Gyula offers a year-round cultural feast: exhibitions, concerts, theater, foodie blowouts, museum workshops, sports, and both guaranteed and optional leisure programs. The castle, the open-air Castle Theater (Gyulai Várszínház), the famed Thermal Bath (Gyulai Várfürdő), and the homeland of pálinka and sausage promise headline events almost every month. From spring to autumn, the Castle Theater hosts stacked festivals, while the fortress runs quality programs nearly all year. The Thermal Bath remains one of Hungary’s favorite spa-and-healing hangouts.
Advent, Castles, and VR Escapes
Dec 19–21: guaranteed programs at Gyula Castle (Gyulai Vár), plus Advent markets in the Craft Courtyard. Dec 21 features Advent at the Ladics House: Christkindl, the Dönci the Dachshund castle tour, Almásy Castle’s Corset and Revolution, and Ladics House: The Empress’s Cup. Dec 22 brings a downtown wander. Dec 22–Jan 4: Ladics House runs Time Travel with VR headsets, while Dec 23 and 30 add a Codebreaking Game.
Lights, Baths, and Late Nights
Dec 26–28: more guaranteed castle programs. Dec 27 features Candlelit Castle, Aristocratic Passions – Treasures of Almásy Castle, candlelit fortress tours, and night splash sessions at AquaPalota. Dec 31 goes all out: Bols Café street party, New Year’s Eve at Vigadó, a Ballroom Bash at the Woodland Center, a Gyulavári night at Kastélykert Bistro, a GolfGallery blowout, and a party at Teo Várkert Bistro.
Warm Winters, Cool Talks
Jan 2–4: guaranteed castle programs. Jan 3: Candlelit Castle, candlelit fortress tours, and night wellness at the Thermal Bath. Jan 8: Ladics House tech club—3D printing with a body scanner. Jan 10: another night wellness. January brings Gyulakult with Sándor Badár’s stand-up (Jan 15) and the gangster-pop mashup show Bonnie, Clyde and Ganxsta (Jan 26). Museum Free University lectures explore Roman magic (Jan 28), Herod, Jesus, and the Holy City (Feb 25), March 15, 1848 (Mar 25), generals or martyrs (Apr 29), and fashion from corsets to bob cuts (May 27).
Comedy, Classics, and Spectacle
Feb 9: Dumaszínház—András Somogyi’s solo show Borrowed Faces (Kölcsön Arcok). Feb 12: Dr. Kitti Almási—Loose Ends. Feb 17: The Count of Fools (A bolondok grófja) by the Déryné Company (Déryné Társulat), based on Mór Jókai. Feb 25: Gyulakult stages Magda Szabó’s Abigél, tickets from $24.40–$27.10. Feb 27: Masters of Illusion comes to Gyula. Mar 5: Claudia Liptai’s solo evening, Clauss-ics (Clauságok).
Dogs, Dance, Pálinka
Mar 21: Dachshund Meetup 2026 at the Almásy Castle Visitor Center. Apr 24–26: Medivid Agility and ParAgility Festival. May 7: Danny Blue—The Secret. May 22–24: the Gyula Pálinka Festival (Gyulai Pálinkafesztivál). Aug 21–23: 4th Zumba Festival Gyula.
Total listings: 45.
