Budapest’s Museum of Fine Arts throws open its doors after dark on January 9–10, 2026, with intimate guided tours, a translators’ showcase for William Blake, and the city’s first-ever museum Silent Disco. The program invites small groups to wander the galleries at night, see masterworks up close, and say goodbye to the smash-hit exhibition The Marriage of Heaven and Hell – William Blake and His Contemporaries with a full-sensory party.
When, where, how to join
Dates: January 9–10, 2026. Venue: Museum of Fine Arts, 1146 Budapest, Dózsa György út 41. Guided evening programs require a supplemental ticket of about 4 USD on top of a valid ticket for the permanent collection. Holders of the Museum of Fine Arts (Szépművészeti Múzeum) Annual Pass already have entry to the permanent and prints and drawings collections; they only need the supplement for guided tours. Tickets for the Blake the Silence night can be bought online in advance or on-site. No refunds or exchanges. Box office closes and last entry for the party on January 10 is 22:00. Organizers reserve the right to change times and programs.
Slow down with light and looking
Fényjáték – slow-vezetés (Light Play – slow tour) runs January 9, 17:30–18:15. How long does it take to truly see an artwork—and maybe glimpse yourself in it? Beyond facts and labels, how many ways can we connect with a creation? This quiet, focused session uses one of the museum’s most beautiful landscapes as a portal for a slow, inward journey. Led by art historian and museum educator Judit Cser, it’s designed for deep looking: fewer works, more time, richer insight.
William Blake, translated and aloud
William Blake műfordítói est (William Blake translators’ evening) takes place January 9, 18:00–19:00, blending a roundtable and live readings. In collaboration with the British Council, the museum launched a translation initiative tied to the exhibition The Marriage of Heaven and Hell – William Blake and His Contemporaries. The goal: let Hungarian literature gain new versions through the show. Participating writers—Orsolya Fenyvesi, Eszter Kállay, Ádám Nádasdy, Mátyás Sirokai, Anna T. Szabó, Dániel Varró and Péter Závada—each chose a Blake poem that speaks to them to translate or retranslate. The audience will hear these fresh renditions for the first time at this event.
Presiding patron is George Szirtes, the poet, translator and essayist who has interpreted, translated and championed Blake for decades. He joins the discussion, moderated by aesthete Dóra Lovass. Actor Tamás Keresztes reads the poems, giving Blake’s visionary language a new Hungarian voice under the museum’s neoclassical vaults.
Sculptures, secrets and the uncanny
Szobrok titkai (Secrets of Sculptures) unfolds January 9, 18:30–19:15. Compared to other galleries, the sculpture rooms feel like an extravagant little treasure chamber where time stands still. In this warm, intimate space, unusual materials and hidden details pull the eye everywhere. Transcendent devotion sits comfortably beside classical beauty and shockingly grotesque expressions and gestures. Take a shared wander among the riches of the historic sculpture collection. The tour is led by art historian and museum educator Ágnes Mertus.
Blake the Silence: Budapest’s first museum Silent Disco
January 10, 20:00–00:00, the rules want to rule everything—but never art. Let William Blake’s visionary, free spirit sweep you up and slip the leash at Hungary’s first-ever museum Silent Disco. Explore The Marriage of Heaven and Hell – William Blake and His Contemporaries while dancing through the grand halls to sets by Дeva, Balázs Zságer, and more. Blake (1757–1827), a towering figure of British art and letters, inspired generations with paintings, poems and prophecies, seeking systems that could be discovered and understood, while chasing experiences that liberate the senses. This night manifests that pursuit, showing how his art breathes with light Romanticism and the ungraspable otherworldly.
Expect headphones-on dancing: the room stays quiet, the party roars in your ears. Two DJs compete for your attention; flip channels to switch the vibe, and your headset’s color shows which universe you’re tuned to. Дeva brings unmistakable ethereal vocals and floating layers over pulsing bass. Balázs Zságer, a homegrown master of transcendent energies and cyber-mystic tones, keeps expanding electronic sound into new dimensions. Together they conjure the poles of heaven and hell with a brand-new composition that gently pivots between atmospheres and energies. Generative projections by Zsandra Zságer-Mészáros fuse parallel sonic worlds into one living vision. You can hop between extremes at any moment—and maybe step into the infinite, just as Blake imagined.
Make a night of it
Bring friends and, following London’s wildly successful examples, let’s crank up the tempo in Budapest. The Blake the Silence event is a one-off at the Museum of Fine Arts, a celebratory farewell to the exhibition with music and visuals that make Blake’s imagined worlds tangible and fun. On both January 9 and 10, the city meets art after hours in a space where quiet contemplation and high-energy dance coexist. Book ahead if you can; capacity is finite, and the headset count rules the dance floor.
Useful reminders
– All evening guided programs require the roughly 4 USD supplement plus a valid permanent collection ticket; Annual Pass holders only need the supplement.
– Blake the Silence tickets: advance online or on-site; no refunds or exchanges; last entry January 10 at 22:00.
– Dates: January 9–10, 2026, Budapest. Organizers may alter schedules and content.
– Contact details are available via the museum’s information channels. The photo is protected by the copyright of the Museum of Fine Arts – Hungarian National Gallery.
