PHOTOS: Festivities kick off in Budapest with spectacular shows, affordable beer, wine, pálinka
Change language:
St Stephen’s Day celebrations are now in full swing across Budapest and throughout Hungary. Families in towns and villages nationwide are invited to enjoy a wide range of games and entertainment. In the capital, the air show, the military commissioning ceremony, and the ceremonial flag raising have already taken place. Yet many more events, concerts, and festivities lie ahead—including the much-anticipated fireworks display, which this year is set to proceed without disruption from the weather. With a heatwave forecast, cooling drinks are being sold at exceptionally low prices across the city.
Find the SZIN Points in Budapest for affordable beer, wine, and pálinka
Every year on 20 August, the government ensures that pretzels, bottled water, beer, wine, and pálinka are sold at nostalgic prices at designated SZIN Bistros. Visitors may be pleasantly surprised at today’s and tomorrow’s throwback prices: a can of Borsodi beer is 430 forints, a decilitre of wine costs 260 forints, and four centilitres of pálinka are available for 850 forints. Bottled mineral water is just 250 forints, cola is 420 forints (with bottles refundable), a Vienna-style pretzel is 356 forints, and a large cheese scone is only 275 forints. At these roughly two dozen locations, one might feel as though stepping back a decade in time.
The budget for this year’s St Stephen’s Day festivities is estimated at 14.5 billion forints. The event is organised by a company owned by Gyula Balásy, according to Telex.
Wondering where to find the SZIN points? You can check them out on THIS MAP.
A full line-up of events in the capital
According to organisers, today’s programme includes:
- From 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., free viewing of the Holy Crown inside Parliament;
- A performance by Pál István Szalonna and his band at the Csárda Festival from 5:00 p.m.;
- Tastings of the nation’s official breads and cakes along Hungarian Flavours Street;
- An afternoon performance by the legendary 80-year-old HOBO in the Artists’ Garden;
- At the Magic Grove, national actor Gyula Bodrogi speaks about Süsü the Dragon at 5:00 p.m.;
- A family fitness warm-up led by Rubint Réka on Family Fun Island;
- Road Movie Live on the BME Quay, featuring Curtis at 6:00 p.m., followed by Road at 7:30 p.m.;
- At 9:00 p.m., the fireworks show begins, which the organisers claim will be the largest of its kind in Europe.
