Brain Bar, Europe’s largest festival on the future, returns to Budapest on 17–18 September. The event takes place at the House of Music Hungary in City Park. The programme includes more than 100 talks, discussions, music and art shows across five stages, plus workshops in the festival’s Talent Hub.
Host Jenn Zeng on what to expect from two days at the House of Music.
Guest author: Anhao Chen
Gergely Böszörményi-Nagy founded the festival in 2015. It brings scientists, politicians, entrepreneurs, and cultural figures together with a mostly young audience, and every session is built so that visitors can ask questions from the floor. Past speakers include PayPal founder Peter Thiel, astronaut Chris Hadfield, and psychotherapist Esther Perel.
From Cory Doctorow to Judit Polgár
This year’s speakers include science fiction writer Cory Doctorow, physicist Carlo Rovelli, and Nataliya Kosmyna, the MIT Media Lab neuroscientist studying what ChatGPT does to the brain. Hungarian names on the bill include Minister of Transport and Investment Dávid Vitézy, Minister of Science and Technology Zoltán Tanács, Sziget Festival founder Károly Gerendai, and football coach Zsolt Szoboszlai, father of Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai.
Judit Polgár, the most successful female chess player of all time, is also speaking. Her foundation is the festival’s goodwill partner this year and receives all ticket revenue, which it uses to develop children’s thinking and creativity through chess.
Sessions run in English and Hungarian. The agenda marks the language of each session.
“How do humans actually connect?”
Among this year’s hosts is Jenn Zeng, the event’s youngest host and first woman president of the LSE Entrepreneurs’ Society, who will take the stage at Brain Bar for the first time.
Speaking to Daily News Hungary ahead of the festival, Zeng said she is most looking forward to her one-on-one with Jared Henderson, a philosopher and content creator, on the future of friendship in an age of digital isolation.
“This one specifically stands out because right now we are living in a world where everything we talk about is AI,” she said. “There is less and less emphasis on people and how humans actually connect and bond with each other. How do we form truly fulfilling and meaningful friendships in a world of digital isolation?”
Zeng said the festival’s value lies in putting a young audience in front of the people working at the edge of their fields. “I really hope the people feel inspired, make new friends while they are there, and really think about what they could do to contribute to a better world,” she said.
Tickets for the Brain Bar 2026 Festival
Brain Bar 2026 runs 17–18 September at the House of Music Hungary, Olof Palme sétány 3. Students and teachers can attend for free after registering via a form on the festival website, and teachers can sign up entire secondary school classes by email. Anyone without a pass can still use the open outdoor area. A two-day pass costs 39,900 HUF, with a 25% discount for 4 or more passes. Single-day tickets are 26,900 HUF. You can find tickets and the full agenda at brainbar.com.
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