December in Budapest means frosty nights, streets glowing with festive lights, bustling Christmas markets, and the warm scent of roasted chestnuts. And yes, The Nutcracker is back—essential viewing for the holiday season at the Budapest Operetta Theatre, with online tickets available now.
Performances fill the last weeks of 2025: December 18 and 19 at 7:00 PM; December 20 at 2:30 PM and 7:00 PM; December 21 at 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM; December 22 at 2:30 PM and 7:00 PM; December 23 at 2:30 PM and 7:00 PM; December 25 at 2:30 PM and 7:00 PM; December 26 at 2:30 PM and 7:00 PM; December 27 at 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM; December 28 at 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM.
Two acts, perfect for families
The Nutcracker runs in two acts, 2 × 50 minutes. It’s the world’s most popular children’s ballet, and little ones are warmly welcomed—recommended from age six.
From Hoffmann to Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s classic draws on E. T. A. Hoffmann’s tale The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, first adapted by Alexandre Dumas Sr., then shaped by Marius Petipa, choreographer to the Imperial Theatres—his version formed the basis of the original ballet. Tchaikovsky initially doubted the project, fearing lavish sets and costumes would overshadow the music, but the story’s magic won him over. Remarkably, it became the last work of his life.
Premieres and plot
The world premiere was on December 18, 1892, at Saint Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre, preceded by a March 7 concert debut of the Nutcracker Suite. The story unfolds on Christmas Eve: Uncle Drosselmeyer gives young Clara (Marika) a nutcracker doll, which becomes a prince in her dream and whisks her away—after a daring battle with the Mouse King and his army—on an enchanted journey. In Hungary, the ballet debuted in 1927 with Ede Brada’s choreography, later popularized in Budapest in 1950 with the Vainonen (Vajnonen) version.
