Will Smith to perform in Budapest this summer
Grammy Award-winning singer and Oscar-winning actor Will Smith will perform in Budapest in August, the organisers have announced.
Many people think of Will Smith primarily as a film actor, but he is also a performer. The American artist recently announced his summer tour, Based on a True Story, which has added several stops, Budapest being one of them.
Will Smith as a performer
The concert tour is the occasion for the release of the new album of the same name, released last Friday after a twenty-year break. The show will feature songs from the album Based on a True Story, as well as big hits such as Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It, Miami and Summertime. The recently released 14-track album features a number of stars as guests, including Dj Jazzy Jeff, Teyana Taylor, Jac Ross and Fridayy. The album also features the previously released singles First Love, Beautiful Scars, Tantrum, Work of Art and You Can Make It , Smith’s first chart-topping hit since Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It, and also features rap and gospel artists.
He performed this song at last year’s BET Awards gala, and performed it in the middle of a huge ring of fire surrounded by real flames. Smith also took to the stage at the Grammy Awards in February this year to pay tribute to his mentor Quincy Jones, who died last year.
Smith’s first solo tour, Based on a True Story, will take him to Morocco this summer, as well as to major cities in Europe and the UK, and he will also perform at several international festivals.
Will Smith, 56, is a two-time Grammy winner in the rap category as a member of Dj Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, winning the 1989 Grammy for Parents Just Don’t Understand and the 1992 Grammy for Summertime. He began a solo career in the second half of the nineties, releasing chart-topping hits such as Men in Black, Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It, and cementing his place in the music industry with albums such as Big Willie Style (1997) and Willennium (1999).
Of course, Smith is known primarily as a film actor and producer. He has won prestigious awards such as the Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Academy Award. He has starred in several blockbuster films, including Independence Day (1996), Men in Black (1997), Ali (2001), In Search of Happiness (2006), I Am Legend (2007), and King Richard (2021). He is also a successful businessman and best-selling author.
One of the most memorable moments of the 94th Academy Awards (2022) was when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage. The incident happened when Chris Rock, one of the presenters, joked about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, referring to the movie G.I. Jane, in which Demi Moore was also bald. However, Jada Pinkett Smith suffers from an autoimmune disease called alopecia, which causes her hair to fall out.
Will Smith and Budapest
Will Smith has visited Budapest several times and has always brought memorable moments to Hungarian audiences. Here are some of the memorable occasions when he visited Budapest:
- Gemini Man filming 2018: Will Smith danced on top of the Chain Bridge at the end of the filming of Gemini Man in Budapest, a spectacular and memorable moment in the city. During the promotion of Gemini Man in Budapest, he received a special gift: a poster of the film, made from 1872 Rubik’s cubes. Smith said he was a big fan of the Hungarian invention, which is also an iconic part of Hungarian culture.
- 2019 birthday party: Smith celebrated his birthday with a concert in front of St. Stephen’s Basilica, a huge public event. He then threw a birthday party for seventeen countries and recorded the event. Also, this time, Will Smith enjoyed Hungarian folk music performed by György Derzsi and his band on the rooftop terrace of the Marriott Hotel. The musicians sang “Happy Birthday” to him and then played traditional Hungarian folk songs. Smith was so enthusiastic that he started dancing to the music and even took a selfie video with the band. Watch HERE.
- 2025 concert announcement: The Hollywood star will perform for the second time in Budapest on 14 August, and you can watch him live in Budapest Park. He also posted a message on Instagram announcing his return to the concert in Hungarian, stressing how much Hungary means to him:
More Will Smith in Budapest:
Will Smith danced illegally on the top of the Chain Bridge – VIDEO