Events: What's on in Budapest

Paradisum is the latest work by award-winning choreographer Bence Vági, whose Recirquel troupe has stunned audiences across the world with its unique art form. Self-named cirque danse, a daring yet graceful marriage of circus acrobatics and contemporary dance, it breaks genres to express concepts of love, trust, memory and belonging, among others. Performers take to the air and push their physicality to the limits. Having just toured this new production around France, Recirquel return to Budapest for an initial five-night run at prestigious arts centre, Müpa, with more shows in May.

From February 25 to March 29, for a total of 33 days, the  Railway History Park in north Pest is hosting Planet Budapest 2026, an immersive, interactive attraction dealing with sustainability and the future of the Earth.

The main complex is divided into Ride, Explorers and Heroes, the first a journey through time; the second a 12-station tour stopping at energy, food and your digital footprint; and in the third, live characters engage young visitors in interactive, educational fun. Admission is free.

To celebrate Easter, Time Out Market Budapest is offering a selection of themed dishes between April 4-12. Spring flavours and festive creations bring fresh colour to this popular gastronomic hub on Blaha Lujza tér, where seasonal delicacies reinterpret traditional Easter favourites with a modern, urban twist.

The aim of the Easter menu is to showcase classic seasonal ingredients in a fresh, creative and contemporary way, allowing guests to enjoy the comforting warmth of traditional flavours and the lightness of today’s modern gastronomy.

Visitors can look forward to stand-out dishes such as spring lamb with wild garlic and green pea gnocchi from Szaletly; smoked gravlax served with homemade brioche, egg, fresh vegetables and horseradish cream cheese from Bigfish; and pork knuckle with egg salad, wild garlic, horseradish and buttery brioche from Casa Christa. 

Docking at the A38 as part of his Love Will Bring You Home Tour across two continents and backing his upcoming fourth studio album, Grey, Kiefer Sutherland brings his engaging mix of energetic Americana to Budapest. Winner of a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy Award for his work on screen, the British-Canadian actor has been writing and performing music since his debut album, Down in a Hole, was released in 2016. His tour takes him from Luxembourg to Las Vegas. Irish singer/songwriter Colin Andrew provides support.

There's no need to travel for an authentic Italian experience in Hungary – the flavours and the atmosphere of the Mediterranean are being brought to life at Time Out Market Budapest. The Chef’s Table series allows one restaurant to take guests behind the scenes to meet the chefs, discover their stories, inspirations and signature dishes – including creations not usually available on the regular menu – in an intimate, private-dining experience with limited seating. 

On April 16, Anyukám Mondta presents its pizza-tasting menu in an exciting collaborative four-handed dinner. The evening will be hosted by Szilárd and Szabolcs Dudás, with a six-course pizza-tasting prepared jointly by Szabolcs Dudás and chef Giovanni Spera from Molino Dallagiovanna of Piacenza. Highlights include inventive combinations such as mortadella with stracciatella and pistachio pesto, a five-tomato composition, and seafood-inspired flavours with anchovies, marinated swordfish and lime.

Complementing the culinary journey are six sparkling wines, Anyukám Mondta’s own labels, produced in collaboration with the French Champagne house Maison Louis de Grenelle. Tickets are priced at Ft 19,500 (€50), including water.

Hungary’s first contemporary ballet company explore the depth of human relationships in this two-part adaptation of the star-crossed story of Romeo and Juliet. Playing for two consecutive nights on March 19-20, then again in May at Müpa’s prestigious Festival Theatre, the production showcases Vincze Balázs’s stunning choreography, the stage designs of Balázs Cziegler and costumes by Julcsi Kiss. As Shakespeare once more takes the global spotlight, this is a timely reminder of his everlasting appeal, no matter the art form.

Starting on April 2, Time Out Market Budapest hosts four nights of exclusive whisky tasting, beginning with a five-point journey from New Zealand to Canada to England, ireland and Scotland (6pm; Ft 2,000/€5; tickets here). The global odyssey then sails over to Ireland on April 8, when visitors can experience the different nuances of whiskey from a carerfully curated selection (7pm; Ft 2,000/€5; tickets here). A week later, on April 15, Whisky Without Borders is theme, with particular focus on Japanese Suntory and various American bourbon brands (6pm; Ft 2,000/€5; tickets here), before top-quality bourbon, single-malt and Irish whisky sampling on April 22 (7pm; Ft 2,000/€5; tickets here).

It’s been nearly half a century since Christopher Cross hit the big time with hits such as Sailing and Arthur’s Theme but the Texan troubadour is still touring and still releasing music. He treads the boards with his band at Budapest’s Dürer Kert, showcasing his considerable skills on guitar and playing a set of radio-friendly soft-rock tunes that have won him numerous awards over the years. This will be his first show in Budapest.

In a popular spring tradition dating back several years, the ELTE Botanical Garden greets the flowering of cherry blossoms with the Sakura Japanese festival. Over two days, visitors can look forward to music performances, demonstrations of martial arts, haiku workshops and Japanese language lessons – or just the pleasure of spreading a picnic blanket out in a designated area amid a seasonal backdrop of pretty pink colours. There's a tea ceremony, too.