Festival, worthwhile to take time for a little Budapest City Break. One of the smartest moves for foreign tourists is treating Sziget as part of a broader Budapest adventure rather than a standalone trip. The city’s thermal baths, historic Castle District, and vibrant ruin bar scene all pair beautifully with festival days, offering a way to recover and explore between sets. Many visitors extend their stay by a few extra days precisely to soak in Budapest’s culture beyond the festival grounds.

Reminder by Aggie Reiter

The 16th Gyulai Memorial – Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix @ Budapest – 2026.

The Gyulai István Memorial can be considered as the dress rehearsal for the World Athletics Finals @ Budapest in September. The organizers of the competition are also making sure that the program is exactly as dense, or fast-paced, as we will see at the new competition that will debut at the end of the outdoor season.

Athletes from 51 countries will compete in 20 international events, which is a record in the history of the event. The field includes 9 Paris Olympic champions7 of whom are individual gold medalists – and 5 defending world champions.

The world record holder in pole vault, Armand Duplantis, is once again aiming to win the Dr. Bojidar Spiriev trophy for the best result.

July, 14. in the afternoon, between 5.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m., there will be 13 consecutive races at the Zsivotzky Gyula Athletics Center. However, anyone who only “falls in” at half past five will miss out on the most successful Hungarian athlete of our time, Bencé Halász. Knowing the relationship of our Olympic silver medalist and three-time World Championship bronze medalist with the home track, you couldn’t make a bigger mistake than that to miss it. An overall of  him, the defining experience of his career was last year’s Gyulai Memorial. The home crowd gave me a lot of strength, which I managed to fully transfer to my throwing. I can compete stably, my best this year is 81.22 meters, I would like to move away from the results around 80-81 meters, because I have more than that. Based on my qualities and the work I have done, everything can come together when it is needed. I would like to win, but it will not be easy.

It is very difficult to choose one from so many exciting numbers, but in the pole vault, the name Armand Duplantis is a guarantee of a high level. The audience may also have high expectations of the new world record holder in the 110 m hurdles, Ja’Kobe Tharp. The fastest Hungarian female sprinter, Boglárka Takács, is not facing an everyday opportunity either, as two Olympic champions in the person of Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah and Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred can help her achieve the best possible result. The same is true for Luca Kozák and Anna Tóth, in the case of the latter, she may even run against one of her role models, Masai Russell, in the 100 hurdles.

Up close the program of the Day

Stars at 4 p.m. hammer, men, 4.05 p.m. long jump, women. 4.30 p.m. pole vault, men. 4.40 p.m. pole vault, women. 5.20 p.m., high jump, women. 5.34 p.m., 400 m hurdles, men. 5.43 p.m., 400 m hurdles women 5.52 p.m., 200 m, women 6 p.m., 200 m, men. 6 p.m. long jump, men. 6.05 p.m. weight, men. 6.08 p.m. 1500 m, women. 18.18 p.m., 3000 m, men. 6.32 p.m. 100 m, men 6.40 p.m. 100 meter, women. 6.48 p.m., 1500 meter men 7 p.m., 100 m hurdles, women. 7.09 p.m., 110 m hurdles, men 7.18 p.m., 800 m, men. 7.27 p.m. 400 m, men

Tickets available on the spot.

The competition will be broadcast through the Duna World TV and then M4 Sport Channel.

Recommendation by Aggie Reiter

In mid-August @ Budapest bringing Kobra 4K to cinemas!

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Sylvester Stallone’s cult action film is being re-released on the big screen by Pannonia Movie Ltd. to celebrate the film’s 40th anniversary.

In Hungary Sylvester Stallone is undoubtedly very popular, he was a defining figure for several generations, and although Kobra does not necessarily lead the many individual rankings, his essential 80s atmosphere is unquestionable. An early piece of the 1986 summer film season originally debuted in our country in January 1988, and quickly became a typical VHS-era cult classic. Detective Michael Cobretti’s one-liners, his arsenal of weapons (including his laser sight), his sunglasses and of course his 1950 Mercury Coupe – of which the star car was the actor’s own, and the broken ones were adapted to it – quickly became iconic.

The charm of the film also includes a script and action dramaturgy that were typical of the era, which never had to be taken seriously, and although Rocky – especially the one year earlier Part IV – and Rambo illustrate the decade even better, Kobra can still provide a rather unique experience on the big screen in the 40-year perspective. The original, Mokép-like dubbing, in which Sly’s Hungarian voice is the great István Bubik, while Brigitte Nielsen is voiced by Eszter Nagy-Kálózy, can contribute to this experience as an extra. Although the work has become more of a VHS icon, nothing shows its cinematic stature better than the fact that it generated more than six times its budget in revenue.

Mind you the Pannónia’s anniversary screenings, will be shown for ONLY a week, starting on August 13th. At the Lurdy Cinema in sync and of course with subtitles in Cinema MOM, so those looking for nostalgia will have to look there for the program. Although the real feeling would perhaps be given by a 4:3, sometimes disintegrating image with some background noise on the tape, our screenings will not be that authentic, which we will hold in digitally restored 4K quality.

Stallone wrote the film from two sources: a novel, which was later adapted in the 90s, and his own early negotiations before he finally gave up the role of Axel Foley. So Cobra is essentially a film history find, with which we can get a little glimpse of what the much darker Beverly Hills cop would have been like without Eddie Murphy.

Finally, let’s not forget the Hungarian aspect of the cinema, as its music was composed by Szilveszter Lévay, born in Subotica.

Fans will of course have an unmissable opportunity to experience the time capsule provided by Kobra in the hall for an hour and a half that promises to be a real time journey, because although the story is forgettable and there are also some great classics from action films set at Christmas, we can find one of the highlights of B-movie radiance in the adventure of detective Cobretti for a week in mid-August.

Tickets available on the spot.

Update by  Aggie Reiter

The 10th Anniversary Zsolnay Light Festival @ the City of Pécs

 

Between 2-5. July. 2026.

Venue: 52. Felsővámház Str. – Pécs

Within a short time the Cty of Pécs shows her face to the 10th anniversary Zsolnay Light Festival  which will once again dress the city in light this year, but the most special experiences await visitors behind closed doors.

The city center’s iconic building projections and outdoor programs are free for everyone, but for those who want to explore every facet of the festival, the Light Festival MAX wristband will open all the doors.

In the spaces of the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter and the Kodály Center, international and domestic works await the audience, which would be a special destination in themselves at any European light festival. These are the experiences that visitors will still be talking about years later.

A laser experience that will move you to tears at the Kodály Center … One of the most special works of the festival is the installation Divine Geometry by the Latvian team Those Guys Lighting, which completely transforms the concert hall of the Kodály Center. Twenty-four lasers create a perfect circle of light in the space, while an original soundtrack composed by a renowned sound sculptor guides the visitor through the experience. The effect of the work is almost inexplicable: in previous presentations, it has moved many viewers to tears, and many of them
remained in the space long after the thirty-minute program ended, simply because they did not want to leave this special state.

Also waiting for visitors at the Kodály Center is the Bodhira, a monumental, flower-like light creature that constantly changes in response to touch. Sometimes it slowly unfolds, sometimes it closes again, while filling the space with light, movement and sound. Here, the visitor is not just a spectator of the work: with every touch, he creates new rhythms, new light drawings and new experiences.

Recommended by Aggie Reiter

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

The World’s attention is on the Hungarian Five-Around World Cup 2026.

SNAPS … Training time connected to the press invitation.

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Budapest is once again  to be the world capital of modern pentathlon for a few days.

Between June, 9-13,  – BOK Hall will host the Budapest leg of the UIPM Pentathlon World Cup, which is not only the last World Cup competition of the season before the World Cup Final, also held in Budapest, but also one of the most important international events of the new era of the sport. The importance of the competition is further increased by the fact that Kirsty Coventry – President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), will be arriving in Budapest for the women’s final.

The Hungarian Pentathlon Association presented the competition at an international press conference on Monday, for which a total of 240 competitors from 47 countries around the world have entered. 103 athletes will compete for the women’s race and 137 for the men’s race, including Olympic champions, world champions and European champions.

The Budapest World Cup will hold a special place in the 2026 season. Not only will it be the last World Cup stop before the World Cup Final at the end of June, but Budapest will also host both major UIPM events within two weeks, making it one of the most important centers of international pentathlon. The Budapest World Cup is a major international event in the new era of modern pentathlon. Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) has now become an integral part of the sport, and the Budapest race is an important stage on the road to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The audience and the media will be able to see the renewed, more dynamic and spectacular competition format up close, which will determine the future of the sport.

“We are very proud that Budapest can once again host the world’s best pentathlon athletes. Hungary has been a key player in the sport for decades, both as a competitor and as a host country. Last year, the Budapest World Cup won the award for the most innovative World Cup, and this year we have set ourselves the goal of providing a world-class experience for athletes, spectators and the media,” said Gábor Balogh – President of the Hungarian Pentathlon Association. The President of the Hungarian Association emphasized that Kirsty Coventry’s visit is a great recognition not only for the Budapest competition, but also for Hungarian pentathlon, which clearly demonstrates the international significance of the sport and Hungary.

Robert Stull – President of the International Pentathlon Federation (UIPM), emphasized that Budapest is the perfect location for the transformation that the sport is currently undergoing. “Budapest is more than a World Cup venue. This is one of the events where the future of the sport can be seen up close. OCR helps bring modern pentathlon to new audiences, while preserving everything that makes this sport special. The Budapest competition will also take place in an indoor environment, which is easier for spectators to follow and offers a more spectacular and enjoyable format for television broadcasts. The atmosphere of excitement and competition will be almost palpable in the arena,” said the UIPM President.

Sports Director János Belák spoke about the professional details, according to whom this year’s Budapest World Cup will feature a stronger field than ever before. Among the men, Olympic bronze medalist Giorgio Malan and two-time world champion Valentin Belaud will also be competing.

The women’s field will include two-time world champion Elena Micheli –  European champion Kerenza Bryson, and defending World Cup champion Ilke Ozyuksel.

The Hungarian team will be represented by competitors such as Guzi Blanka, Rita Erdős, Blanka Bauer, Mihály Koleszár, Csaba Bőhm, Balázs Szép and András Gáll. “The Budapest World Cup is both a home field and a serious international test for Hungarian competitors. The field is extremely strong, but at the same time, we have several athletes who have a realistic chance of fighting for the final, and even for the medal positions. The audience will see world-class competitions during the week,” said János Belák.

The qualifiers for the women’s field will begin on Tuesday, with the men joining the competition on Wednesday. The women’s final will be held on Friday, June 12, and will also be attended by Kirsty Coventry – President of the International Olympic Committee. The men’s final will take place on Saturday, June 13.

The organizers are expecting more than a thousand spectators to the BOK Hall, where the audience can follow the OCR, fencing, swimming and laser run competitions up close.

A brief introduction to the HUNGARIAN PENTATOM ASSOCIATION, which is one of the most successful and traditional national associations of the sport. Hungarian pentathlon athletes are among the most successful competitors in the history of the Olympic Games, World Championships and European Championships. The association’s main objective is the continuous development of the sport, strengthening its international role and supporting new generations of modern pentathlon in Hungary.

Riport and snaps by Aggie Reiter

 

The 34th GASTROBLUES FESTIVAL – Jazz – Rock – Gastronomy – Wine @ Pécs

The City of Paks is on the bank of the River Danube where this year awaits to the Gastroblues Festival time to spend there.

Every year, the audience could see and hear the top Hungarian performers, and the organizers also took care to ensure that talented, promising young musicians and bands, as well as forgotten musicians and bands, were given the opportunity to perform.

The Gastroblues Festivals are probably unique worldwide. Not aware, at least in the world of blues, of an event with such in-depth audio and visual archive. We would like to mention that several international stars, such as Chris Farlowe and Keith Emerson, used recordings made during their performances in Paks in their publications.

The seventeenth festival in 2009 set a Hungarian Guinness record: dishes prepared with 149 types of wine were served at the same time, at one location. Two years later, 23 winemakers presented their wines at the nineteenth festival. In 2012, the contestants prepared dishes from more than a ton of meat at the charity cooking competition. The guiding principle: even the best music cannot be enjoyed with a dry throat and a growling stomach.

The basic element of a festival is community. An intimate, family atmosphere characterizes the multi-day event. The performing musicians are also often captivated by the friendly atmosphere.

It is not uncommon for them to mingle with visitors and taste wines and food together, just as Spencer Davis, Ken Hensley, Chris Farlowe, Rick Wakeman or the band Nazareth did. In the history of the Gastroblues festival, countless friendships have been formed among visitors.

Are you getting ready for the Gastroblues Festival? Look forward to the festival, then hop-over  and enjoy every minute.

Tickets available in advance at the eventim.hu.

Advance purchase ticket: 14990 HUF
Day ticket (also valid for the same day’s club concert) 8990 HUF
Church concert (free admission with season ticket) 2990 HUF
Thursday, Friday, Saturday club concert (free admission with season ticket) 1990 HUF

Update by Aggie Reiter