On those days, especially on the 20^th, passengers are advised to use public transport services, particularly the metro lines, to reach the city centre. Metro line M3 operates on all days of the long weekend between Lehel tér and Kőbánya-Kispest.

Operating hours on lines M2 and M4 will be extended until half past midnight on Friday and Saturday while on Sunday lines M2, M3 and M4 will run until that late. The Chain Bridge will be closed to traffic from the early morning on 17 August, until the morning of 21 August.

Erzsébet Bridge will not be accessible from 14:00 on 19 August until the early morning on 20 August and Margit Bridge is expected to be closed from 19:00 on the 20^th.

Before and after the fireworks display on 20 August, all transport services will run more frequently to provide a convenient travel experience.

Several bus and tram lines will run on modified or shortened routes due to road closures, therefore BKK recommends customers use the BKK FUTÁR journey planner online or the app on their mobile devices.

Official celebrations and events

Please click here on the event programming of the Hungarian National Day (Founding of the State) on the 20^th of August 2018 and the days leading up to it.

Festive fireworks on the Banks of the Danube

The fireworks display starts at 21:00 on 20 August and lasts for about 30 minutes. the best views are offered by the Danube embankments between the Chain Bridge and Margit bridge.

BKK provides more frequent metro, bus and tram services to the city centre and suburban railway lines H5 and H7 also run more frequently. Roads near the Danube both in Buda and Pest will be closed to traffic for the duration as well as for a few hours prior to and after the event.

The venue of the fireworks is best reached on foot from the metro stations in the city centre, which will be served more frequently by the metro lines.

For travelling home, the best choice is one of the metro lines, but please note that due to security reasons, the following stations might be closed: Vörösmarty tér, Deák Ferenc tér (line M1), Deák Ferenc tér and Batthyány tér (line M2), Ferenciek tere and Deák Ferenc tér (line M3), and also Batthyány tér (suburban railway H5). Kossuth Lajos tér station on line M2 is currently closed due to construction works. Higher service frequency will be provided between 21:30 and 23:00 on the lines leaving the city centre.

Road and pedestrian traffic restrictions

Motorists should expect numerous road closures due to the celebrations and preparations. Due to the concert on 19 August, Szent Gellért embankment in the direction of Szent Gellért tér will be closed between Hegyalja út and Rudas Fürdő from midnight on 17 August until 18:00 on 20 August. Erzsébet híd will also be closed from 14:00 on 19 August until the morning on 20 August. Traffic restrictions will be in place in Kossuth Lajos utca as well starting at Astoria.

The lower embankments will also be closed as usual: the Buda embankment between Margit híd and Rákóczi híd bridges while the Pest embankment between Havas utca and Margit híd will not be accessible between 7:00 on 20 Aug and the morning of 21 August.

(The embankments may be periodically opened to cars between 12:00 and 17:00 on 20 August, passenger traffic permitting).

The Chain Bridge and the Tunnel will be closed from 20:00 on Friday until Tuesday morning.

Public transport changes

On Saturday, Sunday and Monday (18-20 August), metro line M3 will be in service between Kőbánya-Kispest and Lehel tér stations during full operating hours, while on the section between Újpest and Lehel tér, replacement buses continue to be in service.

Several bus and tram lines will run on modified or shortened routes due to road closures, therefore BKK recommends customers use the BKK FUTÁR journey planner online at futar.bkk.hu or the app on their iOS and Android mobile devices.

Source: BKK Centre for Budapest Transport