Cultural Venues Budapest

If you're looking for cultural entertainment you have a wide range of cultural venues in Budapest to choose from.

Budapest is not only the cultural centre of Hungary but the city is renowned for its versatile cultural life including festivals like the Budapest Spring Festival and the Autumn Festival all ove the world.

No matter in which part of the year you come the Hungarian capital offers a cultural event or program that you wouldn't want to miss. Check our recommended events in Budapest which lists the major festival, exhibitions, concerts taking place during the current year.

Major Cultural Venues in Budapest

The Hungarian capital boasts a handful of larger cultural centers where most of Budapest's cultural life takes place.

Palace of Arts (Művészetek Palotája)
Address: Komor Marcell utca 1., tram 2. Közvágóhíd stop, HÉV from Boráros tér

The massive edifice at the Pest side of Lágymányosi Bridge is the focal point of Budapest's cultural life. The building was finished in 2005 as part of a major reconstruction plan of Ferencváros, the IX. district of Budapest. The spacious building the net floor size covers 70 000 m2) houses: the Bartók National Concert Hall, the Festival Theatre, the Ludwig Museum

The Palace of Arts has a 130-seat hall equipped modern multimedia appliance like the built-in interpreters' box is perfect for conferences, workshops and business meetings. See more Conference Venues in Budapest.

The Palace of Arts is a major venue of many concerts during the Budapest Spring Festival and the Budapest Autumn Festival.

Should you get hungry after a concert or an exhibition you can have dinenr in the Bohém Restaurant, have coffe in the P'Art Coffee House or just get a sandwich from the snack bar.

For more concert venues see our page about Budapest Concerts.

The Hungarian National Opera House on Andrássy Avenue is worth a visit not only because of the opera performances but the fine architecture of the building.

Find out more about the history and architecture of the Opera House in Budapest. Andrássy Avenue in itself is a major cultural hub of Budapest.

Millenáris Park

Address: Fény utca 20-22, tram 4-6, Széna tér stop, M2 metro Moszkva tér station

This a great multifunctional cultural centre on a reconstructed industrial area in Budapest offers entertainment for the whole family.

It gives home to two scientific exhibitions the House of Future (Jövő Háza) and the Palace of Miracles (Csodák Palotája). The first offers a glimps in future life on Earth, robots, space travel, genetics etc. The exhibit in the latter is a great hands-on experience for kids about basic scientific laws. See more tips on Activities for Children in Budapest.

The Millenáris Teátrum has various theatrical, dance, concert, and cabaret performances.

Nagymező utca in the VI. district a side street of the elegant Andrássy avenue is called the "Pesti Broadway" and gives home to the Budapest Operetta Theatre (Nagymező utca 17.)and the Thália Theatre (Nagymező utca 22-24.)

Theatres in Budapest

Budapest has a dozen ot more theatres the most significant is the National Theatre next to the Palace of Arts. This is also a fairly new cultural venue in Budapest, its inaugural performance took place on 15th March 2002.

A nice, well-tended park, the Bajor Gizi park, featuring bronze statues of famous Hungarian artists and a ship-shaped pool surrounds the theatre.

The Katona József Színház in the V. district or the Vígszínház (Comedy Theatre of Budapest) on Grand Boulevard near Nyugati Train Station are two other great theatres in Budapest.

The National Dance Theatre in Castle District (Színház utca 1-3.) stages all sorts of dance performanced from ballet to contemporary dance.

Galleries and Exhibition Halls in Budapest

Apart from large cultural venues in Budapest has some small-sized exhibitions halls and galleries.

The Mai Manó House gives home to the Hungarian House of Photography.
Address: Nagymező utca 20., VI. district, M1 metro Opera station

KOGart House
Address: Andrássy út 112., M1 metro Bajza utca stop

Founded by a Hungarian businessman this great venue in a stylsih villa organizes 5-6 temporary exhibitions a year introducing different periods and artists from Hungarian Contemporary Art and from the world of International Art.

Kogart house is a fine combination of art and gastronomy. It has a fine restaurant where you can taste specialities of International music while listening to gentel live jazz music. The extensive wine list of the restaurant includes fine wines from different wine regions of Hungary as well as the owner's Kogart label wines.

French Institute (Francia Intézet)
Address: Fő utca 17., I. district, M2 Batthyány tér station, Open:

Situated in a modern buidling on the Buda embankment of the Danube the French Institute incorporates French cultural things including a gallery, theatre, bookshop. It regularly hosues concerts, exhibitions, literary evenings, lectures.

The Cafe Dumas serves great coffee drinks, French crepe, breakfast, and lunch. The daily menu includes the chef1s recommendation for 1500 HUF.

Other highlights of the cafe is the free internet and a tiny exhibition featuring parts from Alexander Dumas' books about gastronomy.

Ernst Museum
Address: Nagymező utca 8., VI. district, M1 metro Opera station, Open: 11.00-19.00, Tue-Sun

A private art collector, Lajos Ernst founded this small museum in 1912. It has temporary exhibitions introducing the versatiliy of modern Hungarian art.

Part of the Ernst Museum is the Dorottya Galléria near Vörösmarty Square (Dorottya utca 8.) in donwtown Budapest which presents works by young Hungarian contemporary artists .

Items exhibited in both venues can be purchased.

See more museums in Budapest.

Folklore Programs in Budapest

For Hungarian Folklore programs attend one of these performances listed on this page.

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