Pécs rolls into 2025 and 2026 with a packed music-and-culture calendar that leans into cozy candlelit concerts, big-name jubilees, and a month-by-month rhythm of festivals, fairs, and weekly highlights. Anchoring much of the action is the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter, a standout arts hub built on the grounds of the former porcelain factory—now one of the region’s liveliest cultural engines. From classical favorites and intimate tributes to craft markets and brewery tours, here’s the essential lineup.
December 2025: Advent, Lights, and Album Debuts
The city settles into glow and music. Advent Concerts at the Pécs National Theatre bookend the season on December 13 and December 20, with tickets running at about $2.70. On December 17, The Classic Christmas – Candlelight Edition brings a warm, string-laden holiday atmosphere to the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter, with prices from roughly $19.30 to $30.30.
December 20 doubles up: Artúr Rambo’s album launch takes the stage at Pécs – Freeport (Szabadkikötő) for around $13.70, while the Advent series returns to the National Theatre. In parallel, Pécs keeps the festive streets buzzing with Enchanted Forest of Lights (Fények Elvarázsolt Erdeje) and the Pécs Advent Craft and Fairy-Tale Market running in weekly waves across December. The Zsolnay Quarter curates its own weekly program guide, and citywide listings collect everything else.
Between December 8–14, again December 15–21, and December 22–23, the Advent Light Exhibition runs with tickets in the $7.90–$34.00 range. Every Saturday, “Discover the Pécs Brewery!” pours out a guided beer-tasting tour. Sundays bring practical bustle with an Auto Fair Pécs and a Pécs Animal Fair. On December 29, stand-up takes the mic with The Digital Ninja (A digitális nindzsa) — Péter Aranyosi’s solo show at about $26.90.
January 2026: Candlelight Classics and Theatre Hits
The new year opens under shimmering lights: Enchanted Forest of Lights continues into early January. The city and Quarter weekly program guides keep you on track January 5–11, 12–18, 19–25, and 26–February 1.
January 9 spotlights comedy-science: The Smartest in the World (A VILÁG ESZE) — László Hadházi’s solo show, hosted by László Lovász, runs about $24.40–$40.70. Theatre fans get Ray Cooney’s Run for Your Wife (Páratlan páros) on January 10 at $24.10–$26.80. On January 11, Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker dances in at $28.20–$47.00.
Candlelight returns January 29 with Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons at the PKK Apáczai Cultural House, $35.60–$41.10. That same week continues the forest of lights, and the Saturday brewery tour repeats on January 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31. Closing the month with a wink, the Menopause Tour arrives January 31, $26.90–$67.30.
February 2026: Magic Scores and Milestones
Weekly guides from February 2–8 and 9–15 track the city’s rhythm, with the Saturday brewery tour popping up on February 7, 14, 21, and 28. The much-loved Harry Potter music by candlelight casts its spell on February 11 at $35.60–$41.10.
February 23 brings Bródy 80 to the Pécs Kodály Center (Kodály Központ)—a major anniversary concert priced about $32.90–$43.90. Hot on its heels, Bridgerton Music by Candlelight sweeps in on February 25 at $35.60–$41.10. Theater buffs can catch The Princess of the Orpheum (Orfeum hercegnő) by Zerkovitz–Topolcsányi on February 28 for roughly $13.20–$15.90.
March 2026: Einaudi Tribute and a Dance Giant
As spring nears, the calendars for March are updated weekly. Comedy returns March 3 with It Was Still There at Lepsény! Ready, Set, Laugh! – Reloaded (Lepsénynél még megvolt! Vigyázz, Kész, Nevetés! – Újratöltve). The Saturday brewery walk continues March 7, 14, 21, and 28.
On March 19, The Music of Ludovico Einaudi — Tribute glows in candlelight at the PKK Apáczai Cultural House, $35.60–$41.10. Then, a juggernaut: Lord of the Dance celebrates a 30th-anniversary tour on March 30, $26.90–$59.60.
April 2026: Rock Ballads and Veteran Icons
Weekly guides keep April in motion, with the Pécs Brewery tour every Saturday. April 8 doubles up: Rock Ballads by Candlelight (Rockballadák gyertyafényben) floods the venue with candlelit rock ballads, $35.60–$41.10, while HOBO 80+1 lands at the Pécs Kodály Center (Kodály Központ), priced around $32.90–$43.90.
May 2026: Soul-Diving with Freddie
On May 9, FREDDIE – Soul Diver: Inner Fire (LÉLEKBÚVÁR: Belső tűz) ignites the PKK Apáczai Cultural House with tickets at about $26.90. The Saturday beer tour continues on May 2.
Zsolnay Cultural Quarter: The Beating Heart
Zsolnay’s campus is the scene for much of the candlelight magic and the Enchanted Forest of Lights, which appears in multiple stints from late October 2025 through January 2026. It’s not just concerts—weekly listings in both the Quarter and citywide roundups make it easy to drop in for exhibitions, films, workshops, and family programs.
Tickets, Venues, and Handy Conversions
– Most ticket ranges run from about $2.70 for intimate Advent events to roughly $67.30 for big touring shows.
– Key venues: Pécs National Theatre, PKK Apáczai Cultural House, Pécs Kodály Center (Kodály Központ), Zsolnay Cultural Quarter, and Pécs – Freeport (Szabadkikötő).
– Regular happenings: Advent Light Exhibitions; the Saturday “Discover the Pécs Brewery!” beer-tasting tours; Auto Fair Pécs and Pécs Animal Fair on select Sundays; weekly program guides for both the city and the Zsolnay Quarter.
From candlelit strings and cinematic scores to jubilant anniversaries and a forest of lights, Pécs keeps the energy high straight through spring. Plan around the weekly guides, dip into the markets, and leave room for an extra oz of local brew on those Saturday tours.
