International Folk Dance Festival to Take Place in Budapest this Summer

The 29th Danube Carnival will be held between June 7-14 in Budapest, with the participation of international and Hungarian folk dance ensembles, the Danube Art Society, the organizer of the event, announced.

Among the Hungarian performers, the cultural festival will feature performances by the Cimbaliband, the Kecskemét Dance Ensemble, the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble, and the Danube Art Ensemble. Visitors can also enjoy a spectacular carnival parade, an international dance house, and the 6th Annual FolKid Children’s Folk Art Festival. The carnival will be crowned by a grand gala on the Margaret Island Open-Air Stage.

Between June 7 and 9, Hungarian and foreign dance companies will perform on the main stage of the National Museum garden with a gala performance, and folk music concerts will also be held.

On the opening day, visitors can learn about the dance traditions of the Carpathian Basin and the folk culture of the nationalities living in Hungary, followed by a show by the Duna Art Ensemble and the Kecskemét Dance Ensemble, commemorating the memory of Hungarian poet Sándor Petőfi.

On June 8, the FolKid Children’s Folk Arts Festival will be held, followed by a gala performance by the Cimbaliband and a dance concert by the Carpathia Folk Dance Ensemble.

On June 9, a carnival parade will welcome the festival in downtown Budapest. The event will be followed by a gala performance, and the evening will close with a joint performance by guest bands from the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Spain, Turkey, and Serbia in honor of the upcoming Hungarian EU Presidency. On June 10, an international dance house will take place in the Kobuci Garden.

The 13th Chain Bridge International Folk Dance Competition will be held on June 13 at the Erzsébetliget Theater. The Pomáz Cultural Center will host international performers.

On June 14, the Danube Carnival gala will close the series of events at the Margaret Island Open-Air Stage, with a joint performance by nearly 300 foreign and Hungarian dance troupes. In the first part of the evening, the foreign ensembles invited to the carnival will present their performances, followed by a performance of artistic cooperation titled Ode to Joy (Örömóda), staged by Hungarian, Bulgarian, Dutch, Serbian, and Turkish ensembles on the occasion of Hungary’s EU Presidency.

Via MTI, Featured image: Facebook/Duna Karnevál