A phenomenal cross-section of jazz, world music and opera: VeszprémFest

There’s no two ways about it: a high-quality music event requires a fitting location. Well, you really couldn’t imagine a better location for VeszprémFest. Since 2017, it has been held in the picturesque História Garden in Veszprém, a town located no more than a few kilometres from Lake Balaton. To the north, the garden is bordered by the truly luxurious building of the archbishop’s former leisure palace. To the west, you can see the elegant silhouette of the Castle, while to the south are the Baroque-style buildings of Óváros Square. We can confidently say that you couldn’t wish for a lovelier stage. This natural ‘set’, far from the uproar of the big city, definitely contributes to the unique, friendly and intimate atmosphere that VeszprémFest is known for.

And that’s not all. We also have a more practical reason for recommending this particular festival: no bad weather or even rain will be able to dampen the mood at this particular event, because the alternative location in case of rain is the impressive and imposing Veszprém Aréna building, one of the most modern event halls in the entire country.

The side event held in Óváros tér, called “Rosé, Riesling and Jazz Days”, has been a staple since 2011. Go and have a taste of the excellent vintages from the Balaton wine region, try some delightful artisanal cuisine, and hobnob with the youthful personalities of Hungarian jazz. The previous side events for VeszprémFest were held in the Jesuit monastery. For four years running, this series of events offered the public a number of programmes grouped around various musical themes (The Year of Liszt, Divas, Ethnojazz and The Greatest Generation).

The festival has many wonders in store, and not just for adults. For several years now, they have held a drawing competition for local primary and secondary school students, involving drawing and colouring Veszprém’s two iconic buildings (the Fire Tower and City Hall). Winners are awarded a great honour: during certain evenings of the Rosé, Riesling and Jazz Days, the finest works of art are projected onto the buildings in question.

While in Veszprém, don’t miss these

There is a lot more to see in Veszprém than just the festival, of course. The town has so many exciting sights to offer:

· Explore Veszprém Castle, home of both ancient ecclesiastical artefacts and modern works of art.

· Take a look at the masterpieces of contemporary Hungarian and international art in the László Vass Collection of the Modern Art Gallery, as well as the Dubniczay Palace and the Csikász Gallery. Also make sure you don’t miss the brick exhibition – Tegularium – either.

· Visit one of the earliest Hungarian exhibition spots, the Bakony Folk House, and pop in to the Laczkó Dezső Museum.

· Or if you’re in the mood for some lighter entertainment, wander through the first rural zoo in Hungary, the Veszprém Zoo, where you will find more than 500 animals from over 150 different species, all living together in harmony.

· Go take in one of the exciting games of the MVM Veszprém handball team, and cheer for the athletes in the magnificent building of Veszprém Arena.