Brain Bar, House of Music Hungary, 18 - 19 September

  • 1 Jul 2025 10:59 AM
Brain Bar, House of Music Hungary, 18 - 19 September
Step into tomorrow at Brain Bar 2025, Europe’s largest future-focused festival, returning to Budapest on 18–19 September at the iconic House of Music Hungary. This year’s theme, "The Next 25 Years," invites you to explore the myths, predictions, and big questions that will shape the world in the decades to come.

Expect eye-opening discussions on geopolitics, climate change, longevity, technology, and nostalgia, all led by global thought leaders, innovators, and cultural influencers. With over 100 interactive sessions, workshops, and experiences, Brain Bar offers two packed days of discovery and dialogue in one of Budapest’s most architecturally striking venues.

📍 Event Details:

  • Dates: 18–19 September 2025

  • Location: House of Music Hungary, Olof Palme sétány 3., City Park (Városliget), Budapest 1146

  • Tickets: Early bird passes are now available with group discounts. Students and teachers can register online for free.

💡 What is Brain Bar?

Since its launch in 2015, Brain Bar has grown into a global hub for debate, innovation, and big ideas. It’s hosted renowned figures such as astronaut Chris Hadfield, PayPal founder Peter Thiel, and therapist Esther Perel, drawing over 50,000 visitors from 80+ countries.

Brain Bar is more than a festival—it’s a playground for curious minds, where you can listen, question, and engage directly with the people shaping the future.

🔍 Themes to Explore in 2025:

  • Geopolitics & Resources: What role will Hungary and Central Europe play in a resource-scarce, interconnected world?

  • Longevity: Could—and should—we live to 100 and beyond?

  • AI & Digital Addiction: How do we balance the benefits of tech with the realities of network dependency?

  • Nostalgia: Why are we drawn to retro culture, and what does it say about the future?

  • The Future of Water: Who will control this vital resource—and how will it shape global relations?

  • Loneliness & Human Connection: In an increasingly digital world, how do we rediscover the power of real connection?

🙌 Why You Should Attend:

  • Meet World-Class Speakers: From scientists and tech pioneers to politicians and creatives

  • Ask the Big Questions: Audience interaction is encouraged—get involved in the conversation

  • Career & Networking Opportunities: Visit the Talent Market or join engaging workshops

  • Free Entry for Students & Teachers: Just register online to get your complimentary pass

🎯 Pro Tips:

  • Check the Agenda Early: Sessions fill up fast—plan ahead!

  • Arrive Early: Popular talks and panels are often standing room only

  • Explore the Area: Take time to enjoy City Park, Heroes’ Square, and nearby attractions between sessions

Don’t Miss Brain Bar 2025

This is your chance to be part of a bold conversation about the future—right here in Budapest. Whether you're fascinated by science, concerned about the climate, or intrigued by global trends, Brain Bar is where curiosity meets action.

🎟️ Secure your ticket now or register as a student/teacher for free—and be part of shaping the next 25 years.

 

The first names have dropped for Brain Bar 2025

• Sunday, 15 June 2025 23:23

Europe's biggest festival of the future, Brain Bar, is opening its doors again this year! With the first quarter of the 21st century behind us, we're seeking answers to the question: what will the next 25 years of humanity look like? Join us on September 18–19 at the House of Music Hungary - free entry for students and teachers!

The first quarter of the century is behind us - and in that time, our lives have been radically transformed. Social media has reshaped our relationships and cryptocurrencies and AI have launched a new economic and technological era, while the climate crisis and global pandemics have shaken our sense of security to its core - a far cry from what we expected at the turn of the millennium. Will the next 25 years be just as unpredictable as the last? How can we better forecast what lies ahead - and how can we change our behavior and mindset in response?

At Brain Bar 2025, we’re bringing more than 150 Hungarian and international speakers to the stage to help you prepare for the decades ahead. Coming to Budapest is Mara Einstein - a former communications executive at MTV and NBC and an expert featured in Netflix's famed Buy Now- who claims that marketers use the very same manipulation techniques to build belief systems as cults do. Also taking the stage is Matt Daniels, one of today’s most gifted, Emmy-nominated data illustrators. With stunning visuals, he depicts statistics on loneliness, record temperatures, or even love songs - and at Brain Bar, he’ll reveal how complex data can become beauty, clarity, and emotion.

Why do we keep choosing the wrong partner, the toxic workplace, or the stressful lifestyle — over and over again? Ali Fenwick, possibly TikTok’s most well-known star psychologist, explores how our brains deceive us when we make life’s most crucial decisions. At Brain Bar, he’ll help you spot the warning signs and choose future-forward paths. Also joining the festival is British archaeologist David Wengrow, who’ll explore with you what might happen if we told history differently: would societies function in new ways if our narratives gave as much weight to community and cooperation as they do to power and hierarchy?

Keith Hayward, outspoken professor at the University of Copenhagen, studies the culture of beanbag offices, thirty-somethings living with their parents, and Mickey Mouse t-shirts - all to understand how Western societies make it harder for us to truly grow up.

Freya India, author for The Spectator and GIRLS., brings attention to another modern “epidemic.” At the festival, she’ll explore why people today feel an obsessive need to post even their most personal experiences - and how we might still capture the magic of the moment under the crushing pressure of constant visibility.

Also joining the festival are world-renowned neuroscientist Martin Stransky, anthropologist Dimitris Xygalatas, who researches the necessity of rituals, and psychiatrist Iain McGilchrist, who explores the relationship between the left and right hemispheres of the brain.

More: 
https://brainbar.com/en/article/the-first-names-have-dropped-for-brain-bar-2025

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