Szent István Nap · Hungary's State Foundation Day

August 20th in Budapest

Every venue, every programme — the flag ceremony, the air show over the Danube, the Holy Right procession, and the night of light and fire on the river.

Margit- sziget Margit híd Lánchíd Szabadság híd the show happens here BUDA PEST N 1 Kossuth tér 2 Batthyány tér 3 4 Budai Vár 5 Várkert Bazár 6 Műegyetem rkp. 7 Szabadság tér 8 Bazilika 9 Városliget
A stylized orientation sketch — not to scale. Use the map links on each venue below for real navigation.

The three moments

If you see nothing else on Thursday the 20th, see these.

08:00

Flag Ceremony

The raising of the national flag and the commissioning of new officers — the formal opening of the day.

Kossuth tér · until 09:00
09:00

Air Show

Military aircraft over the Danube between the Chain Bridge and Margaret Bridge, with live commentary from both banks.

The embankments · until 10:00
21:00

Light Show & Fireworks

A 30-minute drone, light and projection performance telling Hungarian history, closing with ten minutes of fireworks. Repeated at 22:00.

Over the river · repeat 22:00

All nine venues

Every programme below is free. Times are as published by the organisers.

1 · Ceremony

Kossuth Square

Kossuth tér — in front of Parliament

Ceremony by day, open-air party by night. The Parliament building itself opens to visitors free of charge, with no booking.

  • Thu 08:00Flag-raising & officer commissioning
  • Thu 12:00Open Parliament — free tours, until 20:00
  • Thu 21:30Anima Sound System (DJ set)
  • Thu 22:30JumoDaddy + surprise guests
  • Fri 00:30Abertura × Matyó (DJ set)
  • Fri & Sat 10:00Open Parliament, until 16:00
♿ Accessible area + WC Open in Maps →
2 · Air show & fireworks

The Embankments

Pesti és budai rakpartok

The river itself is the stage. The evening show is concentrated on the 1.5 km of Danube between Margaret Bridge and the Chain Bridge — organisers say the Buda side gives the clearest view.

  • Thu 08:00Gastro points open — Academy, Buda bank, Batthyány tér
  • Thu 09:00Air show over the Danube
  • Thu 21:00Audiovisual show + fireworks finale
  • Thu 22:00Show repeated
  • Thu 22:30Parliament & Chain Bridge illuminated, until 01:00
♿ Details to be announced Batthyány tér in Maps →
3 · Families

Margaret Island

Margitsziget

The gentlest venue of the festival — a car-free island of concerts, children's workshops and an illuminated garden in the rose beds.

  • Thu 10:00Zabszalma — family concert
  • Thu 10:00Élménysziget — interactive family zone, until 18:00
  • Thu 11:00Csillagsátor — workshops & theatre
  • Thu 17:30Random Trip — LGT Special
  • Thu 19:00Boban Marković Orkestar
  • Thu 20:30Fénykert light garden, until 01:00 (also Fri & Sat)
  • Thu 21:30Quimby — live
♿ Fully accessible + reserved area at stage Open in Maps →
4 · Crafts & faith

Buda Castle

Budai Vár

The Festival of Folk Arts fills the castle district with traditional craftspeople for five days — the longest-running programme of the week.

  • Wed 18:00Ecumenical service, Vienna Gate church
  • Thu 08:00Carmelite Monastery, free entry until 16:00 (also Fri & Sat)
  • Thu 10:00Festival of Folk Arts, until 21:30 (Thu–Sat)
  • Thu 10:00Protestant Gathering — concerts & organ marathon
  • Sun 10:00Festival of Folk Arts, final day until 20:00
♿ Details to be announced Open in Maps →
5 · Food

Castle Garden Bazaar

Várkert Bazár — Street of Hungarian Flavours

The largest gastronomic festival in the Carpathian Basin: handcrafted delicacies, the official Saint Stephen's Day bread, and this year's Cake of Hungary — including a sugar-free version.

  • Thu 09:00Magyar Ízek utcája, until midnight
  • Fri 09:00Continues, until midnight
  • Sat 09:00Final day, until 22:00
♿ Staff assist at stalls Open in Maps →
6 · Music

Műegyetem Embankment

Műegyetem rakpart

Two nights of international electronic music on a flat riverside quay, with a light show over the water.

  • Wed 17:00Captain Knuckles
  • Wed 20:00Carl Craig
  • Wed 22:00Nina Kraviz
  • Thu 17:00DJ Reload
  • Thu 19:50Christian Löffler
  • Thu 21:30Modeselektor
  • Thu 23:30Tolo + Falcao, until 01:30
♿ Flat quay, area at stage, lift to M4 Open in Maps →
7 · Rest

Liberty Square

Szabadság tér — Chill Zone

A shaded community rest area and gastro garden in the middle of the city, with screens — the place to retreat to when the embankments get crowded.

  • Thu 10:00Chill Zone, until 01:30
  • Thu 10:00Gastro point, until 02:00
♿ Accessible WC + staff assistance Open in Maps →
8 · Procession

St. Stephen's Basilica

Szent István tér, Bazilika

One of Hungary's most significant religious events: the Holy Right — the preserved right hand of King Saint Stephen — is carried through the streets of the inner city, followed by mass at the basilica.

  • Thu 18:00Holy Right Procession & mass, until 20:00
♿ Details to be announced Open in Maps →
9 · Hands-on

City Park

Városliget — Kós Károly sétány

Military technology up close: laser target shooting, VR simulators, a drone obstacle course and explosive-detection dog demonstrations. Vajdahunyad Castle is also free on these days.

  • Thu 10:00Military technology exhibition, until 18:00
  • Fri 10:00Continues, until 18:00
♿ Details to be announced Open in Maps →

Going in a wheelchair

What the organisers have confirmed so far, venue by venue.

Practical notes. Every programme listed here is free and none requires advance registration — that includes the flag ceremony, the air show and the fireworks. (Registration only applies to certain indoor visits outside these listings.) Drones are banned across the entire event area. Public transport is heavily rerouted from Saturday the 15th onwards, so check BKK before travelling, and use transit rather than driving. Some venues had not published their accessibility or transport details at the time of writing — those are marked "to be announced".