Must-see entertainment in Budapest

The gorgeous neo-Renaissance opera house is worth a visit as much to admire the incredibly rich decoration inside as to view a performance and hear the…

Performances at Budapest’s most important concert hall are usually booked up at least a week in advance, but more expensive (though still affordable) last…

The two concert halls at this palatial arts centre by the Danube are the 1700-seat Béla Bartók National Concert Hall (Bartók Béla Nemzeti Hangversenyterem…

This basement bar, presided over by Gizi néni (Aunt Gizi), is the place to come to listen to Gypsy music, as Roma musicians play the real deal from about…

At this cultural centre in Lipótváros, there are wonderful mixed traditional táncház (folk music and dance workshops) from 8pm on Saturday that run till…

A very sophisticated venue – now pretty much the most serious one in town – for traditional, vocal and Latin jazz by local and international talent. Past…

This lovely and uber-chilled old-style cafe and restaurant at the southern end of XI Ráday utca turns into a great music venue at night, focusing on jazz,…

This ultrahip stage in Ferencváros presents a mixture of music, theatre and especially dance, including a good pull of international acts. It also has a…

Budapest's modern (and usually considered ugly) second opera house, southwest of Keleti train station, has reopened after a massive facelift that has…

This venue has táncház (folk music and dance) programs several times a week, especially on Wednesday at 6.30pm and Friday at 8pm, as well as concerts by…

In the bowels of the Central Passage shopping centre on Király utca, Gödör has maintained its reputation for scheduling an excellent variety of indie,…

Hosting a fantastic line-up of mainly Hungarian jazz and classical performances, the Budapest Music Center comprises a classy 350-capacity concert hall …

There’s folk music and dance at what is also called the FMH at 7pm usually on alternate Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays (see the website). A children’s…

The 'Spare Key' is a fine little drinking venue with a varied menu of live music most evenings and occasional táncház (Hungarian music and dance). The…

This wonderful new theatre in Buda stages many of its both Hungarian and foreign plays and musicals with English surtitles, opening up Hungarian drama to…

This theatre presents operettas, which are always a riot, especially campy ones like The Gypsy Princess by Imre Kálmán or Ferenc Lehár’s The Merry Widow,…

This place delivers a varied program of Hungarian and international live music, from indie, rock, world and pop to electronica and beyond. The main hall…

An arthouse cinema and cafe by day, a hipster nightclub by night, Toldi is a unique hangout for Budapest's trendy, film-loving crowd. Films are usually…

This tarted-up film palace is an art deco/neo-Moorish extravaganza showing mostly arthouse films in their original language with Hungarian subtitles. It…

The city’s puppet theatre presents shows designed for children at 10am or 10.30am, and 2.30pm or 3pm. Performances usually don’t require fluency in…