20 August fireworks in Budapest to be more spectacular (and expensive) than ever before

We are in for a sight never seen before on 20 August in the Hungarian capital, Budapest. According to the Government Information Centre (Kormányzati Tájékoztatási Központ), the fireworks in Budapest will be more numerous than before, stretching over 5 kilometres along the Danube instead of 4.3 kilometres.

2024 fireworks in Budapest to be bigger than ever before

Due to the long weekend of 20 August, programmes can be expected from Saturday (17 August) onwards. This year, a 4-day series of events will celebrate the anniversary of the founding of the state, the Government Information Centre (KTK) said in response to a question from Magyar Nemzet.

They stressed that they are preparing a more spectacular fireworks display than ever before.

They pointed out that St Stephen’s Days’ programmes will feature the usual mini-festivals, and musical, cultural and gastronomic programmes at 19 venues.

Fireworks in Budapest. Photo: FB/Budapest Airport

For years, the St. Stephen’s Day series of events has been the most popular summer programme for Hungarian families with free festivals, concerts and other outdoor events serving the summer recreation and experience of Hungarian and foreign guests visiting the capital.

This year, more people will be able to enjoy the fire and light show than ever before: instead of 4.3 kilometres, the spectacle will stretch for more than 5 kilometres along the Danube, which means that this time the spectacle will extend all the way to Margaret Island (Margitsziget), and will include three downtown bridges instead of two as last year.

The number of pyrotechnics, the number of drones and the volume of light painting will also be higher than in 2022.

It has been pointed out that the cost of fireworks in Budapest will increase by a “small” amount compared to last year. This small amount could be as much as HUF 600 million (EUR 1.53 million), according to RTL. This amount would raise the overall cost of the 2024 fireworks to HUF 15 billion (EUR 38.2 million).

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