Szekszárd is turning 2026 into a yearlong soundtrack. From chamber halls to open-air stages, the city lines up classical and pop concerts, cross-genre shows, festivals, and foodie gatherings, plus a heap of guaranteed and optional leisure programs. Visitors can dip in for a night or settle in for a long weekend that mixes music with vineyards, bistros, and thermal-soaked downtime.
Dates You’ll Want on Your Calendar
The season opens February 11 with Miklós H. Vecsei and Qjúb (Vecsei H. Miklós és a Qjúb), a concert evening in Szekszárd that blends theater-honed storytelling with intimate songcraft. Tickets range from $8.20 to $8.20.
March comes packed. On March 1, Cellomania (Csellómánia) brings the cello students of the Liszt Academy’s Bartók Conservatory (Bartók Béla Konzervatórium) to the stage for a performance that promises precision and youthful fire. March 8 nods to International Women’s Day with the We Love in Hungarian! Band (Magyarul Szeretjük! Zenekar) delivering a celebratory set. On March 12, From Soul to Soul – Evergreen Hits from Dohány Street to Broadway (Lélektől lélekig – Evergreen slágerek a Dohány utcától a Broadwayig) bridges Budapest’s musical legacy with show-tune splendor. Five days later, March 17 swings hard with The World’s Best Guitarist – Swing à la Django (A világ legjobb gitárosa – Swing à la Django), a virtuoso flight of Gypsy jazz and hot club rhythms.
Spring primes the nostalgia. On May 21, What Am I Without Music… (Zene nélkül mit érek én…) pays tribute to giants Zsuzsa Cserháti (Cserháti Zsuzsa) and Péter Máté (Máté Péter), a singalong-ready memorial concert priced at $24.30. As the year rounds toward winter, November 6 brings organist Gergely Rákász with MOZART, tickets set at $15.
Stay Where the Wine Pours
Right in the city center, Hotel Merops**** blends urban ease with the warmth of a wine hotel, neighboring the Mészáros Wine House (Mészáros Pincészet) and just minutes from the main square. It’s calm small-town energy with a wine-country glow. Guests get bespoke service in a chic interior, with eight rooms and two apartments tailored to both chill-seekers and active explorers. The team curates city and regional gastronomic programs, and the hotel’s cellar hosts Szekszárd-style gatherings—from birthdays and friendly dinners to company events—that tend to become stories you’ll tell again.
A short stroll away, the Main Street Bistro at Nádasdi House (Nádasdi-ház) pairs broad-shouldered menus with easy elegance, turning out plates that charm locals and visitors alike. Wine tastings? Organized. Atmosphere? Dialed to good times.
Motels, Modern Hotels, Vineyard Hideouts
Rolling in from the north on Route 6, Sió Motel sits at Szekszárd’s gateway, perched between the Szekszárd and Tolna wine regions on 6.18 acres and close to the Gemenc Forest (Gemenc) and Sárköz. For a polish-meets-practical stay, Hotel Zodiaco***—the area’s only three-star hotel—leans modern and elegant, shaped by a simple philosophy: guest satisfaction. They keep upgrading year by year so business trips and weekend escapes flow just right.
Out in the Baranya Valley (Baranyavölgy), Attila Estate (Attila Birtok) farms 34.6 acres of vines, working Blaufränkisch (Kékfrankos), Kadarka, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Zweigelt. The estate’s kitchen obsesses over wine–food harmony, foregrounding the many colors of Hungarian cuisine—refreshed, modernized, but unmistakably Hungarian (magyar) at heart.
Where Cellars Double as Destinations
Bodri Winery (Bodri Pincészet) sprawls across 247 acres at Szekszárd’s southern edge, a tourism hub wrapped in a postcard valley. It’s a full-on world: winery, event center, restaurant, show kitchen, and guesthouses. The 19,375-square-foot grand cellar ripples with twelve domes, while a 3,229-square-foot aging cellar opens for guided tours. The 15,069-square-foot rosé facility turns out high-quality volume. Up to 61 guests can stay in finely designed rooms, then melt away stress in a thermal-water underground domed Roman bath, plus a jacuzzi and sauna. In the Optimus Restaurant, Hungarian classics get a clean, modern edge.
Craving something tucked away? Borfaragó Cellar (Borfaragó Pince) lives in the heart of the so-called Upper Town, where a former carpenter and woodcarver’s workshop now pours handcrafted wines beside folk woodcarving masterpieces. It’s perfect for a group meet-up out of the main bustle but easy to reach.
The Grape Lineup: Bold, Local, Experimental
On the Várdomb vineyard hill, producers put Blaufränkisch (Kékfrankos) front and center for its range, quality, and reliability, either solo or anchoring blends. Other carefully tended varieties include Riesling, Irsai Oliver’s Spicy (Cserszegi Fűszeres), Kadarka, Portugieser, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah.
In the Porkoláb Valley (Porkoláb-völgy), a hands-on winery goes all-in on natural methods, using only estate-grown grapes and steering clear of industrial yeasts, malolactic bacteria, enzymes, fining agents, colorants, and taste, aroma, or acid modifiers. No filtering, sterilizing, oxygen dosing, or heat treatment. Everything gets bottled—pure, unfiltered character sealed to go.
Elsewhere, a cellar leans into both local and traditional varieties, always experimenting with fresh blends. Almost every available red grape becomes a rosé too—medal winners on international stages—while the reds stand tall. Expect local heroes like Blaufränkisch (Kékfrankos) and Kadarka, reinforced with Merlot, Cabernet, and Pinot Noir, all preserving Szekszárd’s signature flavors. For a reset with a view, head to the hillside, kick back, and let the wines do the talking.
Family Roots, Open Doors
The Eszterbauer family, with Swabian and Serbian roots, runs a tradition-rich family winery in Szekszárd. Their showcase wine house and show cellar host tastings led by family members, serving groups of 8 to 50 with everything from simple wine bites to multi-course dinners. Their web shop brims with award winners ready to ship.
Another family estate farms 16.3 acres across four Szekszárd sites, planting Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Blaufränkisch (Kékfrankos). Small scale, deep focus, big flavor.
Organizers reserve the right to change dates and programs.
