Alfa Festival - 13-15 May -  Várpalota

The biggest alternative music festival in the country to kickstart the summer in Várpalota with the most popular Hungarian bands. More info: http://alfafesztival.hu/

Open Road Fest June 8-12, Alsóörs

The largest motorcycle rider festival awaits visitors with a unique atmosphere, motorcycle exhibitions, test driving and the traditional parade. Foreign bands like Helloween and The Sweet are also among the performers, as well as many Hungarian bands. More info: https://www.openroadfest.hu/

Budapest Summer Festival June 10 – August 28, Budapest

Among the programmes of the festival are some of the most renowned Hungarian musicians such as Andrea Rost, Erika Miklósa, Zoltán Kocsis, Tamás Vásáry, Gergely Madaras, or Domonkos Héja. Foreign stars, for instance James Valenti, Yuja Wang, Marc Heller, Sébastien Guéze, Giuseppe Filianoti, Stacey Kent, Shakespeare’s Globe from London and the Monte-Carlo Ballet Company will also perform. More info: http://eng.szabadter.hu/

Street Musician Competition June 12-16, Eger

More than 150 musicians from 50 bands play for 5 days, 12 hours a day, on 20 locations in Eger. The grand price of the Street Musician Competition is 1 million forints. More info: http://utcazeneszekversenye.hu/

Fishing on Orfű June 22-25, Panoráma Camping, Orfű

4-day passes sold out in one and a half days for this music festival close to Pécs, in the south of Hungary. Organised by László Rátgéber and András Lovasi, singer of Kispál és a Borz and Kiscsillag, it has become one of the most popular festivals in the country.  More info: http://fishingonorfu.hu/

RockPart June 23-25, Balatonszemes

Visitors can enjoy rock and heavy metal concerts in the evening, and Lake Balaton during the day. More info: http://www.rockpart.hu/index.php

Volt Festival June 29 – July 2, Sopron

There are some festivals you definitely don’t want to miss and Volt Festival is one of them. The festival grounds are big enough to accommodate a huge amount of programmes, and the concerts meet the standards of European events. Almost everyone from the Hungarian music scene performs here, as well as many famous foreign musicians. More info: http://sziget.hu/volt_english

Balaton Sound July 6-10, Zamárdi

Balaton Sound, on the shore of Lake Balaton, has been a huge success among lovers of electronic music, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. More info: sziget.hu/balatonsound_english/

Rockmaraton July 8-17, Dunaújváros

In 2015, Rockmaraton moved to a different location, and occupied a whole island to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The Szalki Island will be the home of the rock festival this year as well. More info: http://www.rockmaraton.hu/index.php/en

EFOTT July 8-17, Velence

The biggest festival for university students is not just a music festival, it offers many cultural and sport related programmes as well. This year, the event is organised by the Debrecen University and the University of Physical Education. More info: http://efott.hu/

VeszprémFest July 13-17, Veszprém

Held on the stage of the castle for the 13th time, VeszprémFest is a music and culture festival where many famous Hungarian and international performers can be seen, ranging from classical music to jazz and even opera. The Rosé, Riesling and Jazz Days accompany the festival this year as well. More info: http://veszpremfest.hu/en

Bánkitó Festival July 14-16, Lake Bánk

Several genres, styles and art forms meet at this festival on the shore of the lake of Bánk. Programmes range from music to theatre, art, and culture. More info: http://bankitofesztival.hu/

Campus Festival July 20-24, Debrecen

The festival is held in the Great Forest of Debrecen, a safe distance away from both the exam season and the beginning of the next semester, and every year it features many international acts. More info:  http://www.campusfesztival.hu/?lang=en

Valley of Arts July 22-31, Kapolcs

Held in an ancient village, the festival has become an iconic event centred around art and various art forms. More info: https://www.muveszetekvolgye.hu/en

Ördögkatlan Festival August 2-6

The Devil’s Cauldron Festival is a multicultural event held in four villages, Nagyharsány, Kisharsány, Palkonya, Beremend and the Vylyan Winery. Theatre and dance performances, pop, jazz, folk, classical and world music concerts, films and literary programmes await visitors in the Villány Wine region in the south of Hungary. More info:  http://www.ordogkatlan.hu/p/english.html

International American Car Festival August 4-7, Komárom

The 25-hectare yard of the Fortress of Monostor is taken over by car enthusiast for three days. The biggest festival for American cars in Central Europe offers many interesting programmes as well as concerts for visitors. More info:  http://usacar.hu/en/

Sziget August 10-17, Budapest

Nicknamed the “Island of Freedom”, Sziget Festival is one of the largest music festivals in Europe, featuring musicians as well as other forms of cultural entertainment. More info: http://szigetfestival.com/

Zemplén Festival August 12-21.

The biggest cultural event of Zemplén and the Tokaj Wine Region, Zemplén Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Held across several towns, including Sárospatak, Sátoraljaújhely, Szerencs and Tokaj, the festival offers many cultural programmes for the lovers of classical music, jazz, dance, literature and threatre. More info: http://www.zemplenifesztival.hu/

Boglár Harvest Festival August 18-21, Balatonboglár

The Boglár Harvest Festival is one of the biggest free open-air events in the country. To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the festival awaits visitors with two stages, a party tent, a wine and champagne garden, artisans’ products, a parade and a funfair. More info: http://www.boglariszuret.hu/

B.my.Lake August 19-22, Zamárdi

The B.my.Lake festival was chosen the best new festival in 2014 by the European Festivals Association. More than 100 DJs await this year’s festival-goers, with special lights and sound effects on many stages. More info: http://www.bmylake.hu/

STRAND Festival August 24-27, Zamárdi

The STRAND Festival is part of the MOL Nagyon Balaton (Much Balaton) programme series, held on the last week of the summer on the Zamárdi public beach. More info: http://strandfesztival.com/

SZIN August 24-28, Szeged

Over the years, the Youth Days of Szeged festival has become one of the leading festivals of the country. Most Hungarian musicians have performed here, and there are many international acts as well. More info: http://szin.org/

Source: dailynewshungary.com

Republished with permission