On account of road and bridge closures, to reach the venues of all day-and late evening programmes, we recommend taking public transport to the venues instead of cars as accessing the city centre and parking will be almost impossible. Metro lines M1, M2, M3, M4, suburban railway lines, trams and buses to the city centre will run more frequently from 18:00 on 20 August to provide safe and comfortable access for passengers to the fireworks.

After the fireworks, between circa 21:30 and 22:30 metro lines M1,M2, M3, M4, suburban railway lines, trams and buses from the city centre will run more frequently. To get more information, please check the webpage: www.bkk.hu/augusztus20 and BKK’s Facebook page.

Tips and recommended routes to reach venues based on events and locations

In honour of the St. Stephen’s Day, several events will be held on 19 and 20 August 2014. Please find more information on the programmes at http://augusztus20.kormany.hu. In the Buda Castle, Festival of Folk Arts will be organised. A Gastro Promenade, games and folk arts programmes will take place on the embankment in Buda on the section between Bem József tér and Erzsébet híd on both days.

The inauguration of military officers of the Hungarian Army will take place at Kossuth Lajos tér on Wednesday morning. In the afternoon and early evening on 20 August the traditional Procession of the Holy Right Hand of Saint Stephen around the church via Szent István Bazilika –Széchenyi István tér – Szent István Bazilika will take place. The fireworks starts at 21:00 on the river Danube embankment between the section of Margit híd and Erzsébet híd.

Festival of Folk Arts in Buda Castle (16-20 August)

The 28th Festival of Folk Arts in Buda Castle (1st district) will last until 20 August 2014 (Wednesday). To provide easy access to this event, public transport services will run more frequently.

To access Buda Castle, we recommend the following public transport services:

bus group 16
special transport service: bus 216 running to Dísz tér from the city centre.

To get more information, please check BKK’s website.

Gastro Promenade on the Danube embankment in Buda (19-20 August)

A Gastro Promenade, games and folk arts programmes will take place on the embankment in Buda on the section between Bem József tér and Erzsébet híd, a section of Csalogány utca, Lánchíd (the Chain Bridge), the tunnel, Clark Ádám tér and a section of Fő utca will be closed.

Programmes for families on Clark Ádám tér (20 August)

Children’s programmes will take place from 10:00 until 22:00 on Wednesday, 20 August at Clark Ádám tér. To reach the venue, please take trams 19 and 41. Please walk to Clark Ádám tér from Széchenyi István tér across the Lánchíd or from Döbrentei tér.

Military ceremony at Kossuth Lajos tér (20 August)

The inauguration of military officers of the Hungarian Army will take place this year at the renovated Kossuth tér. Newly-graduated students at the National University of Public Service will make their professional wows in the presence of state leaders, parents, relatives in public at 8:30 on 20 August.

Holy Mass and Religious Procession at the Basilica and its surrounding area (20 August)

The Holy Mass starts at 17:00 on 20 August in Saint Stephen’s Basilica followed by the traditional Procession of the Holy Right Hand of Saint Stephen around the church via József Attila utca – Széchenyi István tér – Akadémia utca – Arany János utca – Szent István Bazilika. The route of the procession will be closed during the event. To reach the venue, please walk 3-5 minutes from Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út metro station metro line M1 or from Arany János utca metro station metro line M3 or from Deák Ferenc tér.

Festive Fireworks Display on the Banks of the Danube (20 August)

The fireworks last from 21:00 until 21:30; as the inner city areas near the river on both sides of the city will be closed to road traffic a few hours before and after the display. We recommend taking the metro lines to the city centre and walking. Due to closures, several public transport lines will run on modified routes. Please check route diversions before you start your journey.

Weekday schedules will apply on 19 August (Tuesday) while Sunday schedules will apply on 20 August (Wednesday) for the opening hours of BKK’s ticket offices.

Please get more information on traffic changes and restrictions made on 19 and 20 August at BKK’s webpage: www.bkk.hu/augusztus20 . Please check route diversions before you start your journey. The police may decide on additional road closures and diversions. Modifications of lines are subject to change.

Transport service changes on 19-20 August 2014 in detail

Road restrictions

Closures from midnight on Monday, 18 August to the early morning hours on Thursday, 21 August 2014:

• Bem rakpart between Halász utca and Bem József tér;
• Csalogány utca between Fő utca and Bem rakpart;
• Széchenyi Lánchíd/Chain Bridge (open to pedestrians and cyclists until 14:00 on 20 August);
• Alagút (Tunnel);
• Clark Ádám tér;
• Lánchíd utca;
• Fő utca between Halász utca and Clark Ádám tér;
• Hunyadi János út

From 17:00 on 19 August until the first scheduled departures on 21 August, Kossuth Lajos tér will be closed due to holiday ceremonies.

On 20 August from 17:00 to 19:00 the following route in the 5th district will be closed due to the Holy Right hand religious procession: Szent István Bazilika–József Attila utca–Széchenyi István tér–Akadémia utca–Arany János utca–Szent István Bazilika

Closures on 20 August due to the fireworks:

• from ca 18:00 to ca. 23:00 the area in Buda all the way to the river surrounded by Petőfi híd–Irinyi József utca–Karinthy Frigyes út–Móricz Zsigmond körtér–Villányi út–Alkotás utca–Vérmező–Margit körút–Bem József utca–Tölgyfa utca–Margit híd,

• Árpád fejedelem útja and the lower embankment in Buda from Üstökös utca

• from ca. 20:00 to ca 22:30 Erzsébet híd and the Szent Gellért embankment

BKK transport services will be restricted depending on spectator numbers and only due to authority closure.

Public transport changes and restrictions

Metro line M2

Depending on the spectator number, Batthyány tér stop and Kossuth Lajos tér stop on metro line M2 may be closed by the police.

Boat line D13 is not in service from 19:00 on 20 August (Wednesday).

Tram line 2 runs on a shortened route to Kossuth Lajos tér from 17:00 on 19 August (Tuesday) to circa 17:00 on 20 August (Wednesday). Kossuth Lajos tér M, Országház, látógatóközpont and Jászai Mari tér stops will not be served.

From 17:00 on 20 August (Wednesday) until the last departure, tram 2 will run on a shortened route between Közvágóhíd H and Boráros tér H stops, due to preparations of the fireworks, every four minutes before and every three minutes after the fireworks. Zsil utca, Fővám tér, Március 15. tér, Vigadó tér, Eötvös tér, Széchenyi István tér, Kossuth Lajos tér M, Országház látógatóközpont and Jászai Mari tér stops will be skipped.

Tram lines 4 and 6

Depending on the spectator number, Margit híd and Petőfi híd may be closed by the police in the evening of 20 August (Wednesday). In this case, tram lines 4 and 6 will run on shortened routes between Oktogon M and South Buda terminuses and Oktogon M and Corvin-negyed M during, before and after the fireworks every three minutes.

Tram lines 18, 19 and 41

Tram lines 18, 19 and 41 will run on a shortened route between South Buda terminuses and Clark Ádám tér from the first departure on 19 August (Tuesday) until circa 17:00 on 20 August (Wednesday). Halász utca and Batthyány tér M+H stops will not be served by the trams and will not be replaced by buses due to public transport closures.

From 17:00 on 20 August (Wednesday) until the last departure, trams will run on a modified route between South Buda terminuses and Széll Kálmán tér M stops. Döbrentei tér, Clark Ádám tér, Halász utca and Batthyány tér M+H stops will be skipped.

Depending on the spectator number, the Szent Gellért embankment may be closed by the police in the evening of 20 August (Wednesday). In this case, trams 18, 19 and 41 will run on a shortened route between South Buda terminuses and Szent Gellért tér M stop.

Trams will run every 10-15 minutes before and every 10 minutes after the fireworks.

Trams 47 and 49

Depending on the spectator number, Szabadság híd may be closed by the police in the evening of 20 August (Wednesday). In this case, trams 47 and 49 will run on a shortened route between South Buda terminuses and Szent Gellért tér M stop. Trams will run during, before and after the fireworks every 7-10 minutes.

Buses 5, 8, 8A, 112 and 178

On 20 August (Wednesday) during the closure of Erzsébet híd from ca. 18:30 to 22:30, buses 5, 8, 8A, 112 and 178 run on modified routes. Bus 5 runs every 10 minutes before the fireworks and every 7-8 minutes after the event.

Buses 7 and 107

On 20 August (Wednesday) during the closure of Erzsébet híd from ca. 18:30 to 22:30, buses 7 and 107 after crossing Szabadság híd run on a modified route via Astoria–Múzeum körút–Kálvin tér M–Vámház körút–Fővám tér–Szabadság híd–Szent Gellért tér M. Buses serve the Kálvin tér M and Fővám tér M replacement bus stops in both directions.

Buses 7 and 107 run every 7-8 minutes before the fireworks and every 6 minutes after the event.

Depending on spectator numbers police may close Szabadság híd in the evening on 20 August. During this period, buses run on split routes between their terminuses in Buda and Móricz Zsigmond körtér M as well as between their terminuses in Pest and Deák Ferenc tér M.

Bus 9 on 20 August from 14:00 to 20:00, bus 9 to Kőbánya vasútállomás does not serve the Szent István Bazilika stop due to the Holy Right Hand religious procession.

Depending on spectator numbers police may close Margit híd in the evening on 20 August. During this period, bus 9 runs on split routes between the Óbuda, Bogdáni út and Margit híd, budai hídfő H stops as well as between the Kőbánya alsó vá. and Nyugati pályaudvar M stops.

Bus 9 runs every 4-5 minutes before the fireworks and every 4 minutes after the event.

Source: BKK Centre for Budapest Transport,