Szeged Open-Air Festival prepares to launch anniversary season

NewsCulture

Jun 18

SZEGED – Final preparations are underway at Dóm Square ahead of the opening of the 2026 season of the Szeged Open-Air Festival, with organizers reporting major infrastructure upgrades and construction work nearing completion before the first event on June 27.

During a press tour of the venue on Monday, festival officials said approximately 100 workers are currently on site preparing the 1,000-square-meter main stage, audience area and technical facilities for the start of Hungary’s largest theater festival. The festival’s organizers took possession of Dóm Square on May 26.

According to Technical Director Miklós Várkonyi, a multi-year renovation of the audience seating area has been completed, with 2,200 wooden floorboards replaced by weather-resistant decking. The festival also carried out a major refurbishment of the ring-shaped revolving stage at the center of the main stage, a structure that had been in continuous use for more than a decade.

The renovation of the revolving stage cost nearly 30 million forints, Várkonyi said.

Festival organizers noted that improvements have also focused on visitor comfort and safety. Ahead of the summer season, the Újszeged Open-Air Stage received a new, modern auditorium.

László Barnák, director general of the Szeged National Theater and the festival, said the upcoming program will feature large-scale productions, contemporary visual design and artists from across Hungary. He emphasized the festival’s long-standing role in the city’s cultural life and tourism.

The 2026 season marks a double milestone for the event. The Szeged Open-Air Festival is celebrating its 95th anniversary while also launching its 75th season. Organizers say millions of visitors have attended performances since the festival was founded in 1931, helping establish it as one of Hungary’s best-known cultural events.

Rehearsals for the opening Gift Concert are scheduled to begin during the week of June 22, with the anniversary season officially opening on June 27.

The festival’s 2026 program includes productions such as The Three Musketeers, Carmen, Wicked and the film-music concert Cinefonic, among other performances scheduled throughout the summer.