Budapest Festivals in February
February festivals in Budapest urge the winter cold to go away and give way to spring and light. February is also the Carnival season in Hungary with various ‘Farsang’ Parties where people dress up, eat doughnuts, dance, have fun, and more. The festivals of the month will be the unique Fish Food Festival and the Hungarian Mangalica Festival focusing on the Hungarian hairy pig breed and pork products with music and winter alcoholic drinks. After the calmer days in January in Budapest, the winter festivals vary from music to cultural, theatrical to food festivals.
Bath Parties in Budapest in February are part of the Carnival season: bath parties return to Budapest in February with dates scheduled for Saturday nights. The amazing Szechenyi Bath Parties offer hiphop, triphop, electro, funk etc. music played by some of the best DJs in Hungary, and the beat goes on. Mind you, the dance floor is in the thermal pools of the baths, so bring your swimwear. Dates for the Party Diary: Feb 9, 16, 23 in 2019.
International Documentary Film Festival Budapest: If you love documentary films come and check out the film festival of documentaries set in Budapest. Besides the screenings, there are talks, discussions, panel chats, concerts and great folks who are into documentary films. The location this year is Cinema City Arena, one of the big movies in the city of Budapest. More details about the programs on the official website. Dates: Jan 28 – Feb 3, 2019.
Hairy Pig / Mangalica Pork Food Festival Budapest – the Hairy Pig food festival is in the heart of Budapest on Szabadsag Square. The winter festival attracts thousands with its local foods and crafts (pork sausages, bacon, ham, cheeses, artisan crafts). The festival entry is free for the Mangalica Festival in Budapest. Date: February 8 – 10, 2019
Hunting and Fishing Expo in Budapest – the biggest national event for hunting and fishing enthusiasts in Hungary is set in the huge halls of the Budapest Hungexpo. The program is varied, ranging from competitions, historical and contemporary presentations to know how about Falconry, Forestry, gastronomy, fishing simulator, etc. Date: February 7-10, 2019
Valentine’s Day – many tourists come to Budapest to celebrate a Valentine’s Day weekend in Budapest, in the city often called the “Paris of East’.
One of the popular programmes is a romantic Budapest favourite: Budapest river cruise (dinner, wine tasting, beer, cocktails, etc.). There are several beautiful Valentine’s Day Dinner Cruises in Budapest with live music, but you can book a regular cruise on any day to make your stay romantic on a February night in Budapest: a la carte dinner, 4-course served dinner, buffet style dinner. etc.
Budapest Fish Food Festival – the Budapest Fish Festival promises to be a fun gastro fair, and is a popular weekend for fish lovers. This four-day gastronomic event will offer plenty of fish dishes. Cooking contests, wine and palinka tastings, live music, folklore shows and kids’ programs are all part of the festival. In 2019, the event will take place near the river Danube in Budapest, on Pazmany Peter Embankment, between Petofi and Rakoczi Bridges on the Pest side: 16 – 17 February, 2019.
Ice Rink Winter Sports Festival – Budapest City Park: The Ice Rink is open in the winter months of Budapest. It has been recently modernised with an up-to-date cooling system, which ensures a steady opening time despite milder weather conditions in Nov, Dec, Jan or Feb (depending on the winter freezes, it may be longer, but the end of February is normally the default).
There are usually some events at the weekends so watch out for icy festival dates. Check the official website for the actual opening hours as winter sports events (hockey, skating races, etc.) may interfere with standard opening times.
Carnival Budapest – Farsang / Carnevale season brings multiple parties at various venues from Jan 6 to March 5, annually in Budapest.
You can just head to some of the ruin bars in Budapest, it’s a mega party zone with a bustling nightlife at the weekends (District VI, city center), or you can book a Budapest pub crawl as a warm up, or hop on a Budapest Party Boat to be in the party mood on the river Danube.
Dance Festival Budapest: enjoy some of the best pieces of Hungarian dance performances (contemporary, ballet, folk) in the National Dance Theater in Budapest, Hungary. There are some notable foreign guest performances too. Dates: Feb 15 – March 2, 2019.
Budapest Boat Show : visitors to the city’s sprawling fair center can admire a wide variety of sailboats, electronic vessels, and motorboats, alongside boating accessories like technical outerwear, footwear, apparel, and boating gear, all presented in one place on the Budapest Boat Show. Besides the impressive ships and fresh innovations, marine lovers can join thematic programs during the four-day show, like a knot-tying competition and much more in the Hungexpo exhibitions centre in Budapest. Date: 21-24, February, 2019.
Travel Expo in Budapest: in Hungexpo Budapest, thousands of locals and foreigners come together to find out about travel destinations, travelling options, new and exciting programmes, accessories at the travelling sector festival in winter Hungary. Not only from professionals, on the contrary! You can take a virtual tour in many parts of Hungary, try a room escape game set up at the spot, try indoor rock climbing and more. Date: Feb 21-24, 2019
Gluttonous Thursday – 50% off the prices Restaurant Program in Budapest with dozens of participating restaurants. Print out the discount coupons to get your Hungarian specialties at a better price. Date is normally the Thursday following Ash Wednesday, but it might be another day: (unconfirmed!) 14 February, 2019
Wine Festival Budapest VinCE – best for professionals and amateurs who want deep dive in the nuances of wine culture in Hungary and Central Eastern Europe in a posh, elegant venue, the Grand Hotel Hungaria (Corinthia hotel). Date: scheduled for April in 2019
