More than 70 performances in different categories of contemporary art welcome culture lovers in Budapest and in other Hungarian towns. The Budapest Autumn Festival focuses on modern art introducing new artists and productions from around the world.

The festival has a very varied programme so that everyone will be able to find an interesting and exciting performance.

The aim of the festival is to bring art closer to people and the many different venues include the streets and squares of Budapest.

An intriguing programe for architecture and history lovers will be two guided city walks, both taking visitors to two hidden and lesser known spots within the capital:

1. the Kőbánya Brewery (13th Oct, 11.00, and 13.00)
2. Control room of the Kelenföld Power Plant (20th Oct, 11.00, and 13.00)

The two places cannot be visited by average tourists so this is a good opportunity to learn about these two industrial monuments’ history and the role they play in the life of the capital.

Other programs I selected include a whole day devoted to the legendary musician, Frank Zappa (100% Zappa, Millenáris Theatre 13th Oct), Russian Film Days (in Toldi and the Cirko-gejzír cinemas).

Various dance performances, music concerts, and exhibitions make Budapest Autumn Festival one of the cultural highlights of Europe during the 10 days.

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World music will be in the spotlight on the 21st-22nd as part of the popular Budapest event titled Summer on The Chain Bridge.

For a couple of years now the oldest bridge of Budapest turns into a pedestrian zone offering colourful programs from folklore to jazz music every weekend in July-August.

On 21st-22nd July jazz and other light music bands whose music is based on folklore elements will give concerts on the bridge.

Jazz performers will dominate the stages on the last weekend of July (28th-29th). The Jazz Night & Day program of the Summer on the Chain Bridge puts jazz musicians in the limelight whose music incorporates components of traditional Afro-American music.

Food stalls on both ends of the bridge sell food, snacks, and beverages.

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The legendary band will give a concert in the
Puskás Fernec Stadium on Friday, 20th July as part of their A Bigger Bang European Tour 2007.

Address: Puskás Ferenc Stadium, Istvánmezei út 3-5., XIV. district,

Budapest, M2 (red) metroline, Stadionok station

Tickets: from 12,900 HUF-21,900 HUF at Ticketpro.

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Summer has arrived with scorching heat.

The number of programs Budapest offers to its visitors increases in parallel with the daily temperatures.

Here’s list of events I palan to visit in the coming months:

• Great Table of the Hungarians (Magyarok Nagyasztala), 28th June-1st July, Buda Castle: this new additon to the versatile Budapest summer introduces Hungary’s culinary culture and the cuisine-art from the days of the nation’s Settlement in the Carpathian Basin (896-1000) up till today.

The culinary time travel starts in Szent György Street presenting the gastronomic specialities from the age of the Hungarian Conquest: wild game and horse meat seasoned with salt, pepper, onion and garlic, prepared in traditional clay marmites.

In the Hunyadi Court you step into the Middle Ages where you’ll be indulged in the grandeur of Renaissance and Baroque cuisine.

At the Baroque Gate you can taste the specialities of ethnic minorities like Bulgarian cucumber soup, Warsaw doughnut, or Jewish apple matzoh

In the Újvilág Garden you can taste today’s foods and drinks.

• Budapest Summer Festival (Budapesti Nyári Fesztivál): two outdoor stages host the colorful programs of this year’s festival on Margaret Island and at Városmajor: the highlight of this season will be the world première of a new musical written by team of talented young Hungarians: Dracula will be staged on Margaret Island on 16th, 17th and on 23rd, 24th July .

Other exciting programs on Margaret Island include the Klezmer Magic Show on 8th July, the Nagyida Gipsies‘ specatcular dance theatre on 4th July, or the Gipsy Carnival with the 100 Member Gipsy Orchestra. For children I recommend the Little Mermaid musical on 8th July at 11 am in Városmajor.

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A wide variety of programs ranging from pop concert to art exhibition offer enetertainment this month in Budapest.

• Pálinka Festival, 10th-13rd, May, Városház utca 9-11., (Town Hall Square), V. district,

You can taste, buy and learn about the secrtes of making authentic Hungarian fruit brandies.

Entrance ticket 1000 HUF for which you can drink two shots of brandies worth of 500 HUF

• George Michael Concert, 23rd May, 19.00, Puskás Ferenc Stadium, M2 (red) metro, Stadionok station

• Festival of Museums 19th-20th May, Hungarian National Museum, Múzeum körút 14-16, M3 (blue) metro, Kálvin tér stop,

Nearly 100 museums from all over the country introduce their work, colourful programs for every memebr of the family: craft market, movies, entertainment for children

• For rainy days schedule visiting the “And the Incas Arrived” Exhibition in the Musuem of Fine Arts, 18th May-9th Sept 2007, art and culture of Peru before the Spainish conquest featuring nearly 200 art works

• another rainy day program could be the Hotels Along the Danube Bank Anno photo exhibition, 27th April-10th June Museum Of Commerce and Catering, Szt. István tér 15.

The photos show the magnificent hotels that once stood on the Danube Promenade in the golden ages of Budapest (second half of 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century).

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