The world focusses on Budapest from 30 March to 22 April 2018, when the Budapest Spring Festival, the largest cultural event in Hungary, takes place in 23 venues all over town. Culture lovers will enjoy around 100 exciting events in more than 20 categories.
This year’s Budapest Spring Festival is already celebrating its 38th birthday! The Budapest Spring Festival was created in 1980 with the honourable intentions of using high-quality productions to stimulate the Hungarian capital’s spring tourism. The initiative was so successful that the series of events won the 2005 European Cultural Award. Famous artists, and also amateurs, consider it an honour and distinction to perform at this prestigious, all-encompassing arts festival. At the beginning of the year, many culture lovers in Hungary as well as increasing numbers of tourists hungry for cultural entertainment when visiting Hungary, eagerly await the details of the Budapest Spring Festival. It’s a good idea to check out the programme and reserve tickets in advance as the majority of productions sell out in minutes.
What’s the Budapest Spring Festival 2018 all about?
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Nowadays, the BSF doesn’t only present the world-class stars of Hungarian culture to a curious audience, the stages of Budapest attract cutting edge artists from the international cultural world, and, in a similar cultural mission, the BSF provides a space to introduce young talent, too.
This year’s colourful spring collection – following a theme akin to the now well-established traditions – includes classical music, opera, popular music, jazz and world music, dance, theatre and photographic exhibitions. What’s more, during the festival, Budapest’s galleries and museums organise a series of events under the title; Budapest Art Week – Everything that’s Fine Art. Renowned soloists display their knowledge of their pianos or stringed instruments, while symphony orchestras and distinguished opera and theatre companies come, bringing their thrilling new performances. Fans of jazz will enjoy the taste treats of many musicians presenting their new albums, moreover the Hungarian Jazz Celebration 2018 offers some special delicacies.
If you haven’t already got your tickets, click on the Budapest Spring Festival’s official website, where you can find out all the information about ticket purchase.
Venues
Budapest’s most prestigious, best-known concert venues are all taking part in this year’s BSF: the Palace of Arts, the Academy of Music, the Old Music Academy, the Erkel Theatre and the Pest Music Hall to name but a few. Other excellent venues include the Budapest Jazz Club, the A38 Music Boat, the Budapest Music Centre, the Aquarium Club, the Trafó Contemporary Arts Centre and the Castle Garden Bazaar. Leafing through the comprehensive, bulging festival programme booklet reveals more stand-out names: the Inner City Saint Michael’s Church, the Hungarian National Museum, the József Katona Theatre and the Uránia National Film Theatre.
Performers
It’s a hard task to pick out one or two musicians or an orchestra from the outstanding collection of artists appearing at the BSF 2018. However, fans of Hungarian popular music will not doubt be delighted to attend concerts such as the ‘Ákos 50’ concert, Hobó’s ‘Visionaries, Poets & Vagabonds’ show, or KATIKOVÁCS Symphonic Live. The names Kodály, Bartók and Liszt appear often in the programme listings, but fans can also expect moments of intense pleasure and musical delight from Bernstein, the Vienna Philharmonic and the Danube Artist Ensemble. Notable soloists are coming from all corners of the planet, if we want to mention some of the names, please stand up Yefim Bronfman (piano), Cosima Soulez-Larivière (violin), Anneke Boeke (flute), Danyiil Trifonov (piano), Maxim Vengerov (violin), Gergely Ittzés (flute), Lucie Horsch (recorder) and also the Hungarian opera soprano Andrea Rost. Jazz buffs will be enchanted by The Bad Plus, Chapelier Fou, the Grandbrothers and Tale of Us.
For a detailed programme with videos, please look at the www.btf.hu web page.
Accommodation in Budapest during the BSF 2018
Check out all the tempting offers from the Danubius Budapest hotels ! We offer discount room packages and high quality hospitality at numerous hotels located all over Budapest. This spring, you can be sure of finding a hotel close to the venues of the cultural festival.