For the 28th time, Békéscsaba transforms into Hungary’s sausage capital with the legendary Csabai Sausage Festival (Csabai Kolbászfesztivál). Running from October 23 to 26, 2025, the city attracts locals and tourists for four days packed with mouth-watering sausages, pork feasts, cooking contests, lectures, and concerts. It’s not just about feasting—multiple competitions are open for entry, testing everyone from young children to international sausage-making teams.
Sign Up, Show Off: Competition Overload
Whether you’re a seasoned sausage pro, an ambitious student, or a plucky preschooler, there’s a contest with your name on it. Registration for all competitions takes place online, so contestants can choose their preferred event and even reserve a spot at a table. Every contest begins at a different time and location, making planning (and punctuality) essential.
October 9 at 11 am in Csabai Event Barn (Csabai Rendezvénypajta): International Dry Sausage Competition. On October 23, the Sámuel Mokry Tent (Mokry Sámuel sátor) hosts a youth sausage-making marathon, featuring kindergarteners and elementary school students, from 10 am. October 24 sees high school and university students face off, also at 10 am in the Sámuel Mokry Tent. October 25 turns up the heat with two separate International Sausage-Making Contests—one in the Sámuel Mokry Tent, another in the Mihály Munkácsy Tent (Munkácsy Mihály sátor)—both kicking off at 10 am. October 26 is for families, with a Generational Sausage-Making Competition at 10 am, and for non-sausage lovers, a stuffed cabbage cooking contest at 9 am in the square in front of the Outdoor Stage.
Plan Your Ticket Strategy
Festival passes and day tickets go on sale early—and, trusting Hungarian sausage fans, they tend to go quickly. Purchasing tickets is entirely digital: once paid with a credit card or SZÉP card, you’ll receive your e-coupons by email, which can be exchanged on-site for festival wristbands. As a bonus—children under 6 get in for free.
Don’t get too attached to your plans, though: tickets are non-refundable and cannot be changed. The organizers also reserve the right to tweak the program at any time, so don’t be surprised if your favorite show is swapped last minute.
How Much Will a Sausage-Fueled Weekend Cost?
A four-day festival pass covers Thursday through Sunday and varies in price depending on when you buy: From August 1, it’s 14,500 HUF (about $39); from September 1, 15,900 HUF ($42.50); from October 1, 17,000 HUF ($45.50); from October 12, still 17,000 HUF; and from October 23, it’s 18,000 HUF ($48).
Day ticket pricing works like a sausage-shaped escalator: for Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, tickets start at 7,250 HUF ($19.50) on August 1, rise to 7,950 HUF ($21.20) in September, 8,500 HUF ($22.70) in October, and hit 9,000 HUF ($24) right at the festival.
Feeling thrifty? Arrive before 2 pm on Thursday, and as long as you stay inside the grounds, your Thursday entry is free. But if you leave and try to re-enter, you’ll need to purchase a ticket.
Where to Stay Between Bites
Békéscsaba’s lodging options go way beyond plain hotel rooms. Stay close to the festival bustle at a simple guesthouse in the Lencsési district, with four air-conditioned, TV-equipped double rooms and a communal kitchenette. Want something more upscale? The Arcanum Hotel offers full comfort and wellness deep in city gardens, guaranteeing relaxation and excellent cuisine, or settle into a luxury duplex apartment with 1,184 square feet of space right by the Csaba Center.
Lose yourself in nature at the Fenyves Wellness Hotel (Fenyves Wellness Hotel***), nestled among pine forests and bordered by the city’s canal, for a relaxing family atmosphere and plenty of fresh air. Prefer grand, old-world elegance? The century-old Fiume Hotel has 39 rooms overlooking the newly renovated main square, offering a step back in time.
On a budget? The Meteor Guesthouse (Meteor Vendégház) offers two double and two triple rooms with unlimited Wi-Fi, plenty of TV channels, and a shared kitchenette—plus easy parking and an accessible room for guests with disabilities. If conference hotels are your preference, the city’s four-star wellness and event hotel is housed in a renovated historic beerhouse complex, combining business and pleasure in style.
Numerous boutique accommodations—like Réti Guesthouse & Restaurant (Réti Panzió & Étterem), with 11 rooms for up to 34 guests—promise peace and quiet just behind the city’s famous Lutheran church, with a full renovation and round-the-clock check-in.
Beyond Sausage: More to Feast On
Foodies, rejoice: festival vendors offer more than sausage. Homemade burgers, giant platters, cocktails, hot chocolate, nachos, and other tasty treats pair perfectly with a day of music, contests, and sausage-scented festivities.
Rumor has it the organizers might change the program or dates, but one thing is certain—come October, Békéscsaba will once again be Hungary’s sausage party epicenter.
