The Gizella Days Arts Festival lights up Veszprém from May 4–10, 2026, with a week of free music, visual art, theater, literature, and family programs across the Castle District and downtown streets. Hungary’s City of Queens blends a millennium of tradition with fresh, modern experiences, turning the city into a citywide celebration. Note: dates can change; for the latest info, contact the organizers by email.
Where and what
Venues span multiple locations across Veszprém, including Old Town Square, the Cserhát Stage by the Vár Department Store, the plaza in front of Hangvilla, the Archdiocese’s historic buildings and gardens, the Cathedral of St. Michael, the Dubniczay Palace, and more. Most events are free; some church programs require registration, and a few concerts or tastings are ticketed. Organizers reserve the right to change the program.
Concerts: Friday, May 8
Old Town Stage
– 19:30–20:30 Csaknekedkislány
– 21:15–22:30 Bohemian Betyars
– 23:15–00:30 Mehringer
Cserhát Stage
– 18:30–19:30 Swing à la Django
– 20:15–21:30 Soulwave
– 22:30–00:00 Anna and the Barbies
Hangvilla Stage
– 18:00–19:00 Hangár All Stars
– 19:45–20:45 Áron Bodor: The Quieter Part of Me (A csendesebb részem)
– 21:45–22:45 Czaffy
Concerts: Saturday, May 9
Old Town Stage
– 19:30–20:30 Fiúk
– 21:15–22:30 Hősök
– 23:15–00:45 Punnany Massif
Cserhát Stage
– 18:30–19:29 Kéknyúl
– 20:15–21:30 Lóci játszik
– 22:30–00:00 ABBA Tribute Show
Hangvilla Stage
– 18:00–19:00 The Bluesberry Band
– 19:45–20:45 LGT Tribute Band (LGT Emlékzenekar)
– 21:45–22:45 Hollywoodoo
Wednesday, May 6 highlights
– Dubniczay Palace, 17:00: BotanicArt Oasis program on monastery gardens and medieval cuisine.
– Eötvös Károly Library, 17:00: Art history lecture on the Battle of Mohács and King Louis II in 16th–19th-century art by Júlia Papp, Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
– Művészetek Háza S-Studio, 18:00: Literary Encounters featuring the editorial teams of Vár Ucca Műhely and Jelenkor, with editors Ottó Fenyvesi, László Kilián, and Zoltán Ágoston.
– ART Sparks Gallery, 18:00: Opening of Mária S. Hontai’s Horizons exhibition, on view through May 31.
Thursday, May 7
– Laczkó Dezső Museum, 16:00–18:00: Inner Labyrinth art therapy journey into the world of Lili Ország with Zsuzsi Szitási. Fee: about $10.80; registration required.
– Szilágyi László Street Gallery, 16:30: Opening of Ottó Fenyvesi’s Feedback collage show.
– Cathedral of St. Michael, 19:00: Várhegy Organ Evenings with organist András Lakner Bognár, featuring vocalist Babi Gál. Tickets: about $6.80; students/seniors about $4.10.
Friday, May 8
– Petőfi Theater (Petőfi Színház), 16:00: Gizella Princess Awards ceremony.
– Archdiocese, Major Seminary Conference Hall, 16:30: Mohács 500 – Veszprém and the diocese on the eve of Mohács, a lecture by Balázs Karlinszky, director of the Archdiocesan Library and Archives.
– f|x|r Gallery, 17:00: Ivó Kovács presents LIQUID HORIZONS—Ontology of Computed Spaces, music by József Iszlai.
– Archiepiscopal Palace Screening Room, 18:00: Film 1000 Years of Heritage – Renewal of the Veszprém Castle District.
– Gizella Chapel, 19:00: Inaugural Gizella Day prayer.
– Live music rolls out across the Hangvilla, Cserhát, and Old Town stages as listed above.
Saturday, May 9
From 9:00: Craft fair on Kossuth Street. At 10:00, Kabóca Puppet Theater (Kabóca Bábszínház) performs Stone Soup (Kőleves) at Hangvilla; a 10:00 festive Mass on Trinity Square (Szentháromság tér) is celebrated by Archbishop György Udvardy with the Air Force Band, Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra, and diocesan choirs.
Museum tours include a 10:30 closing guided walk through Lili Ország and fellow artists at the Laczkó Dezső Museum. From 11:00, the Modern Gallery courtyard hosts open-air painting and a family cyanotype workshop.
From noon to 18:00: a family discovery day spreads across diocesan sites with interactive treasure hunts (Magdi Tour), code-breaking, creative garden crafts, reading corners, building games, and puzzles. Wine tastings in the Archiepiscopal Palace cellar run at 12:30, 14:30, and 16:30; tickets about $12.20. There’s a 13:00 repeat screening of 1000 Years of Heritage.
At 14:00, psychologist Dorottya Pap speaks on digital balance. Creative workshops Thistles and Lilies (Magdolnák virágai) teach thistle and lily crafting. A 15:00 professional tour explores the engineering behind the renewed Castle District, and curators lead The Secrets of Magdalene Devotion (A magdolnaság titkai) at the award-winning Bogáncs és liliom—Magdolnák virágai show.
A 16:00 diocesan religion quiz final and St. Emeric (Szent Imre) prizes follow, then at 17:00 the historical parade marches from St. Emeric Square (Szent Imre tér) to Kossuth Street to Old Town Square with the Pavane Historical Dance Group, Langaléta Garabonciások stilt performers, Veszprém district groups, the Passau Friends Society, the German Nationality Club, and the German Nationality Self-Government. A 17:00–18:00 festive choral concert fills the Cathedral, and a guided tour links the Archiepiscopal Palace, the Koller Library, and the Gizella Chapel.
At 17:30, the main gala awards the Gizella Prizes, with a speech by University of Pannonia Rector János Abonyi and Mayor Gyula Porga presenting. Music by Edina “mókuS” Szirtes & Akusztik Quartet. Evening concerts unfold across the stages as listed.
Sunday, May 10
Craft fair 9:00–17:00. Guided Palace and Gizella Chapel tours at 10:30 and 14:00. At 11:00, the Veszprém Youth Wind Orchestra plays on the Cserhát Stage; Dubniczay Palace hosts Árpád-era brickmaking heritage at 11:00.
From noon to 17:00: museum kids’ workshops, discovery games, Magdi Tour, Caritas empathy game One Shoe Fits, creative garden, reading and puzzle corners, and the award-winning Bogáncs és liliom program. Wine tastings at 13:00, 15:00, and 17:00, tickets about $12.20. National minority showcases bring Roma, Armenian, and Ukrainian performances at 15:00 on the Cserhát Stage; a German Nationality gala runs at 15:00 at the Agóra Cultural Center.
Literary picnic at 15:00 in the Modern Gallery courtyard with readings by Erzsébet Éltető, Ottó Fenyvesi, László Kilián, and Rihárd Varga, plus a bring-and-swap book exchange. Heritage walks, 15:00–16:30 and 16:00–17:30, explore the Cathedral, St. George’s Chapel, the Archiepiscopal Palace, and the Gizella Chapel. At 16:00, Hangvilla’s Great Hall hosts the Csermák 110 Dance Gala with folk, ballet, and movement ensembles. The day closes with the Gizella Women’s Choir concert at 18:00 in the County Hall’s St. Stephen Hall, featuring harp, flute, horns, and piano, conducted by Gabriella Borbásné Gazdag.
Most events are free, with occasional registration required for Archdiocese programs. Enjoy the citywide joy festival in Veszprém.
