Balatonfüred’s 2026 calendar is packed. From lakeside festivals and vintage car pageants to literary tributes, jazz nights, sailing season openers, comedy marathons, and family weekends, this Balaton lakeside town rolls out a full-tilt lineup across multiple venues all year. Here’s the week-by-week and month-by-month lowdown—times, places, and what not to miss.
May 4–10: Nature walks, Tagore tributes, and the Ice Cream crown
– May 8, 5:00 PM: Nightingale evening walk in Cholnoky Park.
– May 8, 5:00 PM: Lecture on Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore by local historian P. Miklós Tamás at Esterházy Palace. Katalin Tarnai reads poetry.
– Tagore Centenary highlights on May 8:
10:30 AM: Body–Soul Hour – a 40-minute movement and recharge session for all ages on the plaza in front of the State Cardiology Hospital, hosted with the Füred Heart Association.
4:00 PM: Wreath-laying at Tagore’s statue on Tagore Promenade to mark his 165th birth anniversary and the 100th year since his visit to Balatonfüred. Speeches by Mayor Dr. István Bóka and H.E. Anshuman Gaur, India’s Ambassador to Hungary.
5:00 PM: Rabindranath Tagore in Balatonfüred – a poetry performance by P. Miklós Tamás and Katalin Tarnai at the Esterházy Palace Holiday History Visitor Center.
– May 8, 9:30 AM: The 13th “Balaton Fagyija” ice cream competition at Kékszalag Port. After registration and the 9:55 AM opening with remarks by Balaton Tourism Association President Tamás Fekete, pastry chefs present their new signature flavors from 10:00 AM. Judging runs till the 2:00 PM winner announcement. Taste innovative dishes by rising chefs of the Balaton Culinary Workshop all day.
– May 9, 3:00 PM: Opening of the Arács Folk House (Lóczy Lajos St. 101), followed at 4:00 PM by Dr. Emőke S. Lackovits’s talk Boldogasszony ágya, with an interactive segment by Katalin Tarnai and the Balatonfüred Folk Dance Ensemble.
– All week: Cinema listings and boat excursions available May 4–10.
Mid-May: Exhibitions, jazz, and sails up
– May 13, 4:30 PM: Opening of Antal Gaál’s hu.mor.zsák 3.0 at the Corridor Gallery. Intro by Erzsébet Katalin Horváth; students from the Ferencsik János Music School perform. On view till June 19 during office hours (Mon, Fri 8:00–12:00).
– May 14, 7:00 PM: Fusio Group and Erika Kertész at Parker Jazz Club, Kisfaludy Gallery.
– May 15, 5:00 PM: Sailing Through Balaton – Two Decades in Photos at the Esterházy Visitor Center. Photo album launch and talk by Gábor F. Tóth and István Ruják (Táncsics St. 1).
– May 15, 5:00 PM: India Through Children’s Eyes – photo show at the Arács Community House with works by Borbála, Sára, and Balázs Hamar; opening remarks and stories by Dóra Lakatos. Open till June 15 (Mon, Thu 10:00–6:00; Wed 2:00–6:00).
– May 15–17: Balatonfüred Concours d’Elegance – classic car beauty contest on the shore.
– May 16: Sail-Raising Ceremony and Season-Opening Regatta.
– May 17: The Tour de Hongrie peloton breezes through Balatonfüred around 2:26 PM via Highway 71, turning from the Tesco roundabout to Fürdő Street, then on toward Balatonszőlős.
Late May: Porcelain dolls, fish and wine
– May 21: Stand-up star Tibor Bödőcs plays two solo shows at the Congress Center, 6:00 PM and 8:30 PM.
– May 22, 5:00 PM: Exhibit opening – Art of Yesteryear: Porcelain Dolls at Esterházy Palace. Opened by Katalin Tarnai (Arácsi Szalon(ka) Cultural Association), with soprano Rita Rábaközi. The show pairs Mother’s Day and Children’s Day, tracing 200 years of porcelain-doll artistry with contemporary works. View with ticket till June 14, daily 10:00 AM–6:00 PM.
– May 22–25: Balaton Fish and Wine Festival (Balatoni Hal- és Borünnep) along the promenade.
– Late May: Regular cinema and boat trips continue, plus a Children’s Day weekend May 30–31 and a special Children’s Day cruise May 31.
June: Books, films, guitars, and Pilates
– Early June: Ongoing boat trips and cinema programs each week.
– June 6–7: Weekend lake cruises; Pilates Fest Balatonfüred lands the same weekend.
– June 7: Szegény gazdagok on stage at the Congress Center (tickets approx. $20.50–$21.60).
– June 11–14: Book-Wine-Jazz Festival (Könyv-Bor-Jazz) – books, wine, and jazz in perfect company.
– June 13: VI. From Alfas to Omegas – Family Picnic at Gapa Terrace and the Park Forest (Száka Dűlő). Free with registration.
– June 18–20: Hungarian Film Festival (Magyar Mozgókép Fesztivál) spreads across town.
– June 20: Comedy double-header with András Péter Kovács and Eszter Ráskó at the Balaton Leisure and Conference Center (about $22.90).
– June 20–27: Balatonfüred International Guitar Festival.
July: Comedy takeover, open-water feats, and Kékszalag
– July 1: Gergely Rákász – Mozart at the Evangelical Church (about $16.30).
– July 4: Túrajó – Füred Bike Adventure and Túrajó Walks – From Tree to Forest (each about $10.50).
– July 10–12: Hungary’s first International Klezmer Festival, hosted in Balatonfüred.
– July 11: Allianz Bay Crossing and SUP Challenge, an open-water classic from the Füred shore.
– July 14: Hyppolit, the Butler (Hyppolit a lakáj) – musical comedy in two acts on the outdoor stage (about $16.00).
– July 17–26: Dumafüred 2026 takes over the Balaton Leisure and Conference Center: a parade of star comics including István Dombóvári, László Hadházi, András Péter Kovács, Zoltán Kőhalmi, Eszter Ráskó, Gergely Litkai, Péter Elek, and more. Expect solo specials like Idővel, Sátántangó, A VILÁG ESZE, The Digital Ninja, plus Duma Jam, Duma Aktuál, All Stars lineups, and the improv show Bolondok hajója.
– July 25: White Ribbon (Fehér Szalag) – Szabolcs Izsák Memorial Regatta; and the 201st Anna Ball (Anna-bál), the storied summer ball.
– July 28: Be Good Till Death (Légy jó mindhalálig) at the outdoor stage (about $23.00).
– July 30–Aug 1: 58th Raiffeisen Blue Ribbon Grand Prix (Kékszalag) – Europe’s longest round-the-lake sailing race centered on Balatonfüred.
August: Sailing titles, wine weeks, and open-air hits
– Aug 6–9: Hungarian Sailing Federation Big-Boat Championship.
– Aug 7–30: Balatonfüred Wine Weeks (Balatonfüredi Borhetek) line the Tagore Promenade with local cellars pouring summer in a glass.
– Aug 7 and multiple dates: “Rabbi of Füred” (Füredi rabbi) synagogue tour, city walk, and guided visit to the House of Jewish Excellence with an authentic guide.
– Aug 11: The Jungle Book (A dzsungel könyve) on the outdoor stage (about $23.00).
– Throughout August: cinema and boat programs continue; open-air concerts include tributes and pop evenings such as Crazy Little Queen Tribute Band, Best of Hungaria by the Budapest Rock ’n’ Roll Band, and more, plus Attila Kökény & Viktor Rakonczai – Újra látlak…
Year-round and regional picks
– Summer-long: A curated Summer Balaton Program Guide runs June–August.
– Nearby gems include the Kőröshegy Wine and Gastro Picnic on June 20 (Kőröshegy and surroundings).
– Ongoing: County-wide recommendations throughout 2026 keep the calendar buzzing across Veszprém County.
Organizers reserve the right to change dates and programs.
