Keszthely is packing 2026 with festivals, exhibitions, concerts, theater, films, museum workshops, food events, sports, and plenty of guaranteed and optional ways to spend free time across multiple venues. Here’s what to catch from early May into June, from hands-on craft to big-stage spectacle, lakeside family days to jazz nights.
Szalmafonó Exhibition Opens
On May 8 at 5:00 p.m., the Balaton Theatre’s Kacsóh Hall hosts the opening of the straw-weaving exhibition by the local Szalmafonás Workshop, created under the ASzakkör program. Free to visit through June 4, it spotlights traditional craft techniques reborn through participants’ creativity and patience. The goal: bring folk craft values closer and show the power and beauty of communal creation. Opening remarks by Renáta Dervalics, regional coordinator of the National Institute of Culture’s Zala County Directorate for Keszthely–Zalaszentgrót, with greetings from Bálint Osvald, director of the Goldmark Károly Cultural Centre, and a contribution by Sheila Judit Varjassi of Életfa Elementary and Arts School.
Birds and Trees Day in Helikon Park
Saturday, May 9, 10:00 a.m.: an interactive, awareness-raising family morning in Helikon Park invites kids and adults alike to explore nature together.
OMEGA Musical With ExperiDance
On May 9 at 7:00 p.m., the Balaton Theatre main hall stages Gyöngyhajú lány – OMEGA musical, with ExperiDance on stage and Léna Kóbor in the lead. Tickets: about $36.20; $41.80. Framed as an “adult fairy tale,” the musical follows Kriszta’s coming of age and first heartbreak, guided by Trombitás Frédi through Balaton’s mythical legends. Written and directed by Zsolt Pozsgai, music directed by Zsolt Gömöry, costumes by Ildikó Debreczeni, set design by János Mira, LED video by Zénó Mira. Awarded Best Musical Dance Performance in 2016, it features 22 Re-Production dancers, five musical theatre singers, and 21 iconic Omega hits from Trombitás Frédi and Régi csibészek to Ezüst eső, Petróleumlámpa, Ha én szél lehetnék and Gyöngyhajú lány—declared part of Omega’s sacred heritage in 2023. Choreography by Dávid Benkő, Veronika Benkő-Morvai, and Albert Hernicz, with more than 538 sq ft of LED wall amplifying the visuals. The cast includes familiar names like Máté Szabó, László Sánta, Nikolett Füredi, and Réka Koós, with Léna Kóbor carrying Kriszta since the 2023 Csepel Pentecost premiere.
Guided Kis-Balaton Trips and Lake Cruises
From May 5–10 and again May 12–17, 19–24, 26–31, June 2–7, and 9–14, head out from the Kis-Balaton Visitor Centre to Diás Island’s István Fekete memorial and the Matula hut—by your own vehicle, golf cart, or canoe. Throughout these weeks, Keszthely lake cruises run in rolling blocks (May 4–10; 11–17; 18–24; 25–31; June 1–5; 6–7; 8–12; 13–14; 15–18), alongside outdoor city sightseeing adventure games that turn landmarks into playful puzzles.
Travel Club: From Oceania to South America
May 11, 6:00 p.m., Balaton Theatre Simándy Hall: a free World Travellers Club evening with photographer-speaker Roland Markó. Expect vivid photos and stories spanning Asia, Oceania, Africa, and South America, focusing on everyday life, traditions, and people, not just postcard views.
Kids’ Puppet-Kitchen Magic
May 13, 10:00 a.m., Balaton Theatre Simándy Hall: Batyu Színház presents Boszorkánykonyha, a 40–45 minute object-puppet show where pots, spoons, and tea towels become heroes. Tickets: about $8.40. Classic tales reimagined with humor and imagination, drawing on Zsigmond Móricz’s Iciri-piciri, Hungarian folk tales like A medve és a macska and Kőleves, plus Elek Benedek’s A só. Starring Nelli Kontha and Krisztina Borbély; music by Péter Csák; puppets by Csilla Vizi; props by Nicolette Aranyos; directed by Nelli Kontha.
Psyché Workshop: Pets and Mental Health
May 13, 5:00 p.m., Balaton Theatre Básti Room: a free Psyché Workshop talk by counselor-psychologist and animal-assisted therapist Nóra Angyal-Szilvás on companion animals’ role in mental health from infancy to old age.
Hévíz Springs: A Wandering Past
May 13, 6:00 p.m., Simándy Hall: free one-hour lecture in the Open Eyes on the Big World series. Lajos Gál explores the Hévíz springs’ migrating past and historical routes.
Danny Blue: The Secret
May 14, 7:00 p.m., Balaton Theatre main hall: The Secret – An Evening with Danny Blue, Hungary’s best-known mentalist. Tickets: about $25.10; $30.70; $36.30; $41.90. Promises a close-up, mind-bending dive into thoughts and feelings, with rave audience reactions to match.
Musical Time Travel
May 21, 6:00 p.m., Balaton Theatre main hall: Hogyan tündék…—a musical time trip with the ZsigmondLala Musical Studio’s amateur group. Tickets: about $12.60. Two hours, 20 minutes (with one break), ages 10+, revisiting the biggest hits of the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s.
Stand-Up: Ezt benéztem!
May 28, 7:00 p.m., main hall: comedian Musimbe Dávid Dennis brings Ezt benéztem!, hosted by Orsolya Sipos. Tickets: about $18.90–$21.70. From Hollywood dreams to family shocks to UFO doubts, he mines every misread moment for laughs.
Old Film Songs, New Spark
May 30, 6:00 p.m., main hall: A szerelem nem szégyen – Régi filmek dalai by the Rátonyi Róbert Theatre. Tickets: about $25.00. A chamber show with live music reviving 1930s–40s Hungarian film hits—charleston, shimmy, foxtrot, swing—through a boy-meets-girl story. Evergreen gems by Mihály Eisemann, Alfréd Márkus, Pál Ábrahám, Károly De Fries, and Szabolcs Fényes. Starring Edit Vörös, Sándor Domoszlai, Tamás Heller, László Gonda, and the Palermo band.
City Children’s Day by the Lake
May 31, Balaton lakeside: a full day for kids. Stage from 2:00 p.m.: Tüsi the Clown; Maminbaba babywearing Latin fitness; Goldmark Cultural Centre dance groups; ÜSTökös Family Company’s Az öreg halász és a nagyravágyó felesége; and an interactive HandaBanda concert (5:00–6:00 p.m.). Extras 2:00–6:00 p.m.: obstacle course with Kölyöktorna SE; 4:00–6:00 p.m.: flashing police car showcase. And from 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m., the Hungarian Lifeguard Service and volunteer firefighters run game stations, stamp hunts, and interactive demos at several lakeside spots.
Jazz-a-vége Kicks Off
June 3, 7:00 p.m., Balaton Theatre: the JAZZ-a-vége club series debuts with the Orbay Lilla Quintet. Tickets: about $11.20. Lilla Orbay—singer, composer, bandleader, pianist—channels 1970s melody-rich atmospherics with modern arrangements and bold improvisation. The band has played Eurojazz (Mexico City) and Amersfoort World Jazz (Netherlands); their debut EP Paradise Ablaze arrived in December 2023. The series aims to break down barriers between musicians and audience and build a buzzing jazz community.
Áron Tamási’s Csalóka szivárvány
June 4, 7:00 p.m., main hall: the Déryné Company performs Áron Tamási’s Csalóka szivárvány (Deceptive Rainbow), free with registration. A Székely landowner, Bálint Czintos, jolted by his son’s graduation and village festivities, hits a dead end and attempts an identity swap. Director Attila Keresztes probes universal questions: Can happiness exist without its shadow? How do we face boundless desire without losing ourselves? Cast features Mihály Kaszás, András Sütő, Jászai Mari Award winners Viktor Ivaskovics and Viktória Tarpai, Géza Széplaky, and more; dramaturgy by Réka Szabó, set by Viola Fodor, costumes by Kató Huszár, music by Csaba Boros.
City Day Weekend
June 5–7, Keszthely’s Main Square becomes a festive hub: beyond official ceremonies, expect outdoor entertainment, craft activities, concerts, and a dance house. Full schedules are coming soon.
Beyond these highlights, lake cruises and outdoor adventure sightseeing games continue into mid-June, plus weekend boat trips on June 6–7 and 13–14. Keszthely’s spring-to-summer stretch is wide open—pick your lane and dive in.
