The last month of summer is one of the most exciting times in Debrecen’s life, as the city’s biggest and most popular festival, the Debrecen Flower Carnival, takes place during this time. But beyond the carnival’s week-long program of events, there’s more to experience in Debrecen. In August, you can enjoy the city’s most atmospheric outdoor festival, the Debrecen Wine and Jazz Days, exciting theatre and dance performances on the Nagyerdei Open-Air Stage, and the world-famous Turkish media artist Refik Anadol will make his debut at MODEM, following New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
There will be no shortage of star performers in Debrecen in August, with such popular Hungarian performers and bands as the Bagossy Brothers, Irie Maffia, Magna Cum Laude, Bohemian Betyars, Budapest Bar, Hot Jazz Band, Nótár Mary, Imre Csuja, Palya Bea, Szeged Contemporary Ballet, the world-famous British guitarist Steve Hackett and Djabe.
5+1 not-to-miss August experiences in Debrecen!
Wine, jazz, Great Forest
Cellar-cold wines, soft jazz tunes, magical night lights and the most beautiful forest in the country. Need more? The Debrecen Wine and Jazz Days, born from the fusion of the internationally renowned Debrecen Jazz Festival and the popular Wine Carnival, awaits you between 8 and 11 August in the middle of the Nagyerdei Park, on the shores of Lake Békás. The four-day festival will feature the finest wines from 60 wineries representing 6 wine regions and 20 wine districts of Hungary, accompanied by 180 musicians from 35 bands, including former guitarist Steve Hackett of the world-famous Genesis band, who will perform with Djabe on 11 August.
The line-up will include classical, vocal, fusion and mainstream jazz, as well as world music and jazz infused with folk. All this set on the lakeside, under the starry sky, at the foot of the mighty trees of the Great Forest.
A week of flowers, dance and music
For nearly 60 years, Debrecen has been home to Hungary’s biggest birthday party, the Debrecen Flower Carnival, which everyone should see live at least once in a lifetime. The cavalcade of events from 15 to 20 August will see almost the entire city in bloom, with a host of better and better programs in countless venues. There will be free concerts by Irie Maffia, the Bohemian Betyars, Magna Cum Laude and the Bagossy Brothers in the main square, a botanical and craft fair, a night-time bike parade, public dance performances, exhibitions, a beer garden and light painting. For the younger ones, the Galiba Children’s Festival will provide several days of entertainment in the amusement park.
The highlight of the festival will of course be the carnival parade on 20 August, with more than 2,000 dancers and spectacular flower floats, which you can see in the morning in the procession and in the afternoon in front of the Nagyerdei Stadium. New this year is the return of a favorite of many, the evening carnival parade, which will conclude with a concert and street party in the main square.
What does AI dream about?
What can AI do when it is fueled by the creative vision of a world-renowned media artist? Find out at MODEM, where Refik Anadol’s video work Rumi Dreams is on show from 3 August. The world-renowned Turkish media artist has exploded into the public consciousness like a comet as he redefined the relationship between technology and culture through his groundbreaking media works. His work quickly became a sensation, and now, after exhibiting at the MOMA in New York, the Sphere in Las Vegas and the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, you can see his thought-provoking work for two months in Debrecen, which is a tribute to the 13th century Anatolian poet, philosopher, scholar and Sufi mystic Mevlana Jallaludin Rumi, unique in both its subject matter and its execution in our country and in Europe.
Splashing through the canopy
If it’s summer, it’s beach time! Make the most of every minute of summer and splash around on the country’s most modern beach! The Aquaticum Strand, winner of numerous international awards, has 5700 square meters of water, 15 different pools, giant slides, diving platforms and lots more attractions. On the terrace of the 12-metre-high central building of the aquatic complex, you can relax under the canopy of the trees of the Great Forest, enjoy a cocktail in the glass-bottomed pool with a water bar or get a tan on one of the sun loungers on the sun terrace. All set against a backdrop of green walls and gently cascading waterfalls, and the beautiful natural surroundings of the Great Forest. At the end of the day, admire the sunset from the sun deck.
Culture in the open air
Although summer is a time for light-hearted fun, it’s not the time to miss out on serious genres. In August, theatre, classical music and dance will be at the forefront of Debrecen’s program. The Béla Bartók International Choir Competition takes place at the beginning of the month, but there will also be three more live classical music performances by great artists such as organists Ádám Tabajdi and Ágoston Tóka, singer Bea Palya, actor Imre Csuja and the Kodály Philharmonic Orchestra. The concerts will take place in the city’s oldest church, the Reformed Small Church, the recently renovated Reformed University Church, Debrecen’s main square and the Memorial Garden behind the Reformed Great Church.
The Hungarian National Dance Ensemble will perform on the Nagyerdei Open-Air Stage on 1 August, and the Szeged Contemporary Ballet on 22 August.
Night at the zoo and under the shooting stars
August nights are magical, especially in mid-August when the Perseids, the most famous and popular meteor of the year, arrive. Also known as the Tears of St Lawrence, you can observe the shooting stars in places free from light pollution, such as the outskirts of the city and the Hortobágy, either individually or in organized events. And while you’re in Hortobágy, don’t miss the sunset safari in the Hortobágy Wildlife Park, where you can get up close and personal with the wildlife, including wild horses and aurochs, in a safari car with a professional guide.
There’s also a special night tour of Zoo Debrecen, where an exclusive program with zoo educators and animal keepers will give you a glimpse into the mysterious nightlife of the animal kingdom. On the last Friday of August, 30th, the Night of the Zoos will also be held, promising you more exciting experiences in the country’s first rural zoo.
