Budapest Jewish Cultural Festival – Tuning in to Joy
27TH JEWISH CULTURAL FESTIVAL
7-18 SEPTEMBER 2025 (BUDAPEST-HUNGARY)
In Budapest’s most beautiful synagogues and community spaces, in 5 amazing locations.
We are tuning in to joy – between September 7 and 18, 2025: unique productions, special artist encounters, original, young talents and Israeli performers will be there for you to see and hear.
The Jewish Cultural Festival is jointly organized by the Budapest Jewish Community (BZSH) and Broadway Event – a professional team offering unique experiences. Come and bring your friends: celebrate with us, applaud together, and be part of this special experience!
Unbelievable but true: this year’s Jewish Cultural Festival will be the 27th in a row, meaning that we have been celebrating the exceptionally rich Jewish culture, traditions, and arts, which have become closely intertwined with the cultures of Hungary and its neighboring countries in the Carpathian Basin for almost thirty years.
We are proud that the festival, organized by the Budapest Jewish Community (BZSH), has become one of the most prestigious events combining various art forms in the Hungarian capital. This is thanks in part to the artists who perform, as year after year the finest talents in the world of music accept our invitation, and of course to our wonderful audience. We are grateful to them for their loyalty over the years and for showing us that autumn simply cannot begin in Budapest without the Jewish Cultural Festival.
This year again, we are putting our best foot forward for you and for ourselves!
In the coming weeks, keep an eye out for our announcements about the programs of the 27th Jewish Cultural Festival so that you can clear your schedule for the second weekend of September, when we will celebrate ancient yet ever-renewing Jewish culture together in Budapest’s most beautiful synagogues and other community spaces!
Be a part of this special experience!
HIGHLIGHTS
DOHÁNY STREET SYNAGOGUE
SUNDAY, 7 SEPTEMBER, 8 PM
A „Constellation of Stars” – Concert by the Budapest Klezmer Band. Guests: Budapest Bár with Dóri Behumi and Misi Mező
The two bands not only share the name of our wonderful capital city, but also their unique styles, which have made them influential members of the artistic community. Their performances are always memorable events, but at this year’s Jewish Cultural Festival, the Budapest Klezmer Band will be collaborating with the Budapest Bár with Dóri Behumi and Misi Mező.
The Budapest Klezmer Band, now in its 35th year, will perform on the opening day of the Jewish Festival, September 7, as is tradition, in Europe’s largest synagogue, the Dohány Street Synagogue. The founder and leader of this band, which plays traditional Jewish music to an exceptionally high standard, is the pianist Ferenc ‘Fegya’ Jávori from Transcarpathia, to whom we owe numerous musical adaptations from the song repertoire of the peoples of Central and Eastern Europe. The Budapest Klezmer Band is a versatile ensemble, and thanks to the creativity of its members, they are equally at home in the musical genre as they are in creating productions that combine klezmer and classical music. They composed the “Klezmer Suite” together with the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra and then staged the “Klezmer Dance Suite” in collaboration with the Győr Ballet Company. One of their most unique albums is “Pannonian Songs”, recorded with world-famous opera singer Andrea Rost.
At this year’s Jewish Festival, the Budapest Klezmer Band will perform with the Budapest Bár band, singer and flutist Dóri Behumi, and Misi Mező, lead singer of Magna Cum Laude.
Budapest Bár embarked on one of the most original and interesting musical ventures of recent years when, in 2007, Róbert Farkas gathered some of the most iconic figures of Hungarian rock music to form his band. They perform film themes, couplets, dance songs and other famous tunes accompanied by beautifully arranged gypsy music, reharmonizing well-known melodies and long-forgotten musical treasures. This time, they will transform klezmer into their own musical style and show that the pulse and spirit of Yiddish folk music are not at all foreign to a gypsy band. The program features a selection of old, well-known and lesser-known klezmer pieces, spiced with fantastic solos. In addition to klezmer melodies, timeless songs by Hungarian composers of Jewish origin will also be performed during the evening, and we will have the opportunity to hear these two great bands playing together.
* The program is organized by the Jewish Cultural Festival.
* We reserve the right to make changes to the date and program.
TICKET PRICES:
HUF 7,900 – 14,900
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 8 PM
Crossing musical boundaries: the Péter Sárik Trio and Guy Mintus (Israel) Trio
The Péter Sárik Trio is one of Hungary’s most popular and influential jazz and classical crossover ensembles, this time performing alongside Israeli pianist, singer and composer Guy Mintus and his trio. We can say one thing for sure: this is a must-see concert for fans of jazz, classical and world music!
The trio of pianist Péter Sárik, bass guitarist Tamás Péter, and drummer Attila Gálfi is one of the most prolific Hungarian jazz groups, regularly touring around the world to tremendous acclaim.
All three are open-minded, versatile musicians, and their „musical cross-pollination” allows them to appeal to a wide audience. Their repertoire is unparalleled in its breadth, including classical music interpretations, renditions of Hungarian and international pop hits, arrangements of Hungarian, Romanian and Balkan folk music, and, of course, their own compositions.
Israeli-born Guy Mintus is a pianist, composer, singer, creator and performer of exceptional productions in the world of jazz, classical music and world music, and winner of numerous prestigious awards. He is a highly trained concert pianist with the energy of a rock star and the imagination of the greatest jazz musicians. This is complemented by his affinity for world music, as Guy Mintus boldly uses Middle Eastern motifs in Western musical genres. The trio’s repertoire ranges widely, from reinterpretations of works by Mozart, Chopin and Gershwin to Israeli songs, Jewish melodies, and their own compositions. The trio’s music is nothing less than a joyful discovery of the world through the language of music. The members of the trio are: Guy Mintus – piano, vocals; Ofer Hardy – double bass; Yonathan Rosen – drums.
* The program is organized by the Jewish Cultural Festival.
* We reserve the right to make changes to the date and program
TICKET PRICES:
HUF 6,900 – 13,900
RUMBACH STREET SYNAGOGUE
MONDAY, 8 SEPTEMBER, 7 PM
North African melodies in oriental splendor – concert by the Israeli Darya Trio
Music like this has never been heard before within the 150-year-old walls of the Rumbach Synagogue: the original and traditional North African melodies are combined with elements of classical music and contemporary jazz by the Darya Trio, led by Israeli artist Darya Mosenzon, who is proud of her Hungarian roots. No wonder the Israeli newspaper Haaretz described the band’s performances as a stunning blend of disciplined performance and liberating musical power that knows no boundaries, only depth and passion.
The soul and heart of the band is composer and pianist Darya Mosenzon, who embodies Morocco, Algeria, Israel, and Central Europe in one person, connecting the past and the present, tradition and modernity in her music. The other two members of the trio are percussionist Hillel Amsallem, who, as a master of groove, provides the pulsating North African and Afro-Latin rhythms, and Charlie Sabach, who plays a unique instrument called the oud, a traditional Middle Eastern lyre. Its deep, rich sound allows for wide-ranging improvisations and the performance of classical melodies.
On this evening, we will witness a powerful encounter between Africa, Europe, and the Middle East: the pulsating rhythms of the Maghreb, the classical wonders of Europe, and the exotic melodies of the Middle East will come together to gradually merge into an instrumental „dance festival”. The Darya Trio’s concert is therefore not only an extraordinary musical experience, but also a story about roots, migration, identity and freedom.
* We reserve the right to make changes to the date and program.
TICKET PRICES:
HUF 5,200-6,200-6,900
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 7 PM
Malek Andi Soulistic: The most beautiful hits of Barbra Streisand and Michael Legrand
The audience of the Jewish Cultural Festival hardly needs an introduction to the group Malek Andi Soulistic, as singer-actress Andrea Malek and her artist friends are regular guests at the event series.
Andrea Malek can convey even the most hidden emotions of songs with rare sensitivity, as her voice is always impressive, but her sensual and delicate appearance also contributes to the special aura that surrounds her. She is not loud, but rather elegant and refined, which harmonizes perfectly with her artistic nature. This inner harmony radiating from her on stage and her natural, authentic presence makes Andrea Malek truly admirable.
On this evening, Malek Andi Soulistic will perform a selection of the most famous and popular hits by Barbra Streisand and Michel Legrand. Among others, we will hear beautiful songs such as Summer Knows, Windmills of Your Mind, How Do You Keep the Music Playing, You Must Believe in Spring (Michel Legrand), as well as Papa Can You Hear Me, The Way He Makes Me Feel, and A Piece of Sky (Barbra Streisand).
Band members: Andrea Malek (vocals), Bandi Jáger (piano), György Orbán (double bass), András Lakatos Pecek (drums).
* The program is organized by the Jewish Cultural Festival.
* We reserve the right to make changes to the date and program.
TICKET PRICES:
HUF 5,200-6,200-6,900
WEDNESDAY 10 SEPTEMBER, 7 PM
Gershwin-Bernstein in America: A night with Eszter Horgas and Andrea Fullajtár
Andrea Fullajtár and Eszter Horgas: Gershwin-Bernstein in America. Featuring pianist Dániel Lőwenberg, opera singer Ildikó Szakács, and the Class Jazz Band.
Flutist Eszter Horgas and actress Andrea Fullajtár guide us through the lives of George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein in this multidisciplinary production. Both were born in America to Jewish immigrant families, both started from humble beginnings, and both left an indelible mark on the history of music. Gershwin’s parents emigrated from Russia in 1891, and the future composer was born Jacob Gershowitz in 1898 in a poor Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn. Leonard Bernstein’s father, Samuel Joseph Bernstein, emigrated from Ukraine to America at the age of sixteen, where he first worked as a fishmonger; his son, who went on to become world famous, was born Louis Bernstein in 1918.
Andrea Fullajtár and Eszter Horgas bring these two amazing lives to life with music, stories, and video recordings, accompanied by world-famous songs such as Tonight, Wonderful, Somewhere and Rhapsody in Blue.
* We reserve the right to make changes to the date and program.
TICKET PRICES:
HUF 5,200-6,200-6,900
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 7 PM
The Sacred and the Profane – concert by the Israeli Nigun Quartet
In Hasidic Jewish tradition, nigun means “wordless song”, which perfectly describes this four-piece Israeli ensemble, whose music blends the deep spiritual world of Hasidic musical tradition with modern, energetic and profound jazz improvisation.
The Nigun Quartet draws on Jewish folk music roots, but the musicians are characterized by a high degree of improvisational freedom, which is particularly evident in the aforementioned jazz solos. Although Hasidic people are deeply religious, the musicians of the Nigun Quartet do not seek to influence only the souls of believers—their artistic mission is to unite people of all ages, backgrounds, and religious affiliations in an elevated musical experience.
They have played at numerous festivals in Europe, giving concerts in Paris, Montpellier, Vienna, Berlin, and are no strangers to Budapest audiences, having already performed their unique productions here. One of their most popular albums is entitled The Sacred and the Profane, which is characterized by an emotionally powerful, deep sound that fits well with the spiritual content of the nigun. It showcases the band’s most important values: outstanding harmony, tension and deep improvisation, complemented by modern jazz elements and funky grooves.
Members: Tom Lev – saxophone; Mose Elmakias – piano; Opher Schneider – double bass; Yossi Levy – drums.
* We reserve the right to make changes to the date and program.
TICKET PRICES:
HUF 5,200-6,200-6,900
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 7 PM
Beethoven, Rossini, Mendelssohn, Milhaud, Bruch: Orsolya Korcsolán, Nátán Sugár and the MÁV Symphony Orchestra
A surreal Chaplin fantasy, or Cinéma-fantaisie, Milhaud, Mendelssohn and Bruch from Orsolya Korcsolán, featuring the MÁV Symphony Orchestra and conductor Nátán Sugár.
Darius Milhaud‘s 1919 chamber piece, Cinéma-fantaisie – Le bœuf sur le toit, Op. 58, is one of the iconic works of the 20th-century French avant-garde, inspired by the intellectual circle of Erik Satie and Jean Cocteau. It is no coincidence that it was so popular in the Parisian art world, as its surreal, burlesque music is only seemingly light and entertaining. In fact, it is a virtuoso work that requires virtuoso performance, a true „spicy extravaganza” that also reflects Brazilian folk music influences in its jazz style.
The absurd subtitle of the work has had an interesting career: in English, Le bœuf sur le toit means „The Ox on the Roof.” Darius Milhaud’s piece was so successful that a café called „Le Bœuf sur le Toit” opened in Paris in 1921, which became a famous meeting place for the French artistic world, often visited by Jean Cocteau, Pablo Picasso, Igor Stravinsky, and Joséphine Baker.
This legendary piece can be heard this evening from world-renowned violin virtuoso Orsolya Korcsolán, whose playing will evoke the atmosphere, hustle and bustle, and crazy rhythms of Paris, Rio de Janeiro, and New York. And why does the title include a Chaplin fantasy? Because Darius Milhaud originally wrote Cinéma-fantaisie as a silent film accompaniment, and Charlie Chaplin remains the undisputed king of silent film to this day. Her partner is the young conductor Nátán Sugár, who is captivating audiences in the concert halls of Vienna with a tempo that belies his 19 years of age.
The concert will also feature three light-hearted overtures by Mendelssohn, Beethoven and Rossini, as well as Max Bruch‘s Kol Nidrei for violin and orchestra, which has become a traditional piece for heralding the autumn holidays. The MÁV Symphony Orchestra will perform under the baton of Nátán Sugár.
Program:
Max Bruch: Kol Nidrei for violin and orchestra, Op. 47; Felix Mendelssohn: Hebrides Overture, Op. 26; Ludwig van Beethoven: Fidelio Overture, Op. 72; Gioachino Rossini: The Barber of Seville Overture; Darius Milhaud: Cinema Fantasy – Le bœuf sur le toit, Op. 58b
* The program is organized by the Jewish Cultural Festival.
* We reserve the right to make changes to the date and program.
TICKET PRICES:
HUF 5,200-6,200-6,900
HEGEDŰS GYULA STREET SYNAGOGUE
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 7 PM
Klezmerész + Janicsák + Nógrádi = A Festival Experience!
The Klezmerész Ensemble, which has been around for more than two decades, is an unmissable part of the annual Jewish Cultural Festival. True to its style, it preserves the musical traditions of Eastern European Jewish folklore, with the clarinet and violin as its leading instruments, accompanied by guitar, bass guitar, and drums. Their repertoire includes songs in Yiddish, Hebrew, and Ladino, as well as instrumental pieces. The vocals of the two beautiful singers make the band even more special in the Hungarian klezmer scene. For this year’s Jewish festival, they are preparing a selection that includes new songs as well as previous audience favorites.
The band will be joined on stage by two special guests: singer Veca Janicsák and chief cantor Gergely Nógrádi, who always keep audiences mesmerized at their performances. Regular audience members already know that a Klezmerész concert is a joyous celebration where the stage and the audience become a single entity: the audience sings and dances along with the band, experiencing the tradition as one. Let’s celebrate the beautiful Jewish culture together!
* We reserve the right to make changes to the date and program.
TICKET PRICES:
HUF 4,900-5,900
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER, 7 PM
French night with Péter “Sziámi” Müller and Boggie Csemer
Francophonie at its best – French evening with Péter “Sziámi” Müller and Boggie Csemer, featuring pianist Gábor Antal.
A regular performer at the Jewish Cultural Festival, Péter ‘Sziámi’ Müller is a Kossuth, Fonogram and ARTISJUS award-winning poet and performer, who is also a qualified French teacher and whose poems have been translated by renowned French poets. He is connected to Francophonie through Boggie (Csemer), the composer and performer of the only Hungarian global hit of the 21st century, winner of the Fonogram Award, Eurovision Song Contest finalist, and winner of the talent show „A Dal” (The Song). His French-language song Nouveau Parfum has been downloaded by millions and is the only Hungarian song to appear on Billboard Magazine’s prestigious global chart.
Boggie and Sziámi also write and sing in French, so on this evening we will hear a wide variety of French songs – chansons, folk songs, sea shanties, medieval and modern ballads, pop songs, and poems by Hungarian poet Attila József (1905-1937).
The only criterion for the selection was that each song should have a powerful, valid message and that both performers should love it and feel it is meaningful to them. There will be no shortage of humor, anecdotes, and personal stories. Two worlds, two generations, that is, worlds and great artists meeting on one stage.
* This program was created at the request of the Jewish Cultural Festival ©
* We reserve the right to make changes to the date and program.
TICKET PRICES:
HUF 5,900-6,900
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER, 7 PM
The internationally renowned Preßburger Klezmer Band takes the stage!
The unique Bratislava-based band, the Preßburger Klezmer Band, has had a huge fan base since its founding in 1995, as it is the first Slovak klezmer band. At the same time, they offer a true Central and Eastern European musical cocktail: their repertoire is enriched with Slovak, Gypsy, Balkan, and Eastern musical elements, and their songs even feature jazz and reggae motifs.
Since its beginnings, the band has toured Europe, performed overseas, played at huge music festivals as well as intimate clubs, and shared the stage with stars such as Lorin Sklamberg, Frank London, Merlin Shepherd, Steven Weintraub, and Sasha Lurje.
On this evening, one of Slovakia’s most famous bands will also celebrate its 30th anniversary, recalling the most successful songs of the past three decades and presenting new compositions.
The members of the band are: Marta Potančoková (vocals), Snežana Jović-Werner (accordion, vocals), Andrej Werner (violin), Miroslav Lago (clarinet), Valér Miko (piano), Samuel Alexander (double bass, vocals), Jakub Valiček (percussion).
* We reserve the right to make changes to the date and program.
TICKET PRICES:
HUF 5,900-6,900
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