Between the Christmas bejgli and the New Year’s pork dinner, a Budapest Bár concert is the perfect pick-me-up. It’s the ultimate wellness plan: it switches you off, calms you down, and makes you happy without wrecking your wallet. Expect an ageless musical time trip spanning the best songs of the past 100 years, reimagined with a Gypsy flair. Budapest Bár never disappoints. Always good and always different — every show is a whirl of styles, songs, eras, voices, and big personalities. Thanks to superb musicians and standout vocalists, anyone who shows up on December 30 at the House of Arts in Miskolc will walk into an uplifting, unforgettable night.
This time the wonderful Budapest Bár arrives with Dóri Behumi, Bora Ferenczi, Juci Németh, Frenk, Misi Mező, and Krisztián Szűcs. The band became one of Hungary’s most beloved by filtering heart-wrenching and heart-lifting songs through Gypsy orchestral arrangements. Their magic lies in top-notch players and cult vocalists drawn from Hungarian rock. What began as a one-off record now runs with twelve singers in a unique rotating lineup — a big reason they’ve become one of the most in-demand live acts on festival and main stages.
Their signature sound reaches back to the café culture of 1920s–30s Budapest. They rebuild familiar hits on Gypsy foundations, spicing them with jazz, pop, rock, klezmer, and more — laying the groundwork for a fresh musical direction. Founder and bandleader Róbert Farkas set out to breathe new life into café Gypsy music, preserving and renewing old traditions. Thanks to the band, long-forgotten tunes returned to public consciousness and into youth culture. They dusted off classics, revived obscurities, refitted standards, and, lately, added original songs. It’s a crossroads of eras, cultures, styles, and generations — no wonder the group has become a multigenerational favorite that zips between genres and pulls you out of the everyday. Joy music for open ears.
Current lineup: Róbert Farkas (violin, guitar), Sándor Ürmös (cimbalom), Károly Ökrös (accordion), Richárd Farkas (double bass), Bence Kisvári (drums).
Six Women, One Salon, Zero Filters
January 7, Wednesday, 19:00 — Six women gather in a small-town hair salon, and it’s not just about appointments. They look fragile, refined, vulnerable — but these women are tireless and tough. Not heroes, yet capable of anything: laughing through pain and making us laugh too. That’s real strength.
Cast: Truvy — Nelly Fésűs; Emily — Anna Götz / Andrea Balázs; Shelby — Boglárka Ferenczy-Nagy; Annelle — Edina Csáki; Clairee — Enikő Zorgel; Valery — Gyöngyi Molnár. Translator: Gabriella Prekop. Assistant director: Zsófia Kelemen. Set: Ferenc Szakács. Costumes: Nóra Cselényi. Dramaturg: Enikő Deés. Director: Dániel Dicső.
New Year’s Gospel Blast with The Original Golden Voices
January 8, Thursday, 19:00 — Dwight Robson and his world-famous soloists return to Hungary by popular demand. Start the year with a joy-filled dive into gospel’s greatest hits and hidden gems. Baptist minister Dwight Robson and selected soloists channel the teachings of the gospel through the traditions of African American music. Expect soul-fortifying pop-gospel energy, from Hallelujah to Oh Happy Day, plus a stream of unique, heartwarming takes on world hits over a nearly two-hour program. The Golden Voices of Gospel have collaborated with global stars like Michael Jackson and Mariah Carey.
Gospel means good news. It grew from American religious songs and spirituals — the sung prayers of a people longing for freedom and happiness — but with an even brighter pulse and drive. Modern pop giants (Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, and more) drew deeply from this tradition. The group’s authentic performance guarantees quality and success worldwide.
Stand-Up: Lakatos László Is Here
January 18, Sunday, 18:00 and 20:00 — Dumaszínház night. Lakatos László’s new solo show lands in Miskolc. Dynamic pricing in effect.
Michael Cooney’s Farce: Nicsak, ki lakik itt?! (Look Who’s Living Here?!)
January 20, Tuesday, 19:00 — Mayhem in two acts. Translator and dramaturg: Albert Benedek. Revamped for revival by Benedek, Oliver W. Horvath, HCS. Bánfalvy Stúdió, 2018; revived 2025. Director: Csaba Horváth. Producers: HCS, Oliver W. Horvath.
Barely believable: a London-based Hungarian has had enough of free money. Róbert Szűcs had it made — unemployment benefits, old-age pension, sick pay, child allowance, disability payments, and, naturally, free cow’s milk. Plus, a side hustle involving nursing bras that even sparks his wife’s jealousy. Fearing exposure, he decides he’d rather dump the illegitimate benefits than lose his freedom or his marriage. Except shedding aid isn’t easy at all. A delirious two-act comedy, Bánfalvy Stúdió’s newest laugh machine.
Cast includes: Linda Szűcs-Swan — Iza Varga / Zsófia Kondákor; Róbert Szűcs — Ferenc Hujber; Pawel Duda — Imre Harmath / Ádám Gombás; Mr. George Jenkins — Ádám Gombás / Zoli Kiss; Gyurka — Ganxsta Zolee; Sally Chessington — Anna Bugár / Zsófia Kondákor; Dr. Chapman — Péter Sándor / Levente Hajdu; Mr. Fortbright — István Imre / Dávid Csányi; Miss Cowper — Orsolya György; Magdalena Szmrczyk — Timi Stelczer.
Hamvas Songs: József Wunderlich, Bálint Tárkány-Kovács & Tárkány Művek
January 21, Wednesday, 19:00 — What if Béla Hamvas wrote songs alongside essays? What if, on the vineyards above Lake Balaton in Szigliget, alone with God and wine, he sang his thoughts? This evening spins Hamvas’s writings into songs — especially around wine, The Philosophy of Wine, and the deeper ideas behind gastronomy that bubble up in deceptively innocent essays like The Good Lord’s Afternoon Snack and Breaded Soup.
Performers: József Wunderlich (actor), Bálint Tárkány-Kovács (cimbalom), Borbála Fekete (vocals), Júlia Viszkeleti (vocals, winds), Márton Fekete (viola), Péter Molnár (double bass), Zsolt Rónai (guitar). Text: Béla Hamvas. Editor and songwriter: Bálint Tárkány-Kovács. Director: Géza Galán. Visuals: Ágnes Albicz.
Csillaglekvár: A Live Literary-Music Dialogue
January 22, Thursday, 19:00 — Hungarian Culture Day. Csillaglekvár brings together Szilárd Balanyi (Quimby), Anna T. Szabó, Dorina Galambos, and Flóra Kiss. The idea was sparked by Szilárd’s 2022 album Na, ez az! (Well, This Is It!), which featured lyrics by top writers and poets like Anna T. Szabó, János Lackfi, Krisztián Grecsó, Zsófi Kemény, and more. With Anna T. Szabó joining live, the evening threads songs born from her poems, weaving dialogue between music and text. Poetry and prose follow songs — and vice versa — sometimes with a single instrument underlining the words before Szilárd takes the floor again.
Borban a vigasság (In Wine There’s Cheer) — New Year Operetta Gala
January 24, Saturday, 15:00 and 19:00 — A lavish musical theater experience celebrating wine, history, and operetta with Monarchia Operett. This full-evening gala salutes two standout Hungarian treasures: the nation’s wine culture and classic operetta. It’s also a time trip through the life and passion of János Mathiász, the world’s most famous Hungarian grape breeder, wrapped in catchy melodies and noble wines.
Expect top wine songs and cheerful operetta hits by Imre Kálmán, Jenő Huszka, Pál Ábrahám, Johann Strauss, Béla Zerkovitz, Mihály Eisemann, and Szabolcs Fényes, including evergreen favorites like Borban az igazság (In Wine There’s Truth), Mi muzsikus lelkek (We Musicians at Heart), Hej, cigány (Hey, Gypsy), Csopak, Somló, Badacsony, Délibábos Hortobágyon (Mirage on the Hortobágy), and Egy részeg éjszaka (A Drunken Night). A sensory show with lush sets, dazzling costumes, humor, romance, and a rich program. Duration: 150 minutes with one interval.
Dave Simpson: Meztelen igazság (The Naked Truth) — Musical Comedy
January 25, Sunday, 15:00 and 19:00 — Six women from wildly different backgrounds sign up for the same confidence-boosting pole-dancing course — and soon discover…
