If you thought you’d seen it all on Budapest’s roads, think again. Recently, a fully mobile, vintage grand piano made a surprise appearance in the 13th district, calmly cruising across a crosswalk like it was just another commuter on wheels.

But don’t worry, the piano isn’t haunted. It was being driven (yes, driven) by none other than Mr. Piano, Budapest’s most musically mobile citizen, known off-stage as János Vágó.

The return of the rolling recital

According to Budapesti Autósok, a video of the unusual vehicle was shared by a startled tram driver who witnessed the musical machine casually glide across the street near a stop. The scene could easily be mistaken for a surreal art installation, except this one moves, plays music, and occasionally causes traffic jams.

This isn’t Mr. Piano’s first public appearance. He’s been turning heads for years with his music-themed vehicles, often spotted at cultural events across the country. But this recent sighting proves one thing: Hungary’s roads will never be boring as long as he’s around.

Rocket science meets show business

By day, Vágó works as a rocket ordnance disposal expert, because apparently, building electric piano-cars isn’t daring enough. In his spare time, he builds functioning vehicles that look like musical instruments. That’s right: a full-time bomb specialist who moonlights as a street-performing engineer-musician.

His star vehicle, the rolling piano, runs on an electric motor and can travel up to 8–10 kilometres on a single charge. When in motion, the piano can’t be played live; instead, it serenades passersby through a built-in speaker system, like a Bluetooth jukebox on wheels.

One-of-a-kind instrument on wheels in Budapest

The most jaw-dropping fact? The piano body is from 1884, and only five of these exist in the entire world. Most people would protect such a relic with velvet ropes, Mr. Piano straps wheels on it and takes it for a joyride.

Whether you view it as a brilliant PR stunt, a bold artistic statement, or just a really extravagant way to avoid Budapest’s public transport, Mr. Piano’s rolling recital is here to entertain (and maybe confuse) everyone lucky enough to spot it.

So next time you’re in traffic and think you’re seeing things, look again. It might just be a 19th-century grand piano cruising past you in the bike lane.

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