Downtown Beer Festival

If you’re looking for a truly atmospheric city-centre programme in Budapest at the beginning of September, where craft beers, street food, live music and a relaxed outdoor atmosphere come together, then the Downtown Budapest Beer Festival is definitely worth a visit!

Once again, the event will take place at Szabadság tér (Liberty Square), close to the Hungarian Parliament. This is one of the most beautiful and easily accessible locations in central Budapest, where visitors can sample a wide variety of Hungarian and international beer specialities.

One of the festival’s biggest advantages is that there is no admission fee: entry to the festival and the concerts is free. However, if you would like to enjoy the beers, you will need to purchase an official festival glass. In return, visitors can enjoy six days of hundreds of beer specialities, delicious food and evening concerts.

A Beer Festival Next to the Hungarian Parliament

The location itself is something special. The spacious, green park of Szabadság tér is just a few minutes’ walk from the Parliament, making it easy to combine a visit to the festival with sightseeing in the city centre. Kossuth Square, the Danube riverbank, St. Stephen’s Basilica and numerous other attractions are all nearby, so the festival can easily become part of a full day of exploring Budapest.

The organisers are preparing around 250 different beers, so even regular craft beer enthusiasts are sure to discover something new. Alongside Hungary’s major breweries, the festival will also feature beers from smaller Hungarian craft breweries, as well as Czech, Belgian and other international beers.

What Can You Taste?

Naturally, one of the highlights of the Downtown Budapest Beer Festival is the beer tasting itself. In addition to classic lagers, the selection includes IPAs, stouts, porters, fruit beers, sour beers and special barrel-aged brews. A full beer generally costs around HUF 2,000–3,500, depending on the type of beer.

The selection may include specialities such as cherry and dark chocolate beers, elderflower and ginger beers, porter, millet beer, sour cherry cognac beer, as well as various Belgian fruit beers and abbey-style beers.

Fans of Czech and Belgian beers will also find plenty to enjoy. The Belgian selection may include fruit wheat beers, krieks, dubbel-style beers and a variety of abbey beers.

No Beer Without a Festival Glass

Although admission to the festival is free, you need to purchase an official festival glass in order to enjoy the beers. There are several types of glasses to choose from, with the Premium glass costing approximately HUF 4,990, while the Exclusive glass costs HUF 5,999.

Food & Gastronomy

The street food stands offer a wide variety of delicious options, including grilled meats, sausages, BBQ, Mexican dishes, pizza, fish & chips, burgers and various artisan cheeses. For those who love traditional Hungarian flavours, lángos and kürtőskalács (chimney cake) are not to be missed.

The festival is not exclusively for beer lovers. Even if you are not a fan of beer, there is no reason to miss out on the event. The drinks selection also includes wines, spritz-style drinks, cider, soft drinks, coffee and iced coffee.

This makes the festival a great choice for groups of friends and couples, even if not everyone is passionate about craft beer. While some members of the group can sample special beers, others can enjoy wine or cider, or simply relax and take in the outdoor atmosphere and live music.

Music and Evening Festival Atmosphere

Music plays an important role alongside the beer selection. The programme features concerts by around 40 bands and musical acts, giving the festival a relaxed atmosphere during the day and transforming it into a lively outdoor concert venue in the evening.

It is well worth staying until the evening after an afternoon of beer tasting. As the sun goes down, Szabadság tér fills with people, the lights come on, and the park takes on the atmosphere of a lively city-centre festival.

Opening Hours:

Tuesday–Wednesday: 12:00–00:00
Thursday–Saturday: 12:00–02:00
Sunday: 12:00–00:00

Location: Szabadság tér (Liberty Square), District V, Budapest

Admission: Free

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