Budapest Summer Festival On Margaret Island June-July-August

Concerts, Musicals, Theatre Performances

entrance of the Open-Air Theatre on Margaret island
Open-Air Stage, Margaret Island

The Budapest Summer Festival offers a wide range of cultural programs for the summer months beginning on the 1st weekend of June.

Musical, classical and jazz concerts, ballet and children programs await visitors during the 3 month event.

Performances Include:

  • 24 – 25. June, 2022 – Mozart! musical by Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay
  • 01. July. 2022 – Carmina Burana and The Rite of Spring, Ballet of the Slovenian National Theatre Maribor
  • 03. July, 2022 – Budapest Gypsy Symphony Orchestra will celebrate the 35th anniversary of its foundation with a spectacular concert show.
  • Sukhishvili – National Georgian Ballet – evening of dance on 16. and 17. August  .. and a series of other great programs.

The festival program is rich and diverse: concerts, musicals, dance shows, theatrical performances for children and adults, comedies at three venues:

  • The Open-Air Theater on Margaret Island (trams 4 and 6, Margitsziget stop) and the
  • Water Tower on Margaret Island
  • Open-Air Theater in Városmajor (Buda) – venue for many children programs

You can enhance your experience and enjoy a full evening program special services, additional programs:

Ticket Prices

Prices vary depending on category of seating. The cheapest tickets are around 3 900 HUF while 1st category tickets for a major production can cost up to 20 000 HUF.

TIP: You’ll get 30 % discount on ticket prices with a Budapest Card.

Ticket Purchase:

  • Margaret Island Theatre Ticket Office: Nagymező utca 68., Budapest 1065 (just off Andrássy Avenue): Opening Hours: every day: 13.00 – 18.00
  • Ticket Office of the  Margitsziget Open-Air Theatre: Margitsziget/Margaret Island, Budapest 1007: Opening Hours: Tue – Fri: 14.00 – 18.00, Sat – Sun: 10.30 – 18.00, On Performance Days: Tue – Fri: 14.00 – 21.00, Sat – Sun: 10.30 – 21.00
  • Ticket Office of the  Városmajor Open-Air Theatre: Mon – Fri: 15.00 – 19.00, Sat – Sun: 13.00 – 19.00, and
  • in Interticket offices in Budapest

The 3000-seat open-air stage is at the recently renovated Water Tower (Víztorony) on Margaret Island. The theater has been hosting classical opera and ballet pieces, as well as rock operas and musicals in recent years.

Margaret Island Open-Air Theater/Szabadtéri Színpad

Margitszigeti Szabadtéri Színpad

Getting There

people sitting on a concert at the open-air stage at dusk - budapest summer festival
The Open-Air Theater on Margaret Island
  • Tram 4, and 6 Margitsziget lejáró stop, then take Bus No. 26 till the theatre stop (Szabadtéri Színpad) or walk – it’s roughly 2 km (20 min).
  • On a boat on the Danube: ports from where cruise boats to Margisziget depart:
  • Vígadó tér
  • Batthyány tér, Port 1.
  • Szent István Park, Port 1.

Boats arrive to the pier at the Open-Air Theater and Water Tower Margaret Island

See boat schedule below!

Price Of The Boat Transfer:

  • 1 800 HUF (return trip is incl.), you can buy a one-way ticket to get back from Margaret Island: it costs 800 HUF.

Where To Buy Boat Tickets?

Tickets can be purchased at the

  • Ports, onboard the boat (boat ticket only)
  • at the Ticket office of the Szabadtér Színház: Bárczy István utca 1-3., district V.,  Tel. +36 1 301 0147,

Opening hours of the Ticket Office: Mon: 12.00 – 18.00, Tue – Fri: 10.00 – 18.00.,

You can also buy boat tickets online at www.mahart.info.

From May you can also buy tickets at the festival venue, the Open-Air Theatre on Margaret Island.

Margaret Island Theatre Boat Schedule June – Sept. 2022

Departures For The Performances Starting At 20.00

  • Vígadó tér  (Port No. 5.)- Departure: 18.45
  • Batthyány Sqr., Port No. 2.: 18.55
  • Szent István Park Port No. 1.: 19.10
  • Margaret Island Open-Air Theater & Water Tower –  Arrival: 19.20

Departures For The Performances Starting At 20.00

  • Vígadó tér  (Port No. 5.)- Departure: 19.45
  • Batthyány Sqr., Port No. 2.: 19.55
  • Szent István Park Port No. 1.: 20.10
  • Margaret Island Open-Air Theater & Water Tower –  Arrival: 20.20

Boats return back after 20 minutes of the end of each performance.

Performances – Open-Air Theatre, Margaret Island

Detailed programs are listed on the organiser’s official website.

ELISABETH – Musical by Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay

  • Date & Time: 22. & 23. July 2022, at 20.00

The Viennese musical depicts the life and death of Empress Elisabeth (aka Sisi), the wife of Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I.

The muiscal was first staged in 1992 and it has been one of the most popular German-language musical productions ever since.

AIDA GARIFULLINA – Opera Gala With The Hungarian State Opera House’s Orchestra

  • Conductor: Pier Giorgio Morandi
  • Date & Time: 02. August 2022. at 20.00

Lovers of opera are treated to a special gala evenig each year during the Summer Festival, with star performers from all over the world.

This year the guest star of the gala will be the breathtaking Aida Garifullina, often referred to as “the songbird from Kazan” with the world at her feet”.

Giuseppe Verdi: Attila, Opera (Semi-Staged)

  • Conductor: Balázs Kocsár
  • Featuring the Hungarian State Opera House’s orchestra and chorus
  • Date & Time: 12. & 14. August, 2022.

Orchestra: Budapest Symphony Orchestra

Zacharias Werner’s 1809 drama Attila, King of the Huns inspired Verdi to compose this opera. From the Paris Opera to the Metropolitan, Attila is regularly performed all over the world.

National Holiday Concert on 20th August

The festival celebrates the 20th August, one of Hungary’s most prominent National Holidays with special concerts.

TIP: On 20th August, which is a National Holiday in Hungary commemorating the foundation of the Hungarian State and the country’s first king, St. Stephen, the 9 finalists will give a festive performance.

A live broadcast of the fireworks show on the banks of the Danube crowns the event.

Water Tower (Víztorony) Margaret Island

concert at the Water Tower at dusk

The 111-year old Water Tower welcomes visitors with exhibitions from 17. May till 15. September 2022..

It is a look-out tower as well as an exhibition centre

The floodlighted tower provides an ideal background for the Jazzy Tower concerts on warm summer nights.

  • Between 17. May – 15. September 2022 :
  • Tuesday – Friday: 12.00 – 18.00
  • Saturday – Sunday: 10.00 – 18.00

Tickets – Available At The Theatre’s Ticket Office:

  • Between 6 – 18 years of age: 300 HUF,
  • Adults: 500 HUF
  • Free for children under 6
  • With a theatre performance ticket you can visit the exhibitions free of charge.

Children Programs

Children’s Stage On the Summer Festival

The children’s stage is opposite the entrance of the Open-Air Theater on Margaret Island, surrounded by three sycamore trees.

  • Puppet shows,
  • children stories welcome the youngest ones as well as grown-ups who are open to playful entertainment.

Each performance is cc. 40-50 minute followed by interactive plays, craft workshops, song and dance learning.

Tickets: children performances are FREE.

Performances start at 10.30 Saturdays  from 11. June till 28. August.

St. Margaret Monastery Ruins – Renaissance Morning on Sundays

stone ruins of the monastery
Remains of the St. Margaret Monastery

The Renaissance mornings at the ruins of the St. Margaret Monastery are free to enjoy every Sunday from 10.30 from 12. June till 14. August.

Recommended for children aged 7+.

More Summer Concert TIPS

TIP1: You can enjoy short music performances at various venues in the city in summer, including Margaret Island (Musical Fountain), the Basilica, Gerbeaud Cafe, Várkert Bazaar and more.

TIP 2: The Vajdahunyad Castle hosts concert evenings in July and August, on Mondays and Thursdays; a great program for warm summer evenings.

Summer Events 2022:

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