Interested in what’s happening in Budapest this February? Look no further.
If you have just finished dry January, and want to get back in the saddle, we have an indoor beer festival to visit, a splash of Carnival to say farewell to winter, ice-skating to those who don’t want to say goodbye to winter, circus acrobatics and a photography exhibition by photographers from all around the globe.
Award winning photograph exhibition from around the globe
The judges have selected the winning photographs from thousands that were entered, by professional and amateur photographers, to the Budapest International Foto Award. These stunning images of people, places and nature will be proudly exhibited in the centre of Budapest for a month.
If, like most of us, your travel has been limited recently, come along to this exhibition to be transported around the globe. The exhibition is open every weekday from the 4th of February until the 18th of March, from 10:00 – 18:00, at the House of Lucie Budapest Gallery.
Address: Falk Miksa utca 30., 1055 Budapest
Carnival season (Farsangi időszak)
This month is Carnival season in Hungary, a mix of Christian and Hungarian traditions to celebrate the end of winter, leading up to Ash Wednesday and Lent, which in traditional Christian terms is the beginning of fasting for 40 days before Easter Sunday. It is a time of mask and costume making, and lots of feasts and doughnuts, to feed everyone up before the fasting of Lent.
Mohácsi Busójárás is an iconic six-day carnival, famous worldwide, celebrating the end of winter and the end of the Carnival (Farsang) season. During the celebration, Busós wear traditional masks and costumes, parading through the streets of Mohács, and dancing to folk music. This year it will run from Thursday February 24th to Thursday March 1st 2022.
Budapest Circus Festival award-winning shows
The world of circus is still alive in Budapest. If you like live performances, stunning costumes, phenomenal acrobatics and the smell of greasepaint, then head to the Metropolitan Circus.
The Budapest Circus Festival itself was held in January, and all the award-winning shows from the January Budapest Circus festival can be seen at Festival Plus, throughout February until 15th March.
Address: Fővárosi Nagycirkusz, 1146 Budapest, Állatkerti krt. 12/a.
Indoor Beer festival
If you love beer, then head to the Intercontinental Hotel on either Friday 18th or Saturday 19th February for the annual indoor beer festival experience. As well as Hungarian beers, there will also be Czech, German, British and Belgian beers to sample which are all included in the entry price.
There will be more than one hundred beers to sample, talks on the cultural history of beer and brewing, as well as beer-drinking competitions, and a beer dinner on the Saturday.
Day ticket bought in advance: 7,990 Ft, with unlimited beer tasting and a free pint (if bought on-site on the day this ticket will be 9,990 Ft)
Beer dinner: 17,990 Ft, including the day ticket
Ice-skating
The ice-skating rinks are still open this month with smaller ones still open at shopping centres such as the small one at Hello Buda, outside the Rose Hill Shopping Centre. Hello Buda has the Winter Olympics showing on the big screen, and you can grab a mulled red wine and a snack, whilst watching your children having fun on the ice rink.
Don’t miss the trip to the largest open-air skating rink at the Városliget ice rink, with the magnificent Vajdahunyad Castle as a backdrop.
Open hours: Monday to Friday from 9h to 13h and from 17h to 21h; Saturday and Sunday from 9h to 13h and 16h to 21h
Price: 1500 Ft on weekdays until Friday noon, then 2000 Ft on weekends
Address: Olof Palme sétány. 5, XIV District, Pest