2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest

Erdogan to meet, celebrate and may agree on Sweden’s NATO accession with Orbán

Orbán Erdogan Türkiye

Two NATO leaders opposed Sweden’s NATO accession after Stockholm submitted their plea: Orbán and Erdogan. Sweden’s main adversary was Türkiye, but Orbán helps out his friend so it is not alone in the diplomatic duel. The Orbán-Erdogan meeting today might put an end to that conflict.

The details of Erdogan’s fourth visit to Budapest (after 2013, 2018 and 2019) have been kept secret. The prime minister’s press chief, Bertalan Havasi, kept the press in the dark, saying that the two leaders would discuss economic and political affairs but did not say anything precise about the schedule.

444.hu wrote that the two leaders would probably talk about a possible Ankara-Stockholm agreement over Sweden’s NATO accession. If Türkiye gives the green light, Budapest will not oppose the deal like it happened in the case of Finland earlier.

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Strongmen of Europe forging new alliance

Among others, the two strongmen of Europe will probably talk about economic questions (investments in the energy and real estate sectors) and migration issues. Turkish press wrote that Erdogan would only spend one day in Budapest, and his visit is the first step in a global tour during which he would like to meet with the US President and the leaders of Russia and India to discuss global matters.

Based on Turkish press information, he will meet with Putin later this month and that may help solve the food supply crisis following the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Considering that, Erdogan’s Budapest visit is more than symbolic and can be regarded as an acknowledgement of Orbán’s unconditional support towards Erdogan during this year’s presidential election, Világgazdaság wrote.

Read also:

  • Orbán: Erdogan opponent a ‘Soros man’, would have been a tragedy if he had won, read more HERE

Of course, some Hungarian political players condemned the Turkish president’s visit. Among others, Momentum Movement hung a banner saying we fought against Ottoman rule for 150 years, so inviting dictator Erdogan on our biggest national day is shameful. Here is a photo:

Párbeszéd: Turkish president’s 20 August visit ‘harmful message’ to international public, Hungarians

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Hungary on 20 August “sends a very serious and harmful message to the international public and Hungarians”, a spokesman of the opposition Párbeszéd party said on Saturday. Turkiye is a key ally of Hungary, and it is important that the two countries are in regular contact, Richárd Barabás said in a video posted on Facebook. At the same time, the Turkish president “has veered very far from the values of human rights, democracy, the rule of law and civil rights, which we Europeans, we Hungarians and we Greens firmly believe in”, he added.

Barabás said the Turkish state was engaging in “severe propaganda similarly to [Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor] Orbán’s regime”, creating divisions between rural and urban residents. He said the authorities in Turkiye also imprisoned journalists, cracked down on protests and that members of the LGBTQ community were also often victims of attacks. He said that by inviting the Turkish president to Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was sending the message that his views on the state “are very similar to what Turkish President Erdogan envisions and implements in Turkiye”.

Párbeszéd condemns the Turkish president’s visit as well as the fact that it will take place on the anniversary of the founding of the Hungarian state, Barabás said. The party assumes, he added, that the visit “has something to do with delaying Sweden’s accession to NATO”. Párbeszéd calls on the prime minister to demonstrate that Hungary is a sovereign country capable of making its own decisions when it comes to international political matters, Barabás said. It also urges the prime minister not to serve the needs of the Turkish president or delay approval for Sweden’s NATO accession, he added.

PHOTOS, VIDEO: World Athletics Championships in Budapest began

Hungary Budapest World Athletics Championships

In the shadow of the war in Ukraine, “the role of sports as a peace promoting force is appreciated”, President Katalin Novák said in her address at the opening ceremony of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Saturday.

Noble and fair fight

“Through sport, we can also experience what it feels like to engage in a noble and fair fight with each other,” the president said. “And it is a good idea to compete in the same way, on the basis of mutual respect, also in other aspects of our lives, ” she added. “The World Athletics Championships are primarily about outstanding athletic performance,” Novák said. “But for us, Hungarians, they mean more than that. We celebrate elite sport and casual sport — as casual sport is the foundation for a healthy lifestyle — both at the same time”.

“We need sports and sports competitions in good, as well as in more difficult times. Because such an event lifts you up, and moves you away from daily problems,” she said. Novák thanked President Sebastian Coe and World Athletics for their vote of confidence. “I promise we will be worthy of it,” she said. “Why Budapest?” Novák posed the question.

Standing guard here in the heart of Europe

“Because we Hungarians have been standing guard here in the heart of Europe for a thousand years. In fact, we will celebrate the Day of St. Stephen, our founding king, tomorrow, thanks to whom Hungary embarked on the path of Western Christianity,” she said. “Because we guarantee high competition standards and a safe environment for participants and visitors of the World Championships. Because in addition to Budapest being on the world’s culture and tourism map, our country has hosted over forty European and World Championships and international sporting finals in the last ten years,” Novák said.

Read also:

  • MAP: Traffic in Budapest will be nightmarish in the next few days – Read more HERE
  • New temporary boat service will operate in Budapest – HERE is our article

The grand opening:

“Because we want always to go above and beyond. We fulfil the tasks of hosting with heartfelt enthusiasm, and with the creativity Hungarians are known for, relying on a broad social cooperation that we have successfully achieved,” the president said. Novák thanked all those who put in place the conditions and provided the support necessary for the World Championships. “It is commendable when we can show unity,” she said.

“And as we have a reputation for being exceptional hosts, we would like you to have an enjoyable time in our country. We would like the athletes to give the best performance of their lives. And beyond the sporting experience, we hope our guests will get a taste of our national culture, our beautiful capital, the kind and open nature of the Hungarian people, and our world-famous cuisine! To make sure that you will have a good time with us, we will show you the best we can be, and become who we ourselves would like to be,” the president added.

Hungarians love challenges

She noted that the Hungarian capital “will be in the spotlight for nine days”. “Two hundred participating countries, thousands of athletes, tens of thousands of foreign spectators, hundreds of thousands of fans on site and millions in front of their screens,” she said.

“Because we Hungarians love challenges, and seek out and take advantage of opportunities,” she added. Novák also noted that “as a heritage from our Olympic bid we have built the Ferencvaros Leisure and Sports Park, including the new athletics centre.” “Rust was turned to gold here. Life returned to the banks of the Danube. I am proud that the organisers have also made it possible for the disadvantaged to cheer in person. I am proud that while one of Europe’s largest popular music festivals has just ended in Budapest, we can show that a festival atmosphere can also be created around a sporting event. I am proud that hundreds of thousands have been encouraged to participate in sports through the world championships.”

“And I am proud of the organisers, including the volunteers, thanks to whom we can be here today,” Novák said, wishing athletes a fair, injury-free and successful competition.

World Athletics Championships results – Day 1

Results of finals held at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Saturday:

Men’s 20 km Race Walk:

1. Alvaro Martin (ESP) 1:17:32 hours

2. Perseus Karlstrom (SWE) 1:17:39

3. Caio Bonfim (BRA) 1:17:47

 

Men’s Shot Put:

1. Ryan Crouser (USA) 23.51 m

2. Leonardo Fabbri (ITA) 22.34

3. Joe Kovacs (USA) 22.12

 

Women’s 10,000 m:

1. Gudaf Tsegay (ETH) 31:27.18 min

2. Letesenbet Gidey (ETH) 31:28.16

3. Ejgayehu Taye (ETH) 31:28.31

 

Mixed 4×400 m Relay:

1. United States 3:08.80 min – World record

2. Britain 3:11.06

3. Czechia 3:11.98

PM Orbán: Budapest is a “must-visit” city!

Budapest Orbán must visit

Protecting jobs, curbing inflation and bumping up wages are vitally important for the economy, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told public radio on Friday.

The European and Hungarian economies are now being determined by the war in Ukraine, Orbán said, adding that both would perform much better if the conflict were to come to an end. He said “the root of the problem, the war, cannot be remedied; while there’s no peace, the war economy will be here to stay.” “Brussels bureaucrats won’t end the sanctions” even though Hungary had been urging it to do so, he said. Ending the war would change the environment for the European economy overnight, he said. “Peace is the only politically and ethically right approach,” he added.

The government, Orbán said, was focusing on protecting jobs, noting 70,000-80,000 job vacancies in the country. He said the Hungarian economy was geared towards providing employment to Hungarians” and the government is in the position “to offer work to anyone who wants it”. The prime minister also referred to the government’s “radical measures” to combat inflation, which had put a lid on price gouging. He noted the government’s inflation target of 6 percent for 2024, adding that the figure could be as low as 5 percent”. By the end of August the consensus would be that inflation will be in single digits by the end of the year, he said.

Read also:

  • Hungary will lose millions of EUR in taxes in 2024 and its economy is faltering – Read more HERE
  • Shocking GDP data came: Hungary at 1996 level

Orbán: enough is enough in profit hunting

Orbán said price hikes had arisen because of the war and sanctions, though retail prices “rose higher than the economic situation justified”, he said, adding: “This is called speculation and multinationals were at the forefront.” “Nobody has anything against a fair profit … but enough is enough.” Regarding “the fight for growth”, he said economic expansion “must be linked to pay rises”. Protection against high prices can happen in two ways, he said: by suppressing inflation and by raising wages, adding that the government was intent on protecting families.

It is important that the economy should recover “from the shock of the war” to a growth path, which is expected to happen in the third and fourth quarters this year, he said. Orbán said the third quarter was “tangibly better” than the second, adding that by the end of the year pay rises planned for the second half of 2023 would have “counterbalanced all the bad things that happened in the first half”. Orbán said the first quarter of 2023 had been “difficult for everybody” but the Hungarian economy had “stood its ground” without any rise in unemployment.

Budapest is a must-visit city

Meanwhile, Orbán said the World Athletics Championships and other similar top sporting events sent a message to the world that Budapest is “must-visit” city. He said sports events were a boon economically but more importantly focused the world’s attention on the host country. The prime minister noted that he will host a dozen official bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the athletics championships and the August 20 national holiday, referring to meetings with the Turkish president, the Serbian president and the Emir of Qatar and “political friends” from Central Asia region such as Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan. Meetings will also take place with business representatives from all over the world, largely from western Europe and China, he said.

Meanwhile, referring to the recent inauguration of the Rheinmetall factory in Zalaegerszeg, the prime minister said that without its own defence industry, Hungary would not be able to develop armed forces capable of defending the country. “By manufacturing weapons, you’re strong, and peace requires strength,” he said. “We want to live in peace . but there’ll never be peace unless peace can be defended.”

Press: Autocratic world leaders come to Budapest to meet Orbán

European Union Orbán EU

The World Athletics Championships starting in Budapest on Saturday will bring a frenzy of diplomatic activity to Budapest, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Friday. Among others, the presidents of Serbia, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, as well as the emir of Qatar are scheduled to pay working visits during the championships, the minister told a press conference. Szeretlek Magyarország said half the world’s authocratic leaders are to visit Hungary and Orbán.

Cooperation instead of war

The programme will also include talks with several Western Balkan leaders such as the president of the Bosnian Serb Republic, a representative of the presidency of Bosnia, as well as former heads of state from Czechia, Austria, and Slovenia, he said. Szijjártó highligted recent “environmentally friendly, sustainable, and large-scale sports infrastructure developments” which have created suitable conditions to host “one of the world’s largest sports events”, and called those efforts “the shared achievement of all Hungarians”.

The championships being hosted in Hungary are “especially important now, when sports could lead to cooperation and links between nations at a time of conflict and war“. The world being divided into blocs again was “bad news”, he said, adding however that “the news about new links can best be conveyed by sports”. Concerning the agenda for prime ministerial talks during the championships, Szijjártó said energy supplies, physical security — focusing on the war in Ukraine and migration — as well as fighting economic difficulties would be on the agenda.

Referring to Qatar, Szijjártó noted the country is the world’s largest LNG exporter, and could offer LNG supplies to Hungary from 2027. He added that relevant talks are under way. Hungary and Qatar are in close cooperation in international organisations, and are planning to sign a diplomatic cooperation agreement, he added.

Read also:

Energy discussions

Issues around energy supplies will also be in the focus of talks with the presidents of Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, and Serbia, Szijjártó said. Türkiye is already key for Hungary in terms of natural gas deliveries, while its role will further increase when resources from Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan are involved, he said. Talks on purchasing natural gas from Türkiye are “at an advanced stage”, with an actual agreement in sight after the August 20 talks, he added. Szijjártó noted that 100 million cubic meters of Azeri natural gas will be delivered this year, and supply of 50 million cubic meters of gas for storage in Hungary is under way as part of a previous agreement, adding that diversification was now becoming “a physical reality”.

Talks with Turkmenistan on a wide-ranging energy cooperation deal are also under way, he said, adding that Hungary would be among target countries for future Turkmen gas exports. Also, a Hungary-Serbia regional natural gas trading company will start operating in September and would contribute to the region’s energy security, he said. Meanwhile, commenting on Republika Srpska in Bosnia, Szijjártó said attempts were being made in the West, “by actors of the international liberal mainstream”, to disable its elected leaders, which he termed “extremely dangerous . due to the risk of destabilisation and unrest”. He said pressure was being put on the Bosnian-Serb president in respect of the functioning of the Bosnian Constitutional Court.

MAP: Traffic in Budapest will be nightmarish in the next few days

Budapest traffic changes

Budapest celebrates Hungary’s national day today and tomorrow, while the World Athletics Championships kicks off today. Therefore, traffic changes significantly, and there will be a lot of closures and temporary traffic restrictions in the downtown of the Hungarian capital. Furthermore, on Sunday, even the Turkish president is to arrive in Budapest, one of the most well-protected heads of state in the world.

Closures in Budapest downtown and South Pest: traffic difficult

Due to the 20 August celebrations, which is Hungary’s main national day, authorities introduced multiple traffic restrictions spanning between 12 and 23 August in Budapest. For example, you cannot stop on the Pest lower quay, the Northern and Southern parking lot of the Chain Bridge, and on both sides of the Jane Haining quay between the Chain Bridge and the Elizabeth Bridge. Moreover, you cannot leave your car on the Danube side of the Sztehlo Gábor quay between the Halász Street and the Margaret Bridge and the Műegyetem quay between the Szent Gellért Square and the Bertalan Lajos Street.

The closures concern the Szabadság Bridge, the Buda lower quay, the Műegyetem quay and the Pest quay between the Jászai Mari Square and the Közraktár Street. Importantly, you will not be able to use the following bridges this weekend: Elizabeth/Erzsébet Bridge, Szabadság/Freedom Bridge and the Chain Bridge.

Read also:

Temporary traffic restrictions affect the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 8th, 9th, 11th, and 13th districts of Budapest and some parts of the 14th district. HERE you can read the full list on the official website of the Hungarian police. However, unfortunately, it has not been translated into English. But below, there is a map which helps you understand the rules easily.

Today marks the beginning of the World Athletics Championships. Therefore, traffic restrictions will take place in the 1st, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 21st districts of Budapest. The main venues of the competitions will be in the brand new national athletics centre in the 9th district, near the Danube and on the training tracks in Csepel (21st district). Some of the restrictions may last until 15 September, Szeretlek Magyarország wrote.

Police helps with MAP

Because of the event, you may not leave your car on the Állatkert/Zoo promenade between Gundel Károly Street and the Heroes’ Square, on the service roads of the Andrássy Avenue between Dózsa György Street and Munkácsy Mihály Street and Kodály körönd.

Since the national athletics centre is located in South Budapest, many streets will be closed for public traffic in that area as well. Some are Soroksári Street, Laczkovich Street, Csepel quay, Dalai Láma Street, Szabad Hongkong (Free Hongkong) Street, and Csont Street. Furthermore, the temporary closures concern the Olof Palme promenade, Verona angyalai (Angels of Verona) Street, and the Kós Károly promenade in Budapest’s 6th district. The Hungarian police shared the sections and streets concerned HERE.

Probably the main rule is that you should not travel by car to Andrássy Avenue, the Deák Ferenc Square, the Buda Castle, and to the lower quays of Budapest this weekend. To help people decide about the best option, the police made a map of the changes. It is in Hungarian, but it is easy to understand. The meaning of the colours is the following:

  • brown: road closure
  • blue: forbidden to stop
  • orange: temporarily closed
  • yellow: two-way traffic introduced

In the “description” (leírás) section, you may check out the exact times and dates of the changes. Here is the map:

Organiser: World Athletics Championships hosting beneficial for Hungary

World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023

Hungary is set to “benefit greatly” from hosting the World Athletics Championships starting on Saturday, Balázs Fürjes, co-chairman of the organising committee, has said.

Balázs Fürjes said in an interview to MTI that completion of Budapest’s new athletics stadium had “healed a sore in the city scape”. A brownfield site has been revitalised and the city has become “more beautiful, greener, and more liveable” as a result, he added.

The championships are giving tourism new impetus, with 500,000 guest nights in Hungarian hotels, he said. “We are on the threshold of victory,” he said ahead of the upcoming events.

The championships were preceded by six years of preparations, Fürjes said, thanking his fellow organisers.

The new National Athletics Centre, built next to the River Danube in southern Budapest, is “a lot more than a stadium; it has been an urban rehabilitation project aimed at renewing 15 hectares of polluted, neglected land … giving back that section of the Danube to residents,” he said.

He said the stadium built for 35,000 spectators now occupied one-third of the new park. After the championships, the stands will be reduced to 15,000 spectators, while an 800-metre running track for public use will be added, he said.

“The park’s playgrounds, sports fields and lawn, offering a view of the Danube, will be a favourite hangout for Budapest residents,” Fürjes said, adding that the stadium was “Hungary’s greenest building, with renewable energy fully used for cooling and heating, with 200 geothermal ground loops.” He said the construction lasting 2.5 years had provided employment to 5,000 Hungarians, while the structure was made out of “steel components sufficient to construct three Chain Bridges and concrete for ten ten-storey blocks”.

Concerning Hungary’s winning bid to host the championships, Fürjes said the World Athletics decision had been based on trust. “They trusted us and believed that we are capable of organising the event; and we have delivered on all of our commitments … even though at the time … we had no experience in hosting such a big event and we had no facilities for training or holding the competitions.”

The championships, “the biggest sports event Hungary has ever hosted … is a great opportunity for Hungarian sport; it will give momentum to Hungary’s athletics, inspiration to children, a motivation for healthy lifestyles, and will aid urban development,” he said.

“This … will put Hungary on the world map,” Fürjes said, adding that the event would reinforce the nation’s “self-esteem, confidence, and unity”.

Fürjes said ticket sales for “the largest sports event of 2023” would be well over 300,000. Some 2,000 athletes are arriving from 200 countries, he noted, adding that “such huge participation [otherwise] only characterises Olympic games”. The championships are expected to draw one billion television viewers worldwide, he added.

Over 50 athletes will represent Hungary in the championships, Fürjes said.

23-hour marathon: Get half-price tickets for the World Athletics Championships Budapest!

national athletics centre

Tickets are on sale for 23 hours on Friday for the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. The sporting event starts on Saturday.

Ticket marathon for the World Athletics Championships

So far, more than 300,000 tickets have been sold and spectators from 106 countries are expected to attend the world’s third biggest sporting event, Index reports.

Balázs Németh, CEO of Budapest 2023 Non-profit Plc., the organiser of the Championships, announced on Thursday evening that from Friday midnight to 11 PM, tickets for the event will be available with a 50 percent discount for category 3 and 4 tickets, which are for the upper section of the stadium.

Tickets for the morning programme will cost a uniform price of HUF 2023 (EUR 5.27) during the promotion period.

Hungary’s biggest sporting event

“The World Athletics Championships are a sporting event of surprises and experiences, but also of gestures, and we have been organising them from the very beginning with the aim of ensuring that as many people as possible can see the wonder of the superhero fight and the programmes that make this nine-day sporting event an exciting and entertaining addition. These are the ideas behind the 23-hour ticket marathon: we encourage those who have not yet had the chance to do so to take advantage of this opportunity and join us at Hungary’s biggest sporting event ever!” Németh underscored.

During the marathon, tickets are available HERE by clicking on the Jegymaraton (ticket marathon) button.

The biggest sporting event in Hungary’s history, with the largest ever Hungarian team of 63, will be held at the National Athletics Centre from Saturday to next Sunday, with the street running and walking events taking place in Heroes’ Square, Index writes.

Orbán: Budapest is a must-visit city

The World Athletics Championships and other similar top sporting events send a message to the world that Budapest is “must-visit” city, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told public radio on Friday.

Orbán said sports events were a boon economically but more importantly focused the world’s attention on the host country.

After hosting a string of top events over the past few years, Hungary is now “within arm’s reach of hosting a Champions League Final“, he added, thanking the organisers and volunteers for their work.

Meanwhile, the prime minister noted that he will host a dozen official bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the athletics championships and the 20 August national holiday, referring to meetings with the Turkish president, the Serbian president and the Emir of Qatar and “political friends” from Central Asia region such as Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan. Meetings will also take place with business representatives from all over the world, largely from western Europe and China, he said.

Spectacular photo exhibition opens in Budapest

Photo exhibition WAC

An outdoor display featuring 42 photographs will show images of Hungary at the National Athletics Centre in tandem with the 2023 World Athletics Championships from Saturday.

The images depict the beauty of Hungary’s nature, architecture and communities to some 2,000 athletes arriving from over 200 countries and 50,000 visitors from around 100 countries, Ottó Kaiser, head of the Magyarország 365 photo competition jury, told a press conference on Wednesday.

The Magyarország 365 photo competition was launched in 2019 and the jury selected 42 out of some 124,000 images submitted by amateur and professional photographers, he said. The exhibition will be shown during the event running through to August 27, he added.

Read also:

Hungarian President excited about the World Athletics Championships

President Katalin Novák athletics (Copy)

Hungary is ready for the World Athletics Championships starting on Saturday, President Katalin Novák said on Facebook after receiving Sebastian Coe, President of World Athletics, at the Sándor Palace, adding the county was glad to be hosting and participating in one of the world’s biggest sporting events.

“Again there’s an opportunity for us Hungarians to show the world what we are capable of,” Novák wrote. The president will officially open the World Athletics Championships on Saturday and address the opening ceremony. We wrote HERE about a brand new boat service in Budapest kicking off only because of the championships.

Novák and Sebastian Coe in the Buda Palace:

 

New temporary boat service will operate in Budapest

Boat Budapest

There will be a new boat route available in the Hungarian capital, but only for 9 days, during the Budapest World Athletics Championships.

By boat to the third biggest sporting event in the world

A spectacular, comfortable and fun way to get to the World Athletics Championships.

Balázs Németh, CEO of Budapest 2023 Nonprofit Ltd, the organising company of the event, emphasised at the press conference held on Sunday morning: in cooperation with the organising committee, MAHART will operate boat services between Batthyány Square and the MÜPA boat station, from where the entrance to the National Athletics Centre is a short walk away. The journey takes just 15 minutes.

Németh said that there will be limited parking available at the venue, which is why it is important to introduce other means of transportation. According to the CEO, this is a green event, which is why they did not want to pave over the Danube bank.

Based on the statement of the Budapest Public Transport Company, public transport will run according to the time of the races. The exception to this is 20 August, when boats will not run for safety reasons due to the fireworks.

The boats run every 30-40 minutes, and the price of a ticket is HUF 1,500 (EUR 3.90), which allows unlimited number of trips per day, infostart.hu reports.

The organisers point out that it is worth arriving to Budapest by train, as MÁV offers return tickets for as little as HUF 2,023 (EUR 5.26) .

According to turizmus.com, the first train leaves at 8am on the opening day. For more information about the ferry services, click here.

Food and drink price caps return in Hungary next week!

food store spar price inflation in hungary

The Orbán cabinet first introduced price caps back in 2022 because of the high inflation rate affecting food products. However, they abolished the scheme in July. Now it appears that the price caps will be temporarily re-imposed in August at the time of two big national celebrations and events.

The World Athletics Championships 2023 will kick off next Saturday in Budapest’s brand-new athletics stadium, located near the Danube. Check out the photos and some details about the new building in THIS article. Ádám Schmidt said they aim for the championships to be more than just a sporting event. Therefore, they organise concerts and other programmes as well to keep visitors entertained from morning till evening.

Mr Schmidt added that they expect more than 1 billion sports fans to watch the competitions. They have already sold more than 300 thousand tickets to visitors from 102 countries. “No Hungarian sports event has ever attracted so many people”, he proudly highlighted. Training courts will open next Tuesday. Balázs Németh, the CEO of Budapest 2023 Non-profit Ltd, said they will introduce a price cap in the stadium’s restaurants and the fan zone. For instance, 0.5 l of mineral water will cost HUF 550 (EUR 1.5), while a can of beer will sit below HUF 1,000 (EUR 2.6), mfor.hu said.

The World Athletics Championships is the third biggest sports event in the world, following the Olympic Games and the football world cup.

Special price caps on the National Day of Hungary

The other occasion when you can buy food and beverages at a cheaper price in the heart of the Hungarian capital will be between 18 and 20 August. 20 August is Hungary’s national day, marking the foundation of the Christian Hungarian Medieval state in 1000 AD by Stephen I (997-1038). And since the government wants to ease the pressure on people, they will introduce a price cap on several products that day.

For example, a bottle of mineral water will cost only HUF 190 (EUR 0.5), while a piece of pretzel will be available for HUF 300 (EUR 0.8). That is way under the market prices. Furthermore, you will be able to buy beer for HUF 350 (EUR 0.9). Such prices will be applied between 18 and 20 August at the 20 Budapest venues of the celebrations. However, you will only be able to buy discounted foods and drinks from the official partners of the Saint Stephen Day programme. You can easily recognise them thanks to their striking logo. The weekend programme will be available soon, napi.hu wrote.

Read also our programme guide:

And why did we write that the government would introduce the aforementioned price caps? Because both major events are organised with state budget money. Thus, it’s the prime minister who came up with the decision to ease the prices.

 

Budapest-government agreement concerning World Athletics Championships

Budapest mayor Gergely Karácsony World Athletics Championships

The head of the Prime Minister’s Office has confirmed in writing that the government will adhere to its agreement with the Budapest city council on the conditions for the capital hosting the 2023 World Athletics Championships, Gergely Karácsony, the city’s mayor, said on Friday.

Talks on implementing the agreement between Budapest and the government concluded on Thursday night, Karácsony said in a post on Facebook. The agreement signed in late 2019 is aimed at ensuring that the event “is not just the construction of a stadium and one-time sporting event”, but at contributing to Budapest’s development resulting in a healthier city, he said. As part of the deal, the government agreed to build a sports park in the city’s 9th district and provide 10 billion forints (EUR 26m) in support to district health-care facilities over a five-year period, which would also be used to finance the capital’s CT and MRI programme, he said.

  • Read more news about Budapest HERE

“The implementation of the agreement was suspended in 2022,” Karácsony noted. “I had no choice but to withdraw my support for the event.” The mayor said Gergely Gulyás, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office, had confirmed in writing on Thursday night on the prime minister’s behalf that the government would honour the agreement.

Contracts for projects that had been suspended will now be signed, and talks will begin on the distribution of the remaining funds to be allocated under the agreement, Karácsony said, expressing thanks to Gulyás and Balázs Fürjes, co-chair of the event’s organising committee, for their efforts in the matter. Meanwhile, Karácsony said, he had held talks with World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, who had handed over an invitation to the World Athletics Championships set to start on Aug 19.

Check out some photos about Hungary’s brand-new national athletics centre in THIS article.

What to know about the upcoming World Athletics Championships

What to Know About the Upcoming World Athletics Championships Budapest Hungary

Every year, there are several major sporting events that draw international attention. Whether it is the World Cup, Olympic Games, Champions League Final, or the Super Bowl, these events are enjoyed by millions around the world, screened on countless televisions, and covered with odds and gambling favourites on all the best betting sites. This year, one of those major events will be held in Hungary.

Hungary will be hosting the World Athletics Championships, a spectacular event that will draw the attention of the global community. It will feature sports performed at the highest levels, with renowned athletes in a variety of sports competing to make history and make their nations proud. There is much to know about this event, so let’s dive into the details of the World Athletics Championships.

Date and Location

 The 2023 World Athletic Championships will be held from August 19th, 2023, to August 27th, 2023. The games will take place in Budapest at the National Athletics Centre, a large venue that was built specifically for the purpose of this competition.

What is the World Athletics Championships?

The World Athletics Championship is a tournament that is held every two years. It takes place at different locations around the world. It first began in 1983 and has become considered the top level of competition for men’s and women’s track and field. The winners at these events are considered the reigning world champions, so it brings out the best of the best in a variety of different sports.

The events that are held at the World Athletics Championship are similar to what one would expect to see at the Olympics. Field events like discus, shot put, and javelin throw, as well as track events like the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 400 metres, are just some of the numerous competitions that will be held at the World Athletics Championship.

The World Athletics Championships will be available to watch on several different channels. Viewers in the United States will watch the games on NBC Sports. For Europe and Africa, the events will be showcased on Eurovision Sport and ESPN. Streaming channel Discovery+ will stream the events live in many locations across Europe.

This event will be the first time that Hungary has hosted the World Athletics Championships. In 2007, Budapest was one of the host cities that were under consideration for hosting the event but eventually withdrew, and Osaka was selected instead. It will be a great showcase for the city and country, which will bring in a large number of visitors to take in the events. It is expected that Hungarian President Katalin Novak will open the ceremonies when everything gets started midway through August.

There will be a substantial number of countries represented in the proceedings. One hundred four different nations have won medals at the World Athletics Championships over the course of its history. The leading nations are the United States, Kenya, Russia, and Germany. Hungary ranks 75th, having achieved seven silver medals and seven bronze medals, although they have never won a gold.

There are many famous athletes who have made their mark at this tournament. Usain Bolt won 11 gold medals at the World Athletic Championships, making him the most decorated activity in the history of the games. Mo Farah, the British distance runner, has won six golds and two silvers. Famous female athletes who have performed well at these games include Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Allyson Felix.

The 2023 World Athletics Championships will be a massive spectacle that will bring the world’s attention to Hungary and the many athletes who will perform there. At a brand new venue with the greatest track and field stars in the world going at it, it should be an unforgettable occasion.

Traffic changes due to World Athletics Championships Budapest

World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023

International interest towards the World Athletics Championships (WAC) Budapest will host this month is huge, tickets have already been purchased in almost a hundred countries for the largest sporting event in Hungary’s history, the CEO of the company organising the championships said on Tuesday.

“Up until today, tickets have been sold in 99 countries. We expect around 50,000 foreign visitors to come to Budapest exclusively to watch the championships who will spend some 200,000 guest nights here,” Balázs Németh told a press conference.

“As we have already said, close to one billion people will watch the TV broadcasts around the world, and we want all those on the other side of the globe to see that Hungary, and its capital city Budapest, is one of the world’s best places,” he said in central Erzsebet Square, where a huge countdown board has been set up showing the number of days left until August 19, the start of the event.

“We have placed this board here, on this square because we will open on August 19 a Fan Zone here as well, in addition to the one to be set up at the National Athletics Centre, the venue of the championships,” said Németh. In the two fan zones, visitors will have the opportunity to try athletics games, he added.

Preparations for the WAC-related traffic restrictions are under way, he said, asking residents for their understanding.

“We have set the world’s most beautiful route for the marathon run in the WAC,” Németh said, noting that its start and finish point would be at Heroes’ Square.

“The athletes would run the 10km course along Andrássy Avenue, pass the Hungarian Academy of Sciences to cross the just reopening landmark Chain Bridge to arrive at Várkert Bazaar from where they would make their way back along the same route,” Németh said.

Traffic changes (see English below Hungarian):

He noted that an all-new never-before-used technology, a cable camera would be operated at a height of 40 metres for the transmission of images about Budapest “above and about us, Hungarians, as never seen before”.

At a press conference on Monday, World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said that the record-laden athletics season had convinced him that this month’s world championships could be the best of all time in terms of performance, and he was confident there would be big crowds in Budapest “to witness the action”.

The event, the third biggest sporting event in the world, is taking place between August 19-27. It will host 2,000 athletes from 200 countries and 3,000 journalists with news coverage reaching some one billion people worldwide.

Huge turnout expected for St. Stephen’s Day – 20 August celebrations

Budapest 20 August fireworks

Hundreds of thousands of punters are expected to take part in St. Stephen’s Day celebrations between 18 and 20 August at 14 venues, Zoltán Kovács, the state secretary for communications and international relations, said on Tuesday.

Preparations for the celebrations of the founder of the Hungarian state are proceeding according to schedule, Kovács told a press conference, adding that the World Athletics Championship and diplomatic events will be taking place in Budapest simultaneously.

Fully 34,000 fireworks will light up the sky from 230 launch points, including the Liberty and Elizabeth Bridges, as well as river barges and pontoons.

As we reported earlier, Budapest will host Europe’s biggest firework show this year at the 20 August celebrations.

One month to go until the World Athletics Championships Budapest: ticket sales booming

2023 World Athletics Championships Budapest

With star performers and super finals, the Budapest Athletics World Championships will kick off in a month, on August 19. Sales are booming, already 250,000 tickets have been purchased by fans.

Biggest sporting event in history

The organiser team has already occupied their offices in the National Athletic Centre to make sure that everything will go according to plan in the remaining one month – revealed Balázs Németh, CEO of Budapest 2023 Nonprofit Plc., the organiser of the event, at a press conference. He added that the World Cup will be the biggest sports event in history, not only if we take Hungary but the entire Central Europe. It will be attended by about 2,000 athletes from more than 200 countries. And the competitions will be followed by hundreds of thousands of fans and more than one billion TV viewers.

Ticket sales are booming

The Outdoor Athletics World Cup is the third largest sporting event in the entire world, and since neither the Summer Olympics nor the FIFA World Cup will be held in 2023, it will be the biggest this year.

Ticket sales have picked up in recent days, for example groups from India, Japan and Chile signed up on Wednesday morning. In total, more than 250,000 tickets have already been sold, but a limited number of tickets can still be purchased for all nine race days.

World Athletics Championships will be broadcast

The opening night will inarguably be the hottest party of the year. The spectators will be welcomed by star guests and receive surprise gifts on the first day of the World Cup. The highly-anticipated grand opening will start at 7:15 PM, writes turizmus.com. The names of the performers haven’t been released yet.

Next to the National Athletic Centre, the television base that will broadcast the World Cup is already under construction. Four hundred trucks have already arrived at the site, and another 20 broadcasting vehicles from various TV companies are expected in the coming weeks.

VIDEO: US CNN promotes a Hungarian event

Budapest new national athletics centre

CNN is promoting the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, the Hungarian capital.

Budapest World Athletics Championships

Tens of thousands of visitors are expected to attend the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August. A new stadium will be built in Hungary for the event. The US CNN sponsored article promotes not only the event but also Budapest.

The World Athletics Championships in Budapest are expected to attract 2,000 athletes and 35,000 spectators. CNN points out that outside the stadium, visitors will be able to follow the action for free while enjoying the Hungarian capital.

The best way to see Budapest is by running a marathon through the city. Runners will take the most beautiful parts of the Hungarian capital: the Chain Bridge, Buda Castle and Andrássy Avenue, finishing at Heroes’ Square.

According to the CNN article, Budapest is already ready for sports fans to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the World Athletics Championships.