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A special Advent experience awaits visitors in December at the Reformed Great Church. Visitors can admire the festive lights from the church’s 40-metre-high panoramic walkway, take a guided tour of the church and enjoy the magical sound of the church organ.

The Debrecen Advent program series opens its doors on 25 November 2023 at 9:00 am and will be open until 23 December at 7:00 pm. During the four weeks Christmas market, culinary delights, festive lights and attractions, and Christmas concerts, as well as an outdoor ice rink will await visitors in Debrecen’s city center.

On the last Saturday of November, the finest wines of Hungary will come to Debrecen again. Hungary’s biggest rural wine show, the 12th Debrecen Wine Muster, will again this year feature nearly 50 wineries to bring their finest wines to the city.

This year, the high-quality social event will take place in a new venue, the Csokonai Forum, the most modern theatre in the region and the country, providing the perfect setting for tasting great wines. During the evening, the wines – nearly 200 of them – will be opened several times, so that guests arriving later in the evening can taste the full range!

Popular melodies of the greatest figures of classical music will be performed in Debrecen’s concert halls in November by the Kodály Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kodály Choir, teachers, students, and invited artists of the University of Debrecen’s Faculty of Music. The November program includes symphonic and composer evenings, thematic concerts, and instrument demonstrations.

In the last months of 2023, the most popular representatives of the Hungarian popular music scene will come to Debrecen. Everyone will find a program to suit their taste, with concerts ranging from light jazz tunes to hip-hop and heavy metal. The line-up includes music icons like János Bródy, Kati Kovács, György Korda and Klári Balázs, popular local bands like Android and Necropsia, and acts that are currently making waves with young people like Manuel, AWS, Blahalouisiana and ByeAlex and Slepp.

On 17-18 November, the Municipality of Hajdú-Bihar County will treat Debrecen to a fantastic light show. The two-day Night of Lights event will feature free light painting, church concerts, star performers and spectacular dance performances at the Reformed Church and Kossuth Square.

Martin’s Day, 11 November, is the last day before the Advent, when feasting is still allowed. St. Martin’s Day isdeeply rooted in Hungarian culture, when goose delicacies and new wines are served on the festive table. According to popular wisdom, “whoever does not eat goose on Martin’s Day will starve for a whole year.” In this spirit, every year, restaurants offer Martin’s Day goose dinners, which are a truly exciting way to enjoy before the end-of-year festivities.

“Europe goes to the movies again!” – For the eighth time, art cinema and European film fans are invited to the European Art Cinema Day, which will take place on Sunday 12 November in hundreds of art cinemas in 38 countries. Launched by the International Confederation of Art Cinemas (CICAE) and the Europa Cinemas network, this transnational event aims to raise awareness of the importance of art cinemas as cultural and community spaces and of the diversity of European cinema.

Advent is only a few weeks away, but it’s already time to start thinking about what gifts to give for Christmas. One of the best presents is always time spent together, and one of the best ways to do that is to enjoy a delicious and memorable festival experience. You can now buy tickets to two of Debrecen’s “tastiest” summer gastronomic festivals at an incredible discount, so not only do you no longer have to think about Christmas presents, but you can also add a great summer experience to your calendar for next year.

Autumn slowing down, quieting down? Life is just starting to get going at the Just Design Fair!

After the season-opening October fair, here’s another great opportunity to meet up with local designers and craftsmen. The magical atmosphere of the Meliusz Library’s lobby is once again filled with the creators of unique handicrafts and design products, who are not only bringing their autumnal wares, but are also getting in the mood for Christmas, because you can never start preparing for it early enough.

The current exhibitions of the museums and galleries in Debrecen invite you on an exciting journey, in which you can wander in space and time from the civis houses to Transylvanian art.

The Rákóczi bell of the Reformed Church of Debrecen is 150 years old in 2023. The people of Debrecen are well acquainted with the sound of the southern chimes in the city center, the beautiful, deep, guttural sound of the 3800 kg bell in the western tower of the Great Church, which celebrates its 150th birthday this year. The Rákóczi bell is the largest Reformed bell in Hungary and the 7th largest bell in Hungary. Gyula Krúdy Hungarian writer wrote of the great bell of Debrecen: “the bell was as big as a farmhouse”.

The spotlight will once again be on terrarium and aquarium species for two whole days as the second Saturday and Sunday in November see Terrarium and Aquarium Weekend as a tour around the ever-tropical world of our Palm House.

The world-famous British rock musician released his now-classic album Tubular Bells 50 years ago, which will be presented on the anniversary tour next February in Veszprém, Debrecen and Budapest.