The end of the festival season means that club gigs are back in town! Autumn is the right time for live music in Budapest, as most bands and acts stop here during their European tours, and the city’s crowds are famous for being energetic and fun. The world-class Budapest nightlife doesn’t just stop with inner-city bars, and the autumn concert circuit is sure to impress, regardless of what genre you may be into.
We took a gander at some of this autumn’s best live concerts in Budapest and broke them down by genre. In the following list, all music fans will find something to dance to and see what the captivating Budapest club scene is all about.
Hip-Hop
Hip-hop is having somewhat of a Renaissance in Budapest, and many gigs of both local talents and international superstars are performed here regularly during the Autumn gig season. Rap culture is associated with extreme sports and skating here and in much of Europe, and OSG was an event that celebrated this connection. They are continuing their work as the World Urban Games, where professional skaters and hip-hop artists will both be performing to a strong local following. And if you are interested in the world of Hungarian hip-hop, La Coka Nostra will be hitting up Budapest for their tour – also the cream of the local rap scene will be present. Not to be missed, for true heads only!
Techno and Electronic
The world-renowned Budapest club scene has its biggest moments in the fall and winter. Larm, the best techno club in Budapest, will open its doors to let all ravers back in to experience its one-of-a-kind sound system! The season kickoff of LavaLava, an incredibly important club event that has been going strong for some years now, is going to be held here on September 14th. If you are in town and love techno, make sure you pack your dancing shoes. Another Larm event that seems really, really interesting is going to be Imre Kiss doing his unique blend of dreamy, deep IDM, and he will be joined by Shedbug and Metronóm. And if you are ready for something truly wild, check out Davoria, Hungary’s only free tek event! This season’s installment will be held at Ubik.
Rock and Metal
If you are looking for heavy music, Budapest is definitely the place for you. Metal and Hardcore thrive in this city, with a strong local scene, and great bands. The unholy Polish blasphemers, MGLA, will be holding a séance in Dürer Kert on September 3rd and will be joined by two other Polish black metal upstarts. The tech-death metal masters Nile and Hate Eternal will be touring together this fall and will be decimating Budapest on September 13th, so if you are into complex and heavy music, this is a night you will never forget. On August 30th, Hungarian metal band AWS will host a special event at Barba Negra Track, a huge, semi-outdoor venue that is a favorite of fans all over the world.
Blues and Jazz
No list of live concerts in Budapest would be complete without Jazz and Blues concerts. If you love Jazz, Sara Dowling will be performing with Hungarian legend Mátyás Gayer, at the Courtesy of Harmony Jazz events. A true delicacy awaits us at the Budapest Jazz Club: Sarik Peter’s famous trio will be accompanied by the soothing and one-of-a-kind voice of Tamás Berki for a night of soulful jazz classics.
Classical
Lovers of Classical music, choir, and chamber music will also get a heavenly earful, as some of the most notable places in Budapest will be holding live events. Every Thursday in Autumn, Miklós Teleki will be holding an organ recital at the St. Stephen’s Basilica, which has unparalleled acoustic properties. Regular recitals of Mozart and Vivaldi will be held at St. Anne’s church, giving classical music aficionados the chance to enjoy beautiful music in an equally beautiful setting, every Friday. September 7th will see a large-scale Gala concert with some of the best musicians in current orchestral music. This amazing event will be held at the Danube Palace.
Folk and Hungarian Specialty
Folk music in Budapest is huge, drawing crowds from every walk of life, as traditional tunes and dance never go out of style, and is truly a musical event everyone can unite under. The Hungarian Folk Ensemble will be performing daily during the Autumn season, and their dazzling performance simply must be seen. On September 14, a very special event will be held at Dürer kert: a meeting of the different kinds of Hungarian folk dance. “Táncház” is a word that means dance house, and is the term used for these kinds of meetings. The Kobuci kert is perhaps the best venue for folk music, and the Harmonica night is one of the best events at the Kobuci kert. If you are interested in Hungarian folk music, check out this venue for more info!
