Keszthely rolls into 2026 with a packed calendar that stretches from lakeside fun to late‑night jazz, family theater, city games, boat cruises, nature tours, and summer camps. Multiple venues across the 8360 postal district host festivals, exhibitions, concerts, stage shows, film screenings, museum workshops, food events, sports, and a long list of guaranteed and optional programs for locals and visitors alike.
May Highlights: Travel, Tales, and Mind Games
On May 11 at 6:00 p.m., the World Traveler Club lands at the Balaton Theatre’s Simándy Hall for a free photographic journey through Oceania, Asia, Africa, and South America. Presenter Roland Markó blends vivid images with stories of everyday life, traditions, and people, bringing faraway cultures closer in a personal, authentic voice.
All week from May 11–17, teams can crack clues, explore, and laugh their way through two outdoor city‑exploration games that spotlight Keszthely’s landmarks. In parallel, lakeside Keszthely offers steady pleasure cruises on Lake Balaton.
From May 12–17, guided excursions at the Kis‑Balaton Visitor Centre take small groups to Diás Island’s István Fekete Memorial and the Matula Hut by car, golf cart, or on the water by canoe.
May 13 is a big day at the Balaton Theatre. At 10:00 a.m., Batyu Színház presents Witch’s Kitchen, a 40–45 minute object‑puppet show where saucepans, spoons, and dishcloths become heroes, weaving classic tales with humor and imagination. Tickets are 3,000 HUF (about 8.50 USD). Stories include Zsigmond Móricz’s Iciri‑piciri; the Hungarian folktales The Bear and the Cat and Stone Soup; and Elek Benedek’s Salt. Performers: Nelli Kontha and Krisztina Borbély; music by Péter Csák; puppets by Csilla Vizi; props by Nicolette Aranyos; directed by Nelli Kontha.
At 5:00 p.m., the free Psyche Workshop features Nóra Angyal‑Szilvás, counseling psychologist and animal‑assisted therapist, on how companion animals shape mental health from infancy to old age (Básti Hall). At 6:00 p.m., geographer Lajos Gál unpacks the wandering past of the Hévíz springs in the Open Eyes on the World series (Simándy Hall, free; 1 hour).
On May 14 at 7:00 p.m., Hungary’s best‑known mentalist, Danny Blue, stages The Secret at the Balaton Theatre. Expect intimate mind games and reality‑bending moments. Tickets: 8,990–14,990 HUF (about 25–43 USD).
Late May: Music, Laughter, and a Kids’ Day by the Lake
May 18–24 repeats the outdoor city adventure games and Keszthely promenade cruises, with Kis‑Balaton guided trips from May 19–24.
On May 21 at 6:00 p.m., How Would I… is a time‑hopping jukebox show by the ZsigmondLala Musical Studio’s amateur troupe, revisiting the greatest hits of the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. Two hours twenty minutes with one intermission, recommended from age 10. Tickets: 4,500 HUF (about 13 USD).
From May 25–31, the adventure games and cruises are back, and Kis‑Balaton tours run May 26–31.
On May 28 at 7:00 p.m., comedian Dávid Dennis Musimbe premieres I Misread That!, hosted by Orsolya Sipos—a confessional, fast‑paced set about career dreams, family revelations, and UFO skepticism turned upside down. Tickets: 6,890–7,990 HUF (about 20–23 USD).
On May 30 at 6:00 p.m., Love Is No Shame – Songs From Old Films revives 1930s–40s Hungarian movie hits in a chamber staging with live music from the Róbert Rátonyi Theatre. Expect the charleston, shimmy, foxtrot, and swing, with songs by Eisemann, Márkus, Ábrahám, De Fries, and Fényes, framed by a classic boy‑meets‑girl arc. Starring Edit Vörös, Sándor Domoszlai, Tamás Heller, László Gonda, and the Palermo band. Tickets: 8,900 HUF (about 26 USD).
On May 31, the City Children’s Day takes over Keszthely’s Balaton shore. Stage program: 2:00 p.m. Tüsi the Clown; 2:40 p.m. Maminbaba babywearing Latin fitness; 3:00 p.m. dance groups from the Goldmark Károly Cultural Centre; 4:00 p.m. ÜSTökös Family Company performs The Old Fisherman and His Ambitious Wife; 5:00–6:00 p.m. HandaBanda’s interactive kids’ concert. Side events run 2:00–6:00 p.m. with an obstacle course by Kölyöktorna SE; 4:00–6:00 p.m. flashing vehicle showcase; 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. rescue services host game stations, stamp collecting, and hands‑on demos at several lakeside spots.
June: Jazz, Theater, City Day, and Summer Camps
June opens with more promenade cruises (June 1–5), outdoor city games (June 1–7), and Kis‑Balaton tours (June 2–7). On June 3 at 7:00 p.m., the JAZZ‑a‑végé club series launches with the Lilla Orbay Quintet at the Balaton Theatre, a melodic, atmospheric sound inspired by the 70s with modern arrangements and bold improvisations. Tickets: 4,000 HUF (about 11 USD).
On June 4 at 7:00 p.m., the Deryné Company performs Áron Tamási’s drama Deceptive Rainbow, free with registration. The play follows landowner Bálint Czintos, whose son’s graduation and a village feast trigger a crisis that spirals into an identity swap and moral reckoning. Directed by Attila Keresztes; a full cast and creative team bring Székely ethos to universal questions about happiness, longing, and the cost of reinvention.
City Day of Keszthely runs June 5–7 on the Main Square with official ceremonies, open‑air entertainment, craft workshops, concerts, and dance houses; detailed program to follow. Boat trips continue June 6–7.
Mid‑June keeps the rhythm with cruises (June 8–12), city games (June 8–14), Kis‑Balaton tours (June 9–14), more boat days (June 13–14), and another week of cruises and games June 15–21 with nature trips June 16–21. Boat weekends return June 19–21.
Summer camps begin June 22–26 with Summer Break – Dance Camp at GKMK’s Grand Hall from 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., led by Zsuzsanna Dézsenyi. For ages 5–10, min. 10 and max. 15 participants. Fee: 19,000 HUF (about 54 USD). Registration by May 29 via +36 30 1370 613 (8 a.m.–4 p.m.). The same week includes daily boat excursions and city adventure games (June 22–28), plus Kis‑Balaton tours (June 23–28).
On June 25 at 7:00 p.m., JAZZ‑a‑végé presents the Áron Tálas Trio. Tálas, a Junior Prima, Gramofon, and Artisjus award winner and Zeneakadémia (Liszt Academy) lecturer, fuses jazz complexity with folk, classical, and modern grooves. Repertoire spans Little Beggar (2016) and New Questions, Old Answers (2024). With István Tóth on double bass and László Csízi on drums. Tickets: 4,000 HUF (about 11 USD).
End of June Into July: Stories, Clay, and Play
June 29–July 3 offers two parallel camps. Summer Break – Folk Tale Camp runs at GKMK’s Folk Tale Point, half‑day 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. for 19,000 HUF (about 54 USD) plus 3,000 HUF (about 8.50 USD) materials; full‑day 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. for 35,000 HUF (about 100 USD) plus 3,000 HUF materials and optional lunch at 1,300 HUF (about 3.70 USD). Ages 6–12, min. 10 and max. 15 participants; led by Adél Tóth; register by May 29 at +36 30 1370 613.
Running the same dates, Summer Break – Pottery Camp 1 at the Pottery Workshop (2 Lehel St.) guides participants from basic vessels to wheel‑thrown forms across five days and five techniques, including coil, small sculpture, slab building, and new decoration methods. Ages 8+, led by Edit Simon. Fee: 19,000 HUF (about 54 USD) + 3,000 HUF (about 8.50 USD) materials. City games also continue June 29–July 5.
