This summer we can prepare for an even more colourful flower carnival than ever – the carnival procession with the popular flower floats and the parade of groups is scheduled to return.
There are plenty of cultural and leisure activities for every weekend this summer in Debrecen. In the weeks ahead, there will be theatre performances, the Debrecen Kids Festival, the Festive Book Week, and a number of water activities, among others.
This summer will be particularly lively after two years of lockdown due to the pandemic and vs 2019, said István Puskás. The deputy mayor responsible for culture told Debrecen Television’s Evening Close-up programme that a new classical music talent show, the Zoltán Kodály International Music Competition, is coming in June and already has dozens of applicants from around the world.
The popular music programme is also enhanced this year by the Campus Festival, the Debrecen Wine and Jazz Days, and the Flower Carnival, the second “act” of the Debrecen Festival, which started last year.
The Festive Book Week will take place between the 8th and 12th of June, with the usual Csapó Street book fair, reading and writing meetings, music, and children’s programmes. Ferenc Buda, an author with strong ties to Debrecen, will open the event this year.
The Night of Literature will return for the fourth time between 16th and 18th June, with readings from writers from 25 countries by artists from the Csokonai Theatre.
It will be one of the best summer evenings – weather permitting, we can stroll between outdoor and indoor venues for three evenings,” István Puskás pointed out. He added that one of the cornerstones of Debrecen’s cultural identity is the culture of books, literature, and reading.
The printing house, the Reformed book culture, our role in national literature, our position in contemporary literature, and the book industry all call us to strengthen these traditions,” the deputy mayor said. He said that this was the motivation behind the launch of the Friends of the Book network, which brings together businesses, NGOs, and institutions involved in books to work together to strengthen this element of the city’s life.
The gastronomic season kicks off this weekend with the Downtown Wine Festival – from the 2nd to 4th of June, music and wine lovers can meet on Déri Square and the Debrecziner Gourmet Festival takes place from the 1st to 3rd of July providing a taste of the delicacies on offer, while the Debrecen Wine and Jazz Days will be held from 4th to 7th August.
This year, the carnival procession will hopefully be back, with a parade of flower floats and groups. The Flower Carnival will be greener, we want to green up the city centre for the Carnival and we are preparing for a more colourful and lively Carnival that will involve the city’s population more actively,” said István Puskás.
