The “biggest August 20 celebration ever” in Budapest to come

The Hungarian capital is planning a huge, festival-like celebration on the birthday of the country.

Hungary and especially Budapest celebrates the national holiday every year with big fireworks. This time,

the government takes the festivities even further and organises a three and a half days long festival-like event.

Zoltán Kovács, Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Relations, announced on Tuesday the big plans. They will be organising the

biggest ever national holiday on 17 venues with hundreds of programmes and activities.

The government decided two years ago that the state’s foundation day should be an exceptional event that exceeds all previous national holidays. Last year, coronavirus stopped the country from doing so, whereas this year, they have the green light. The aim is to involve as many people as possible in the celebration of King St. Stephen, the founder of the Hungarian State.

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Apart from the regular elements, such as the air show of the Hungarian Defence Forces,

they will perform a special military show to present the audience with the capabilities of the renewed and strong Defence Forces.

President of Hungary János Áder will give out the cross of the St. Stephen Order, the Kossuth and the Széchenyi prizes, the Hungarian Order of Merit, and all those recognitions that had to be postponed due to the coronavirus.

“On the evening of August 20, Europe’s biggest fireworks will conclude the celebration and the events”, quoted Hello Magyar, the words of Zoltán Kovács.

The 34 minutes long fireworks will include 40 thousand firework rockets,

about eight or nine times more than in the previous years. These rockets will be launched from both sides of the Danube, between Petőfi bridge and Margaret Bridge, from 14 barges and 65 points along the river on 4.3 kilometres. Numerous buildings on the shores will be illuminated apart from 100 drones painting the cross on them, added 24.hu.

All events and programmes related to the August 20 celebration will be free of coronavirus measures and restrictions.

A special operative board to organise, execute the plans, and ensure safety, was set up three weeks ago. All organisations and institutions involved in the events cooperate in it.

A further aim of the high-scale holiday is to help businesses and the families behind them working in tourism, who were greatly hit by the pandemic.
Visitors of the centrally operated events can support them by staying in hotels, eating out in restaurants, and visiting activities.

Read alsoAugust 20 – Cardinal Erdő: St. Stephen built his country, life on rock of Christ

Source: hellomagyar.hu, 24.hu