PHOTOS, VIDEO: Hungary marks founding of state with spectacular fireworks
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Hungary once again celebrated the founding of its state with a spectacular fireworks display in Budapest, commemorating the nation’s integration into Christian Europe—a period during which the Hungarian people managed to preserve their core values, language and traditions. This year’s 20 August celebrations, however, carried a marked dose of contemporary political symbolism.
Europe’s largest fireworks and drone show
According to the government, this year’s 20 August festivities featured the largest fireworks display in Europe, set against the Danube riverfront in Budapest. The spectacle combined a vast arsenal of rockets with a breathtaking drone show, amounting to 45,000 pyrotechnic effects. Launch sites stretched from Margit Bridge to Szabadság Bridge, with fireworks fired from pontoons, barges and the bridges themselves.
The show continued the historical narrative from last year, which concluded with the coronation of King Saint Stephen. According to Origo, the storyline was written by Zsolna Ugron, with music composed by Norbert Elek. The artistic concept was devised by Árpád Iványi and Barnabás Réti, while the visual design of the fireworks was created by the award-winning Anikó Seres.
