Keszthely gets loud, bright, and gloriously eclectic from April 16–18, 2026, when nearly 2,000 high school students from 36 cities and around 90 schools flood into town for the Helikon Celebrations (Helikoni Ünnepségek) — a biennial celebration where generations, genres, and eras meet. The festival spans multiple venues across the city, and every program is free to attend.
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Two Centuries of Creative Momentum
Helikon’s roots go back more than 200 years. Count György Festetics launched the original celebrations in Keszthely in 1817, bringing together local gymnasium and Georgikon students with leading Transdanubian writers and poets. The series stopped after Festetics died in 1819, saw several revival attempts in the early 20th century, and finally returned in 1958 as a high school arts competition. Since then, it’s become a defining rite of passage for generations.
Today, Helikon is Transdanubia’s biggest arts showcase for high schoolers, held every two years. The mission: give young people a structured stage to present the skills they’ve honed across art forms, compete, and connect.
What’s Happening and Where
On Thursday and Friday, expect more than 500 live performances and showcased artworks at six to seven city venues. Students compete in 20 artistic categories, including theater, classical music, choirs, folklore, contemporary dance and movement, light music and vocals, film and multimedia, visual arts, and literary works. Juries of prominent professionals — actors Anna Fehér and Ilona Bence, singer Kati Wolf, poet Márton Simon, among others — evaluate and award Helikon rankings; bronze, silver, and gold diplomas; plus plenty of special prizes. The top prizewinners in each category are announced at Saturday afternoon’s gala; the very best take home sculptor Ferenc Farkas’s unique bronze plaque.
Alongside the competition, the city turns into an open arts campus: concerts, dance shows, audience meetups, exhibitions, workshops, and late-night jam sessions. The Helikon Massed Choir (Helikoni Összkar) — a combined choir of all participating ensembles — is a signature goosebump moment. A torchlit procession on Friday night, set to become a tradition, will wind from Main Square (Fő tér) through Helikon Park and back, capped with 3D architectural light projections.
Who Makes It Happen
Helikon is nonprofit and entirely free to attend. The Helikon Organizing Committee runs the logistics with close to 200 volunteers and more than 15 local institutions and schools. The influx of students and chaperones generates about 4,000 guest nights in Keszthely and nearby towns, and more than 6,000 meals are served over three days.
Keszthely Municipality is the main supporter. The University of Pécs (Pécsi Tudományegyetem, PTE) steps in as a diamond-level strategic partner, not only backing the event financially — roughly USD 27,600 — but also adding attractions, programs, and leisure activities.
From First Stages to Big Stages
Modern Helikon editions have been early proving grounds for well-known Hungarian artists like Tibor Bödőcs, Vera Tóth, György Vukán, and Sándor Oszter. For tens of thousands, Helikon stands for fair rivalry, love of art and tradition, and smart fun. Every other year, it gifts thousands of young people with lifelong memories in Keszthely, the capital of Lake Balaton.
Highlights by the Day
Thursday, April 16
– 8:00, Balaton Theatre (Balaton Színház): Registration and school arrivals.
– 10:45, Festetics Palace Park: Wreath-laying at Count Festetics’s statue with greetings from Zsanett Oláh (National Heritage Protection Development Nonprofit Ltd.) and Zoltán Horváth (Foundation for Modern Helikon High School Celebrations).
– 11:00, Festetics Palace – Main Square (Fő tér) – Helikon Park: Helikon parade through the city with student delegations and brass bands.
– 11:30, Helikon Park: Opening ceremony; lighting the Helikon flame. Greetings by Mayor Dr. Gergely Tóth; official opening by Prince György Festetics IV.
– From 8:00, category showcases at venues: poetry and prose at Amazon House (Amazon Ház); theater at Balaton Theatre (Balaton Színház); classical at György Festetics Music AMI; choirs at the Balaton Museum; folklore at the GESZ sports hall; light music, movement, and more at Csány–Szendrey Primary and Art School (Csány–Szendrey ÁI és AMI); film and multimedia at György Fejér City Library; visual arts and literary works at Balaton Theatre and Amazon House.
– 14:00, City Library: Film and multimedia jurying, awards, screenings.
– 15:00, Balaton Theatre, Simándy Hall: Visual arts jurying, awards, exhibition opening.
– From 14:00, Main Square (Fő tér) and Castle Garden (Várkert): Helikon Vibe crafts and community stands; Your Stage! (Tiéd a színpad!) open performances.
– 16:00, Parish Church: Maria’s Eternal Paths (Mária örök útjai) documentary screening with director János Tari.
– 16:30, Main Square (Fő tér): Paint the giant HELIKON letters.
– 17:00, HEMO Hall: Helikon x PTE — Disney tales through a legal lens.
– 18:00, Music AMI: Helikon x PTE classical concert (Saint-Saëns: Danse macabre; Rossini: The Barber of Seville Overture; Ernő Dohnányi: Serenade).
– From 18:00, Main Square (Fő tér) and Castle Garden (Várkert): Boombatucada; Helikon x PTE: Kinka; 19:00 My Last Summer; 20:00 Helikon Quiz; 20:00 TwoNight Band; 21:30 Mehringer.
Friday, April 17
– From 8:00, category showcases continue.
– From 14:00, Main Square (Fő tér) and Castle Garden (Várkert): Helikon Vibe and Your Stage! (Tiéd a színpad!)
– 16:00, Amazon House (Amazon Ház): Literary works awards.
– 16:00, HEMO Hall: Helikon x PTE Alumni and Teachers’ Meetup & Wine Tasting (free, registration required).
– 17:30, Balaton Museum Garden: Helikon Massed Choir (Helikoni Összkar).
– 18:00, City Library: Judit Berg talk on contemporary literature in schools.
– 18:00, Balaton Theatre: Helikon x PTE — András Visky: TIRAMI SÙ (16+), Janus University Theatre.
– From 18:00, Main Square (Fő tér) and Castle Garden (Várkert): PTE ETK Jazz Dance; Puli band; 19:30 Benjámin Friss slam; 19:30 PTE Brass Band; 20:00 Parish Church: 2024 Helikon laureate choirs in concert; 20:00 Helikon Quiz; 20:00 Torchlit procession and 3D mapping with PTE Brass Band; 21:00 Moldavian Csángó dance house with ReFolk; 21:00 Jam session with Keszthely Kulturszövet; 22:30 DJ Koontz.
Saturday, April 18
– 9:00–10:00, various venues: Jurying and awards for choirs, folklore, theater, classical, poetry and prose, light music, movement, and other categories.
– 11:00, Music School: Classical gala for category laureates.
– 15:00, Csány–Szendrey sports hall: Grand Gala of Helikon main prizewinners and presentation of the Helikon Challenge Cup to the most successful school.
Extra Experiences Around Town
– Main Square (Fő tér), April 16–17, 14:00–20:00: PTE Island — meet students and staff, spin the prize wheel, make a custom tote, grab PTE swag. Also join Chip & Chase, a citywide treasure hunt across 10 Helikon sites with prize draws for completing at least five stations.
– Main Square (Fő tér), April 16–17, 20:00–24:00: Light mapping.
– Balaton Theatre, April 16–17: Visual arts exhibition during opening hours; Básti Room hosts a resilience workshop and exhibit on youth art for a resilient future, plus climate futures installations and talks (14:00–19:00).
– City Library, April 16–17: Screenings of film and multimedia entries; citywide book-drop game Lose a Book! (Veszíts el egy könyvet!)
Organizers reserve the right to change dates and programs.
