Keszthely’s Balaton Theater (Balaton Színház) is packing the 2026–2027 calendar with hit plays, concerts, comedy nights, and a star-led operetta-musical gala. The venue at 3 Main Square (Fő tér 3) welcomes thousands of season pass holders every year as a receiving theater and hosts frequent Dumaszínház stand-up shows alongside a steady flow of acclaimed Hungarian and international performers. Ticket prices across the season range from about $8 to $47. The box office is at 8360 Keszthely, Fő tér 3. Need details, dates, accommodation, or food-and-drink tips? They’ve got those covered too.
Molnár classic reimagined with punch
On July 14, 2026, at 19:00, Pannon Castle Theater (Pannon Várszínház) brings The Paul Street Boys (A Pál utcai fiúk) to the main theater hall. Tickets are $27. The timeless novel by Ferenc Molnár becomes a bracing, contemporary-sounding musical play by László Dés, Péter Geszti, and Krisztián Grecsó. This time, the conflict isn’t played by children but by young adults, sharpening the drama and amplifying it with modern music and lyrics. It’s still the bedrock story of society’s nature, heroism, betrayal, frailty, and love of homeland, with Nemecsek, Boka, and Feri Áts (Áts Feri) standing as eternal examples—and eternal contemporaries.
The production leans into acoustic staging, the cast’s rhythmic inventiveness, and the energy and humor of youth, without letting go of the original’s cathartic message. Directed by László Vándorfi, with staging by Vándorfi and costumes by Júlia Justin, choreography by György Krámer, and production lead by Dávid Szelle. The stage version draws on Molnár’s novel, with contributions by László Marton and Zsuzsa Radnóti, incorporating elements of Sándor Török’s adaptation. The cast rotates across roles: Janó, the guardian of the “Grund” (Csaba Zayzon / László Vándorfi); Boka (Dávid Szelle); Nemecsek (Tamás Havasi / Olivér Rákos / Árpád Csaba Szente); Geréb (Ádám Németh / László Béhr / Csaba Zayzon); Csónakos (Ákos Guba / Szabolcs Jónás); Kolnay (Ervin Molnár / Zoltán Dániel Pintér / Gábor Kovács); Barabás (Roland Ruff / Gergely Kuti); Weisz, Richter, Csele, Leszik, and the “Redshirts” led by Feri Áts (Norbert Kátai / Ádám Németh / Máté Bátor Soós) fill a robust ensemble, with multiple understudies across the board.
Dés’s melodies drive a cult film turned musical
On August 4, 2026, at 19:00, the same company presents We’ll Never Die (Sose halunk meg), tickets $24. Róbert Koltai’s unforgettable film returns as a musical to László Dés’s outstanding score. “Uncle Gyuszi,” the famed coat-hanger hustler, guides his teenage nephew—and us—through early-1960s Hungary, across special places, characters, and turning points in life. The show is breezy yet bittersweet, with echoes of classic Hungarian screen heroes: the lead of The Corporal and Others (A tizedes meg a többiek), Minarik from Football of the Old Times (A régi idők focija), and, of course, Koltai’s own film persona.
Pannon Castle Theater stages filmic dramaturgy without tech tricks, using the raw power of live theater. Directed by László Vándorfi with choreography by György Krámer, sets by Yvette Alida Kovács, costumes by Júlia Justin, and directing collaborators Nikolett Balázs and Nóra Magashegyi. Cast highlights: Gyula (András Koscsisák), Imi (Dávid Szelle), Mother (Edit Oravecz), Father (László Keresztesi), Boldi (Ervin Molnár / Zoltán Dániel Pintér), Nusi (Juci Lovas), plus a versatile ensemble covering roles from Simula to the Greengrocer to the cultural center director and the onstage pianist. Running time: 150 minutes with one intermission.
Bestselling school story with a sting
On September 21, 2026, at 11:00, the Budaörs Latinovits Theater (Budaörsi Latinovits Színház) performs Anikó Wéber: The Loser of the Class (Wéber Anikó: Az osztály vesztese), a 60-minute youth show without intermission. Tickets: $9.50. Ten fifth-graders take the stage: Kristóf the dragon maniac; Feri, small, quiet, a grind; Domi, funny and hotheaded; and Bálint, who’s just… Bálint. Áron’s angry because he’s always hungry. Csaba is the new kid and seriously odd. Fanni smells, Anti st-st-stutters, Lili is a princess who’s “sweet,” and Balázs is the popular one. Together, class 5.a built a Facebook profile for Kukoricza Jancsi, posting János vitéz-related pics, links, and quotes with a shared password—until a photo of a tied, masked figure pops up on the wall, stamped “Az osztály vesztese.” Who posted it? Who’s in the photo? Anyone in 5.a could be the culprit—or the victim.
The play asks the audience: Who would you trade places with? Who are you like? Who would you befriend or avoid? And how are you, really—in class, at school, at work, in the world? Have you hurt or been hurt? Adapted for the stage by Angéla Kolozsi from Wéber’s hit novel, featuring Orsi Szőts, Kristóf Fröhlich, and guest Botond Vrabecz. Recommended from age 10.
Operetta and Broadway sparkle, hand in hand
On September 27, 2026, at 17:00, Hand in Hand – Operetta and Musical Evening (Kéz a kézben – Operett- és musicalest) takes over the hall with Marika Oszvald (Oszvald Marika), Anna Peller (Peller Anna), and Károly Peller (Peller Károly). Tickets are $20.60 and $23.40. Expect an elegant, emotion-rich program bursting with evergreen gems by Lehár, Kálmán, and Huszka, alongside popular musical and Broadway hits. Humor, nostalgia, passion, and pure love of theater blend into a one-night journey designed to linger.
Cooney’s farce crashes into a hotel window
On January 28, 2027, at 19:00, Bánfalvy Studio (Bánfalvy Stúdió) revives Ray Cooney’s Out of Order (A miniszter félrelép), tickets $23.00 and $25.70. Richard Willey, a slick young minister, sneaks into a posh hotel for a tryst with opposition secretary Jane—only to find a “corpse” in the window. With his jittery parliamentary secretary, George, drafted in, chaos spirals as the hotel manager and head waiter interrupt at the worst moments, while Richard’s wife, George’s mother’s nurse, and Jane’s jealous husband kick the door down on propriety. The night has more surprises to spare.
Cast includes Ádám Gombás as Richard, Zsófia Kondákor as Jane, Ferenc Hujber as George, Ganxsta Zolee as Ronnie, and Anna Bugár/Réka Léda Mezei as Pamela, plus a double-cast manager (Imre Harmath/Gyula Mesterházy), head waiter (Gábor Urmai/Miklós Hegedűs), the body (Gábor Pintér/Ádám Gombás), and a commanding nurse (Tímea Stelczer). Directed by Csaba Horváth, with choreography by Gyula Antal Horváth, sets and costumes by Gabriella Győri, translation by Tamás Ungvári, and dramaturgy by Albert Benedek. The play won the 1992 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy.
Key dates: 2026.07.14 (Keszthely), 2026.08.04 (Keszthely), 2026.09.21 (Keszthely), 2026.09.27 (Keszthely), 2027.01.28 (Keszthely).
