Keszthely is loading up a season of brainy, buzzy, sometimes unsettling talks at Balaton Theatre (Balaton Színház) — from insect invasions and Blue Zones to serial killers and symbiosis with AI. Some are free with registration, others ticketed, all designed to make you think, argue, and maybe breathe a little deeper. Here’s what’s coming, when, and why you should show up.
Invasions on Six Legs
Biological invasions don’t need passports. Dr. Előd Kondorosy, a university professor, kicks off the MATE Open University series with a sharp look at how climate change supercharges invasive species in the insect world. Expect a tour through shifting habitats, exploding populations, and the tricky, expensive business of trying to push back once newcomers get comfortable. The MATE Open University’s debut lecture is free, but registration is required; the sign-up link is provided with the event information.
Time: 2025.11.10., 18:00
Venue: Balaton Theatre (Balaton Színház), Básti Hall, Keszthely
Blue Zones, Red Flags
Cardiovascular disease meets lifestyle medicine in the next Blue Zones session: a deep dive into what long-living populations get right and how to translate that into real life. Dr. Dominik Kovács, Dip.IBLM lifestyle physician and OB-GYN resident, lays out practical, evidence-backed steps to protect your heart without fads or fearmongering. It’s friendly, focused, and free to attend.
Time: 2025.11.13., 18:00
Venue: Balaton Theatre (Balaton Színház), Básti Hall, Keszthely
Parenting in the Digital Jungle
Ban it or bless it? A phone at 10 or 16? The internet is not exactly helping parents sleep at night. The psychologist-gamer-influencer known as The Psychologist Guy (A Pszichológus Pasi) — Dániel Tóth — brings 15+ years of research and four rounds of fatherhood to an engaging, practical talk about kids online. What’s behind video games, influencers, and endless scrolling? How do you spot early warning signs of addiction? When do you set rules and when do you let go? And how can tech become a tool for growth rather than a wrecking ball? Expect humor, clarity, and take-home strategies.
Time: 2025.11.19., 18:30
Venue: Balaton Theatre (Balaton Színház), Theatre Hall, Keszthely
Tickets: $16.10, $18.78
World Traveler Club: French Polynesia
Sink into turquoise. The December World Traveler Club session takes you to the lagoons of French Polynesia, the stunning coral around Taha’a, and dives with dolphins, sharks, and rays. Speaker Balázs Buzás curates the escape with images and stories that smell like salt and sunscreen. Free to attend, and yes, it might make you look up flights afterward.
Time: 2025.12.01., 18:00
Venue: Balaton Theatre (Balaton Színház), Simándy Hall, Keszthely
Close: A Night That Leans In
Come closer. No, closer. The literary-psychological evening Close – What Connects Us (Közel – Ami összeköt) brings writer Sarolta Dobray and psychiatrist-composer Dr. György Bánki together for an intimate, music-laced event sparked by Dobray’s new short story collection, Close (Közel). Think motherhood, loss, childhood memories, the tiny gestures that carry whole worlds — the scenes we miss when life runs too fast. Bánki will not only share psychological insights but also perform his own compositions, opening fresh layers in the stories. You might leave feeling seen, and definitely not alone. The book Close (Közel) will be available to buy on site.
Time: 2026.01.26., 18:30
Venue: Balaton Theatre (Balaton Színház), Theatre Hall, Keszthely
Limitless Frames, Dead-End Freedom?
Meet investor and live-wire speaker András Moldován as he turns the spotlight on the paradox of boundaries: why a society without frames isn’t freedom; it’s a cul-de-sac. His interactive series around the second book Limitless Frames (Határtalan keretek) mixes debate, provocation, and plenty of audience involvement. If you know him from Shark Tank (Cápák között), expect the same punch, more philosophy.
Time: 2026.02.06., 18:30
Venue: Balaton Theatre (Balaton Színház), Theatre Hall, Keszthely
AI: Friend, Foe, or Symbiont?
What does AI research really look like in the 21st century — and should we be scared of multiplying machine minds? Mathematician, psychologist, and former AI researcher Dr. László Mérő brings a multi-angle tour of artificial intelligence that dodges the dense technicalities and zeroes in on the human stakes. How do intelligent systems shape our days and our future? Are Hollywood’s takeover nightmares remotely useful? What might a human–AI symbiosis do to our psyche and body? You’ll walk away with a grounded map of a future that’s already here.
Time: 2026.02.11., 19:00
Venue: Balaton Theatre (Balaton Színház), Keszthely
Inside the Mind of a Killer
Not for the faint of heart. Former top homicide investigator Péter Doszpot and consulting psychologist Gábor Antal take the audience into the dark world of serial killers in Human Beasts (Emberi bestiák). Who are they really? What drives the cruelty and ritual? Can a psychopath change? What kind of investigative instincts crack these cases? With film clips and real crime cases from Hungary and beyond, the duo shows how policing and psychology braid together when the stakes are life and death. Do you need childhood trauma to make a serial killer, or is the story messier? Two experts, two lenses — a rare night of uncomfortable answers.
Time: 2026.02.28., 19:00
Venue: Balaton Theatre (Balaton Színház), Theatre Hall, Keszthely
Ticket: $14.78
From existential climate questions to the thorniest parenting dilemmas, from island daydreams to the darkest corners of the human mind, Balaton Theatre (Balaton Színház) is turning Keszthely into a thought factory. Some nights are free, some require a ticket, and one wants your registration — but all of them promise a seat at the grown-up table. See you there.
