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Three iconic festivals, more than two hundred events – preparations for Debrecen’s most popular summer events have begun. The Debrecziner Gourmet Festival, the Wine and Jazz Days and the Flower Carnival will bring a host of new events to the city and its visitors this year. The organisers promise that the three events will be a celebration of tradition and contemporary culture, culinary diversity and solidarity.
Last year, more than six thousand people visited the Debrecziner Gourmet Festival. This is the first big event of the summer, which will take place from 13 to 15 June. Organised around the theme of “film food”, the festival will feature some of the country’s best-known chefs and a container kitchen as a special attraction. “A show kitchen will be set up where Michelin-star chefs will demonstrate how they cook, how they prepare a dish, and you can learn a little bit about it, learn techniques that you can take home and practice at home,” Managing Director of the Főnix Event Organiser Nonprofit Ltd. Zita Dobos said.
The special atmosphere of wine and jazz will fill the Great Forest again at the end of July. The line-up of the Wine and Jazz Days will be more colourful than ever before; for the first time, all 22 Hungarian wine regions will be represented, but also the excellent wineries of Transylvania, the Highlands and the Southern Land (Délvidék). There will also be master classes and themed tastings. One of the country’s most historic and popular cultural events, this year the whole of Debrecen will be “in bloom”: 120 years ago, the Debrecen Women’s Association initiated the first flower parade, in which they joined together for a noble cause, the purchase of an ambulance vehicle. This year’s carnival goes back to that initiative at the beginning of the century.
According to Mayor László Papp, the aim with the programmes is to provide quality entertainment. “All three festivals are a very important part of Debrecen’s varied and vibrant life. Community programmes, the opportunity to get together, to relax, to have fun, to have a light-hearted time out, is what I think really gives a city its soul and its image,” we could hear László Papp.
This year, the three festivals offer more than 200 programmes, and the tickets are on sale now.
Debrecziner Gourmet Festival
Date: 13-15 July
The first flagship of the summer is gastronomy, this year at the intersection of cinematic experiences. Organised around the theme of “food from the movies”, the festival will feature some of the country’s best-known chefs, including Zoltán Pauli, Lajos Bíró and Ádám Mészáros, who will be waiting for the audience to taste the flavours they know from the movie screen.
A new attraction is a container kitchen, where chefs prepare with show cooking and tasting – in a separate, interactive location. The range of gastronomic experiences is enriched by the “revolving stage” concept, where several renowned restaurants take turns at one location.
23 excellent restaurants will be introduced: the Michelin-recommended “Horgonyzó Kisvendéglő”, “Végállomás” Bistorant, Andrássy Kúria, Mák Bisztró, “Anyukám mondta”, and Ádám Mészáros, Michelin-starred chef.
Featured programmes:
- 13 June – Stand-up comedy by “Szomszéd Néni” Production Office
- 14 June – Tóth Vera concert
- 15 June – Balázs Bolyki and B4
Tickets to buy: https://fonixinfojegy.hu/
In addition to culinary experiences, a Kids Corner for families, a Gourmet Gastropub and a farmers’ market await festival visitors.
Debrecen Wine and Jazz Days
Date: 31 July – 2 August
The special atmosphere of wine and jazz fills the Great Forest once again, offering a broader spectrum than ever before: For the first time, all 22 Hungarian wine regions will be represented, but also the best wineries of Transylvania, the Highlands and the South will be present. There will be master classes and themed tastings, with winemakers personally guiding guests in the VIP lounge.
Music includes swing, funk, Latin and modern jazz. 40 performers, featuring the best of the jazz scene, among others including:
- Armin Jambor Quartet
- Cseke Gábor Trio feat KRP (Kriszta Réka Piroska)
- Debrecen Dixieland Jazz Band
- Enyedi Sugárka Jazz Tett
- Gáspár Károly Trio feat Nagy Noémi
- Malek Andi Soulistic
- Migovics Zoltán – Sigi Finkel duo
- Peet Project
- Révész Richárd Latin Project feat Yulaysi Miranda and Elizabeth Herrera
- Sárik Péter Trio & Szőke Nikoletta
Tickets to buy: https://boresjazz.ticket.hu
Debrecen Flower Carnival
(www.debreceniviragkarneval.hu)
Date: 15-20 August
This year, the Debrecen Flower Carnival will focus even more on the community experience and the spectacular presence of all arts: In addition to flower floats, dance groups, civil organisations, and creative communities will play a prominent role. German, Turkish, Italian, Spanish, French, Chinese, Brazilian and Greek dance groups will also add color to the carnival parade this year. A community flower float will be prepared with the involvement of the city’s residents, and floral installations will appear at several city locations.
The Galiba Parade, realised with the participation of kindergartens, schools, civil organisations and companies, is back. The Galiba Children’s Festival awaits families at a new location, in the courtyard of the Old Town Hall.
Programmes on Kossuth Square:
- 15 August – Night of Classics
- 16 August – Debrecen Folk Ensemble 75th birthday gala
- 17 August – Debrecen Big Band and Valcer Dance Studio
- 18 August – Abrakazabra, Pély Barna 50
- 19 August – Rúzsa Magdi
- 20 August – surprise concert
Tickets go on sale to grandstands on 28 April.
Accompanying events for the week:
- Night Ride cycling tour
- The city dances! – with national and international bands
- Botanica and Billufest in the Kölcsey Centre
- Light painting, community flowering
Tickets to buy: https://debreceniviragkarneval.hu/jegyinfo
Source and photo credit:debrecen.hu
