You’d think in August that there’d be no heatwave, as it is the last month of summer, but the city also surprises us in this regard. We’re looking for shady parks and festive bustle in zig-zagging Budapest.  This atmosphere will accompany us right until the beginning of September. We’ll show you which places are worth visiting during these months. Our gastro-cultural guide guarantees that the coming weeks can be exciting for both children and adults!

Sziget Festival /8-15 August / Óbudai Island (Hajógyári Island)
After over twenty-five years of successful festivals, the Hajógyári Island will again be flooded by party-goers as the Sziget festival, one of Europe’s biggest, returns! The list of performers is virtually endless, yet it includes a number of major headlining acts such as Shawn Mendes, Mumford & Sons, Bastille, Lana Del Rey, Gorillaz and the newly-discovered pop diva, Dua Lipa. The event can be considered an international melting pot, as visitors come from all parts of the worlds for the wide range of events and unique performances, diverse and top quality musicians and special events.

Festival of Folk Arts (17—20 August)

On this weekend, Buda Castle will host several events. The Festival of Folk Arts is the traditional meeting of Hungarian folk artists. This traditionalist event is organised around a theme every year; this time it’s weaving that interlaces the world of exhibitors and musical and folk costume presentations. During these events the venue is transformed into a jazz fair with whistles, drums and reed violins. If you’d like to absorb Hungarian virtue and culture, you can do so between 17 and 20 August. On St. Stephen’s Day, you can also witness a traditional consecration of bread at the Matthias Church. Festival of Folk Arts is free with Budapest Card

Kenyérlelke Festival (20 August)

We celebrate the first bread, made from fresh wheat, on 20 August in Hungary. The association of bakers who aim to make the public aware again of the significance of sourdough and real bread will gather for the fourth time on this fine day, as a workshop of sorts. This event will be held in MOMKult on the Buda side, under the shades of chestnut trees, and both children and adults are welcome. Home bakers and bakeries will compete in four categories during the festival’s competition, whose jury includes Cristian Maurice, a teacher at the world-famous Ferrandi Paris baking school in Paris. You can look forward to an exciting program if you head to this event on this traditional Hungarian holiday.

Buda Castle Beer Festival (23—26 August)

The festival, which presents 250 types of artisanal beer, returns to the Buda Castle for the seventh time. You can wander in the entire back section of the castle during the event, for example in the Lion Courtyard, where buildings such as the National Széchenyi Library or the Hungarian National Gallery tower around you. If you walk to the Hunyadi Courtyard from here, which in the past used to be the location of the castle market, you can marvel at the castle tower itself. For choosing beers, we definitely recommend the selected specialties from two Hungarian breweries, namely Csíki beers and products from the First Craft Beer manufacturer. International brands will also serve their fine beers, if there’s a certain quality you prefer. It’s an event for real beer fanatics.

Budapest Bár concert at the Városmajor Open Air Stage (26 August)

This is a concert experience that’s hard to put into words. Gypsy music played at cafés is revived with a drive and verve that almost completely spans music genres. You only have to sit back in your chair to enjoy the music, or you can tap your feet in rhythm to it. The band has been fascinating audiences for over ten years with the catchy treasures bequeathed to us as imprints by musical tradition. The piquancy of the lineup is how different contemporary jazz, pop or rock singers join this cavalcade each time. An enchanting experience for understanding and open ears!

21st Jewish Cultural Festival (26 August — 2 September)

If you’re longing for musical recreation, then you’ll also find a cultural program on the colourful palette during this time. The biggest sensation of the performers at this year’s Jewish Cultural Festival is the concert by jazz musician Avishai Cohen. You’ll be able to hear extraordinary combinations in the synagogue on Dohány Street and in one of Budapest’s gastro quarters, the synagogue in Hegedűs Gyula Street in Újlipótváros. Bea Palya, one of the defining singers in the Hungarian music scene, the Barcelona Gipsy Balkan Orchestra and many other talented musicians will be here with us. On your first day of getting to know Jewish-Hungarian, Hungarian-Jewish culture, you might find yourself at a fantastic cholent festival around Dohány Street.