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Festivals to visit in Debrecen in 2025

Almost throughout the year, Debrecen hosts a variety of excellent events, all of which are worth attending. These are the festivals you should make sure to go to this year! Debrecen Spring Festival 5-15 April at several venues in Debrecen Debrecen Spring Festival will be back between 5 and 15 April 2025! The programme will again feature a variety of genres: classical music, theatre, children’s concerts and Easter activities. There will also be a variety of music, children’s entertainment, children’s workshops, children’s play, children’s workshops, a variety of music and dance performances. Debrecen Drive 23-25 May at Nagyerdei Stadium and its surroundings Hungary’s largest automotive showcase will feature hundreds of different vehicles: new models and old timers, sports cars and engines, trucks, power and work machines, police, fire and ambulance vehicles and military vehicles. In addition to this colorful range of exhibits, the organizers will also be offering a broad spectrum of additional activities, including free practice sessions, concerts, celebrity races and a MiniDrive on Children’s Day. Debrecziner Gourmet Festival 13-15 June  in Nagyerdő (Békás Pond) Debrecziner Gourmet Festival represents an unforgettable medley of tastes and flavors served in the heart of the picturesque Nagyerdő. Debrecen’s “most delicious” gastronomic event […]

Fine Art Collections of Rural Museums in MODEM

MODEM art center 1-3 Hunyadi János Street, Debrecen, Hungary

MODEM Centre for Modern and Contemporary Art's exhibition “Untold Stories” seeks to show, through the art collections of museums in rural areas, the values that institutions outside Budapest acquired between 1989 and 2024. Opening in the 2nd floor exhibition space of MODEM, the selection attempts to provide a picture for professionals and the general public of how the collecting practices of rural museums have evolved in the decades following the fall of communism. About the concept of the exhibition: MODEM collaborated with over 20 rural museums to present a new exhibition, by calling for a list of approximately 50 artworks, reflecting each institution's collection focus. The exhibition offers diverse perspectives on local identity and cultural heritage, and provides a comprehensive overview of Hungarian fine art, making it a new level of collaboration. Beyond the representation of the collections, we also focus equally on the background work of collecting and the art institutions themselves, which are presented primarily with the help of infographics. In addition, the animations visible in the exhibition space provide a brief summary of the research topics organised around the exhibition, which, among other things, concern the collecting opportunities of rural museums and the role of the rural […]

Hortobágy Programmes in 2025

Hortobágyi Nemzeti Park Hortobágy, Petőfi tér 9, Debrecen, Hungary

Hungary's largest national park, Hortobágy, will host various activities in 2025, including traditional shepherd's year events, internationally recognised Hortobágy Equestrian Days, and the National Herders' Competition and Shepherds' Meeting on Pentecost. St. George’s Day Drive-Out Celebration 26 April - CANCELLED St. George's Day is a significant day for shepherds, as it marks the departure of animals from their winter shelters, highlighting the pastoral traditions of this World Heritage Site and the few shepherds who continue their ancestors' craft. National Herders’ Competition and Shepherds’ Meeting, Shepherd’s Dance Competition 23-24 May - CANCELLED On Saturdays of Pentecost, herders from across Hungary gather at Puszta Animal Park in Hortobágy for competitions including cattle catching, water pulling, dragon throwing, and herder's stick use. Hortobágy Village Day 31 May  Since 1992, Hortobágy's Village Day strengthens community cohesion and showcases cultural heritage through fairground and water stage programmes, horse cavalcade, cooking competition, music, dancing, and children's activities. 57th Hortobágy Equestrian Days 6-7-8 June - CANCELLED  Hortobágy Equestrian Days, a significant event in the region, promotes pastoral culture, Máta Stud Farm's work, and its horse collection. The 57th edition offers a 21st-century experience, connecting with the past and revisiting forgotten knowledge. Hortobágy Nine-Hole Bridge Fair 20 August […]

Castle Garden Evenings

Forgotten Castle Erdőmestre utca, Debrecen, Hungary

On the event estate of the “Forgotten Castle” 12 themed Friday evenings will be offered where families can spend their leisure time in the pleasant shade of the castle. From 23 May to 29 August, 12 Friday evenings in the castle’s garden, with different themes, are open to children and adults alike from 5:00 p.m.  to 10:00 p.m. The theme nights will be published continuously and each night will have its own Facebook event. Date: from 23 May to 29 August Location: Forgotten Castle Source: FB events |Photo credit: dehir.hu  

Downtown Outdoor Cinema

MODEM art center 1-3 Hunyadi János Street, Debrecen, Hungary

This summer, the MODEM inner garden will be back on the big screen! Timeless classics in a modern guise, iconic love dramas and musicals – in Hungarian and English, in a special atmosphere, with extra programmes, in the heart of the city. Outdoor Cinema programme: 30 May  9:00 p.m. Eat Pray Love - American romantic drama in Hungarian with English subtitles, 140 minutes, 2010, Age limit: 12 Information Tickets to buy at modemart.jegy.hu and at the MODEM box office Ticket price: HUF 2 500 Venue: MODEM Modern and Contemporary Art Center inner garden In case of rainy weather, the venue: Apollo Cinema Doors open: 30 minutes before the programme starts 11 July  8:00 p.m. Guided tour of the exhibition Szipál 101 – Light-Life-Heritage 8:00 p.m.  Romeo and Juliet -  Italian-English romantic drama in Hungarian with English subtitles, 138 minutes, 1968, Age limit: 12 Information Tickets to buy at modemart.jegy.hu and at the MODEM box office Ticket price: HUF 2 500 Venue: MODEM Modern and Contemporary Art Center inner garden In case of rainy weather, the venue: Apollo Cinema Doors open: 30 minutes before the program starts. 8 August 8:00 p.m. Guided tour by actress Franciska Törőcsik at the exhibition “What […]

GENEZIS: Gradient Contemporary Ballet Performance

Csokonai Fórum Csapó utca 30, Debrecen, Hungary

The word Genesis originates from Ancient Greek, meaning birth, origin, or creation. The title was chosen for the performance because it symbolises the beginning of a new project. This is the first time that three talented company dancers - Fernando Hernández, Kristóf Juhász, and Valerio Zaffalon - are creating their own choreography, involving the entire company of Gradient Contemporary Ballet Debrecen. Through this, they unleash their creativity and reveal different worlds to the audience. Genezis bears a strong resemblance to the art of choreography itself, everything begins with a spark, an idea that suddenly takes shape and is brought to life through the creator’s craft. The dancer-choreographers summarised their intentions for the production in their own words, each giving a title to their piece: An Intimate Self-Portrait - Fernando Hernández An Intimate Self-Portrait is an unfiltered exploration of identity, vulnerability, and transformation through movement. It is not just a performance, but a revelation, a raw and honest act of self-offering. This piece is not about visibility, but about emotional presence. It is a visceral dialogue, an invitation to witness, to engage, and to recognize ourselves in the unfiltered humanity of another. My Unbridled Horses - Kristóf Juhász My Unbridled Horses […]

Csokonai National Theatre’s June Programmes

Enjoy dance performance and plays with English subtitles in June too at various stages in the city. FineDay - Contemporary Ballet Performance - 2 June, 7.00 p.m. at Kóti Árpád Stage Reverie – Gradient Contemporary Ballet Debrecens await dance and art enthusiasts for their performance. The French word "Reverie," which denotes a dreamy, introspective, or contemplative state, is where the evening gets its name.The programme, which consists of two pieces, transports viewers to the realm of dreams and desires, where the dancers delve into the depths of human existence. Tickets can be bought via this  link. “Liliom” - Drama in two acts with English subtitles - 2 June, 7.00 p.m at Csokonai Theatre In 1909, Ferenc Molnár chose a poor city-dweller, Liliom, as his protagonist in a folk play. The story explores the moral message of forgiveness, the possibility or impossibility of it, and the eternal validity of sin. The protagonist's calvary symbolises the interrelatedness of accusation and penance. Tickets can be bought via this link. Soul - Spinner - Celebrational dance performance in two parts - 4, June 8.30 p.m.  at  Great Forest Open-Air Stage The show is made possible by the participation of more than 100 artists, in […]

Photo Exhibition, “Szipál 101 – Light – Life – Legacy” Opens 

MODEM art center 1-3 Hunyadi János Street, Debrecen, Hungary

About the artist: Márton Szipál was born into a photography dynasty in Debrecen 101 years ago and his career spanned all the way to Los Angeles. He opened a studio called Martin Studio on Sunset Boulevard. He became the centre of social life, his house was open to everyone, everyone who mattered in any area of ​​public life visited him. He became a well-known and sought-after photographer, he was called “Martin, the king”. He opened his first shop in Debrecen in 1946, and in 1954 he was a founding member of the Debrecen Association of Fine Photographers. In 1956 he emigrated and moved to the United States of America, where he became a sought-after photographer. His studio has hosted celebrities such as John Wayne, Tommy Lee Jones (actor), Leslie Nielsen (actor, comedian), Tracy Nelson (actor), Charlene Tilton (actress, singer), Olivia Hussey (actress, Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film Romeo and Juliet), Margaux Hemingway (model, granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway), Henry Miller (writer, painter), Timothy Hutton (American actor, film director), Priscilla Presley (actress) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (world-class basketball player). The images of them and the legendary stories associated with them are also part of his oeuvre. About the exhibition: The exhibition on […]

Debrecen Opera Gala – Verdi evening

Old Town Hall Piac u. 20, Debrecen, Hungary

In the co-production between the City of Debrecen, the University of Debrecen and the Kodály Philharmonic Debrecen, a classic music concert awaits audiences at a special scene at the courtyard of the Old Town Hall. Programme:  excerpts from Verdi's operas The Troubadour, Rigoletto, Aida, Traviata Performers: Blanka Bede, Csenge Bégány, Péter Magyar, Andrea Puja, Alexa Szabó, Andrea Puja, Alexa Szabó, artists participating in the postgraduate training of the University of Debrecen, Faculty of Music Guest artists:  Klára Vincze, Péter Balczó and Imre Donkó Kodály Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Zoltán Bolyky Tickets: Ticket price: HUF 3000  Ticket can be bought viai this link Responsible for postgraduate education are Dean of the Faculty, Dr. Péter Lakatos and Dr. Habil. Éva Mohos Nagy Professor Emerita. Date: 17 June, in case of rain the concert will be held on 18 June at 6.00 p.m. Location: courtyard of the Old Town Hall Source: kodalyfilharmonia.hu |Photo credit:Pixabay  

June Rooftop Yoga on the Top of the Kölcsey Centre

Kölcsey Center Bethlen u., 4026, Debrecen, Hungary

ROOFTOP Yoga with FLOW  Yoga on the roof of the Kölcsey Centre is back “above the city”, where the caress of the wind and the magic of the sunset make every moment special.  The series of events was launched in 2020, and since then Rooftop Yoga has become a true city favourite. Year after year, more and more people join to enjoy freedom, movement and yoga together with the most beautiful panorama of the city. You can experience the liberating magic of yoga in the summer season and immerse yourself in magical moments. Why should you come? Because this is not just a yoga programme, but an experience that recharges you and reveals to you every moment of freedom all with the most beautiful panorama of the city! For more information visit this link. Date: 18 June,  6:30 p.m. - 7:30 (Arrival from 6:00 p.m.), in case of rain, the session will be held on 19 June. Location: Kölcsey Centre Source:FB events |Photo credit:Pixabay  

The Night of Museums in Debrecen – Detailed Programmes

The Night of Museums awaits visitors in Debrecen at several locations and with countless programs this year. On 21 June, public collections, museums and exhibition spaces will open their doors to visitors. The Night of Museums is the oldest programme in Debrecen's cultural life, which populates the historic city centre in a network manner.  The programmes will include guided tours, concerts, crafts, costume and weapon demonstrations, children will be treated to a folk playground and museum educational games, and an adventure game with the collaboration of six institutions. Ticket prices: Patron ticket HUF 10000, adult HUF 3000, student and pensioner HUF 1500 , family (2 adults + children under 14) HUF 5000. Box office opening: 21 June, 6:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online and at the locations. TOWN HALL  WALK Mayor László Papp will guide visitors through the beautified Old City Hall from 4:00 p.m.. During the tour, participants can hear many interesting facts about the history of the building and its recent modernisation, but they can also learn where Lajos Kossuth and Franz Joseph once lived, and where the Holy Crown was kept. DEBRECEN SMALL REFORMED CHURCH Church Square 4.00 p.m. Little Adventurers' Hour – stories, games, adventuring […]