János Arany’s thoughts on poetry in his poem Vojtina ars poétikája inspired the name of the Vojtina Puppet Ensemble in 1975, which was founded by the collective thinking and playfulness of eight young people. The ensemble has been the professional puppet theatre of Debrecen since 1993, and in 2001 it moved to the renovated puppet theatre in the heart of the city, where it offers not only puppet theatre productions but also a play theatre and exhibitions. Hungarian folk tales form the backbone of the season’s programme, but they also include a selection of tales from other nations and the writings of great storytellers, and reinterpret old stories. Every season, 4-5 new performances are created. In each case, they strive to ensure that the underlying theme of the fairy tale speaks to today’s children, while the staging of the production is accessible to all ages.

The Csokonai National Theatre is the first and largest stone theatre in Debrecen, at 10 Kossuth Street. It took the name of Mihály Csokonai Vitéz in 1915 and was granted national theatre status in 2012.
The romantic-style theatre, with Moorish and Byzantine elements, was built in 1861-65 to the designs of the Pest architect Antal Szkalnitzky and opened on 7 October 1865.

The Csokonai Forum is a multifunctional theatre that meets all needs, modern, 21st century theatre technology. The complex covers more than 5,000 square metres of theatre space and, together with the training hall, more than 9,000 square metres of new cultural space has been created. The largest unit in the building is the chamber theatre, a modern performance space with a capacity of 350 spectators. A 10-metre diameter revolving stage with a sunken orchestra pit has been built into the stage area. The studio theatre can accommodate 150 spectators. Its mobile stage podium and mobile auditorium design allow the auditorium and stage to be arranged in any orientation.

The Kodály Philharmonic Orchestra organizes the classical music life of Debrecen, the second-largest city in Hungary and the region. The professional activities of the Kodály Philharmonic Orchestra and the Kodály Choir have been intertwined since 2005 in accordance with the decision of the Municipality of Debrecen. Since 2011, at the same time as the Kodály Philharmonic Debrecen was established, with the approval of Zoltánné Péczely Sarolta Kodály, the orchestra has been operating under the name Kodály Filharmonikusok Debrecen.

The theatre is currently one of the largest purpose-built open-air theatres. Each year, the summer season (1st May – 30th September) offers over 40 programmes, including a wide range of large-scale theatre and dance performances, classical, pop, and rock concerts, as well as family events and open-air cinema screenings to both locals and visitors of Debrecen. In addition, the theatre occasionally hosts several local, national, and international festival events, including the Bela Bartok International Choir Competition and Folklore Festival, the International Festival of Military Bands, the Debrecen Wine Carnival, and the Debrecen Flower Carnival.

The Kantus of the Reformed College of Debrecen was founded in 1739 by Gyorgy Marothi, a renowned professor of the College. Kantus, which has been operating initially as a boys’ mixed choir and later as a men’s choir, is currently in its 278th school year and now operates as a mixed youth choir.