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Mayor Calls for Fireworks in Budapest to be Cancelled on August 20th

• 14 Jul 2026 9:34 AM

Gergely Karacsony, the mayor of Budapest, has proposed dropping the traditional fireworks display on the August 20 national holiday "for good".

In a post on Facebook on Monday, Karacsony argued that Hungary should prove it can celebrate its national holiday with dignity and spectacle "without the air and noise pollution fireworks cause".

He welcomed the government's shift away from the Orban government's "extravagant approach", noting that the new tender focuses on light shows, music and family events.

"But the fireworks are still on the agenda, just with a smaller budget than the fortunes ... wasted in recent years," he added.

Karacsony pointed to a petition signed by over 230,000 people, urging that the funds earmarked for the fireworks be redirected to drought defence.

"I see no strong argument for fireworks, only plenty against," he said. "This is a relic of the past we should move beyond, and now we have the chance."

MTI Stock Photo

Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881.

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