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The Liszt Academy of Music on Liszt Ferenc Square

50 of the best · Budapest, Hungary

The Best of Culture in Budapest: Music, Theatre & Museums

Budapest is one of Europe’s great music cities: Liszt founded its academy, operetta was perfected here and there are concerts every night. Here are the best concert halls, theatres, jazz clubs and museums.

Our 50 favourites, listed A–Z · Updated October 2026

Insiders' picks

Three of our favourites from this list, vetted by people who know and love Budapest.

  1. An Art Nouveau jewel

    Liszt Academy of Music

    Terézváros·Concert hall·Ticket

    The music academy founded by Franz Liszt, in a spectacular Art Nouveau building of 1907 with one of Europe’s finest concert halls.

    Liszt Ferenc tér 8Explore View on map

  2. Concerts by the Danube

    Müpa Budapest

    Ferencváros·Arts centre·Ticket

    The modern arts centre on the Danube, home of the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall, the Festival Theatre and the Ludwig Museum.

    Komor Marcell utca 1Explore View on map

  3. The story of Hungary

    Hungarian National Museum

    Józsefváros·Museum·Ticket

    Hungary’s great national museum, in a neoclassical building of 1847, telling the country’s history from prehistory to modern times.

    Múzeum körút 14-16Explore View on map

The full list: Culture, A–Z

Show 42 of 50 places on a map
Neighbourhood

The back story 4

Music and architecture.

  1. The back story

    Bartók, Kodály and the songs of the villages

    Buda Hills·In depth: music

    Two young composers with phonographs who collected thousands of folk songs and changed music for ever.

    Explore View on map

  2. The back story

    City Park and the new museum quarter

    City Park·In depth: architecture

    A park of the 18th century meets the architecture of the 21st: the Museum of Ethnography and the House of Music.

    Explore View on map

  3. The back story

    Matyó embroidery and Hungarian folk art

    City-wide·In depth: crafts

    Roses in red, blue and green, carved spoons and painted chests: the folk art worth taking home.

    Explore View on map

  4. The back story

    The Opera House and the Liszt Academy: a city of music

    Terézváros·In depth: music

    Ybl’s neo-Renaissance opera house and Liszt’s Art Nouveau academy: two of Europe’s most beautiful music venues.

    Explore View on map

Concerts & jazz 7

Concert halls and jazz clubs.

  1. Live jazz nightly

    Budapest Jazz Club

    Újlipótváros·Jazz club·Ticket

    A long-running jazz club near Margaret Bridge, with concerts most nights.

    Hollán Ernő utca 7Explore View on map

  2. Jazz in a music house

    Budapest Music Center & Opus Jazz Club

    Ferencváros·Jazz club·Ticket

    A centre for contemporary music and jazz, with the Opus Jazz Club downstairs.

    Mátyás utca 8Explore View on map

  3. Music under a leafy roof

    House of Music Hungary

    City Park·Music museum & venue·Ticket

    A striking new music centre in City Park, designed by Sou Fujimoto, with an interactive exhibition and concerts.

    Olof Palme sétány 3Explore View on map

  4. A neo-Renaissance jewel

    Hungarian State Opera House

    Terézváros·Opera house·Ticket

    The neo-Renaissance opera house on Andrássy Avenue, opened in 1884 and beautifully restored, with tours and performances.

    Andrássy út 22Explore View on map

  5. An Art Nouveau jewel

    Liszt Academy of Music

    Terézváros·Concert hall·Ticket

    The music academy founded by Franz Liszt, in a spectacular Art Nouveau building of 1907 with one of Europe’s finest concert halls.

    Liszt Ferenc tér 8Explore View on map

  6. Concerts by the Danube

    Müpa Budapest

    Ferencváros·Arts centre·Ticket

    The modern arts centre on the Danube, home of the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall, the Festival Theatre and the Ludwig Museum.

    Komor Marcell utca 1Explore View on map

  7. On the Danube promenade

    Pesti Vigadó

    Inner City·Concert hall·Ticket

    A grand 19th-century concert hall on the Danube promenade, where Liszt, Brahms and Mahler performed.

    Vigadó tér 2Explore View on map

Opera, operetta & theatre 13

Opera, operetta, dance and theatre.

  1. A permanent circus

    Budapest Great Circus

    City Park·Circus·Ticket

    A permanent circus building in City Park.

    Állatkerti körút 12/aExplore View on map

  2. Operetta and musicals

    Budapest Operetta Theatre

    Terézváros·Theatre·Ticket

    The home of Hungarian operetta on Nagymező Street, the city’s Broadway, with operettas and musicals.

    Nagymező utca 17Explore View on map

  3. For children

    Budapest Puppet Theatre

    Terézváros·Puppet theatre·Ticket

    Hungary’s largest puppet theatre, on Andrássy Avenue, with shows for children and adults.

    Andrássy út 69Explore View on map

  4. Popular repertoire

    Centrál Theatre

    Belváros·Theatre·Ticket

    A theatre with a wide repertoire, from Hungarian classics to comedies.

    Explore View on map

  5. The second opera house

    Erkel Theatre

    Józsefváros·Opera house·Ticket

    The second stage of the Hungarian State Opera, the largest theatre in Hungary.

    II. János Pál pápa tér 30Explore View on map

  6. Hungarian folk dance

    Hungarian Heritage House (Budai Vigadó)

    Buda·Folk dance·Ticket

    The home of the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble, with folk dance and music shows in a grand hall on the Buda bank.

    Corvin tér 8Explore View on map

  7. Internationally acclaimed

    Katona József Theatre

    Inner City·Theatre·Ticket

    A small theatre in the Inner City with an international reputation for its productions.

    Petőfi Sándor utca 6Explore View on map

  8. Big musicals

    Madách Theatre

    Erzsébetváros·Musical theatre·Ticket

    Budapest’s home of large-scale musicals.

    Erzsébet körút 29-33Explore View on map

  9. Dance of every kind

    National Dance Theatre

    Millenáris·Dance theatre·Ticket

    Hungary’s home of dance, from folk to contemporary, at Millenáris.

    Explore View on map

  10. Contemporary classics

    Örkény István Theatre

    Erzsébetváros·Theatre·Ticket

    One of Budapest’s leading contemporary theatres, on Madách tér.

    Madách Imre tér 6Explore View on map

  11. On Budapest’s Broadway

    Radnóti Theatre

    Terézváros·Theatre·Ticket

    A much-loved drama theatre on Nagymező utca.

    Nagymező utca 11Explore View on map

  12. Contemporary dance and theatre

    Trafó House of Contemporary Arts

    Ferencváros·Arts centre·Ticket

    A contemporary arts centre in a former transformer station, with dance, theatre, music and a gallery.

    Liliom utca 41Explore View on map

  13. A neo-baroque theatre

    Vígszínház

    Lipótváros·Theatre·Ticket

    A grand neo-baroque theatre on the Grand Boulevard, one of Budapest’s best-loved stages.

    Szent István körút 14Explore View on map

Museums 19

The great museums of Budapest.

  1. Bartók’s last home in Hungary

    Béla Bartók Memorial House

    Buda Hills·House museum·Ticket

    The composer’s villa in the Buda Hills, now a museum and chamber concert venue.

    Csalán út 29Explore View on map

  2. In the castle

    Budapest History Museum

    Castle District·Museum·Ticket

    The museum of the city’s history, in the royal palace, with the medieval royal chapel and rooms beneath the palace.

    Szent György tér 2Explore View on map

  3. An old apothecary

    Golden Eagle Pharmacy Museum

    Castle District·Museum·Ticket

    A historic pharmacy museum on Castle Hill.

    Tárnok utca 18Explore View on map

  4. A place of remembrance

    Holocaust Memorial Center

    Ferencváros·Museum & memorial·Ticket

    A museum and memorial to the Hungarian victims of the Holocaust, in and around a restored synagogue.

    Páva utca 39Explore View on map

  5. Asian art

    Hopp Ferenc Museum of Asian Arts

    Terézváros·Museum·Ticket

    A museum of Asian art in the former villa of the collector Ferenc Hopp on Andrássy Avenue.

    Andrássy út 103Explore View on map

  6. A secret hospital

    Hospital in the Rock

    Castle District·Museum·Ticket

    A hospital and nuclear bunker built in the caves beneath Castle Hill, used in the Second World War and in 1956, now a museum.

    Lovas út 4/CExplore View on map

  7. Magic in the Castle District

    House of Houdini

    Castle District·Museum·Ticket

    A museum of the escape artist Harry Houdini, born in Budapest, with magic shows.

    Dísz tér 11Explore View on map

  8. Inside Vajdahunyad Castle

    Hungarian Museum of Agriculture

    City Park·Museum·Ticket

    Europe’s largest agricultural museum, inside the fairy-tale Vajdahunyad Castle.

    Explore View on map

  9. The story of Hungary

    Hungarian National Museum

    Józsefváros·Museum·Ticket

    Hungary’s great national museum, in a neoclassical building of 1847, telling the country’s history from prehistory to modern times.

    Múzeum körút 14-16Explore View on map

  10. The composer’s home

    Kodály Memorial Museum

    Terézváros·Museum·Ticket

    The apartment of the composer Zoltán Kodály on Andrássy Avenue.

    Andrássy út 87-89Explore View on map

  11. Liszt’s apartment

    Liszt Ferenc Memorial Museum

    Terézváros·Museum·Ticket

    The apartment where Franz Liszt lived, in the Old Music Academy on Andrássy Avenue, with his pianos and belongings.

    Vörösmarty utca 35Explore View on map

  12. Medieval Buda

    Medieval Jewish Prayer House

    Castle District·Museum·Ticket

    A small medieval Jewish prayer house on Castle Hill, open seasonally.

    Táncsics Mihály utca 26Explore View on map

  13. In the metro underpass

    Millennium Underground Museum

    Deák tér·Transport museum·Ticket

    A small museum of the Millennium Underground, in the passage at Deák tér.

    Explore View on map

  14. A landmark new building

    Museum of Ethnography

    City Park·Museum·Ticket

    Hungary’s great ethnographic collection in a striking new building in City Park, with a walkable green roof.

    Dózsa György út 35Explore View on map

  15. European masterpieces

    Museum of Fine Arts

    City Park·Art museum·Ticket

    A great museum of European art on Heroes’ Square, from Egyptian antiquities to Old Masters.

    Dózsa György út 41Explore View on map

  16. Instruments and manuscripts

    Museum of Music History

    Castle District·Museum·Ticket

    Historic instruments and music manuscripts in a palace in the Castle District.

    Táncsics Mihály utca 7Explore View on map

  17. Play every machine

    Pinball Museum

    Újlipótváros·Museum·Ticket

    A huge, playable collection of pinball and arcade machines.

    Radnóti Miklós utca 18Explore View on map

  18. Millions of stamps

    Stamp Museum

    Erzsébetváros·Museum·Ticket

    A museum of stamps, with pull-out frames holding a vast collection.

    Hársfa utca 47Explore View on map

Galleries 7

Contemporary art and photography.

  1. On Heroes’ Square

    Hall of Art (Műcsarnok)

    City Park·Exhibition hall·Ticket

    A great exhibition hall on Heroes’ Square, showing contemporary art.

    Dózsa György út 37Explore View on map

  2. Contemporary since 2006

    Kisterem

    Belváros·Gallery

    A contemporary art gallery founded in 2006.

    Explore View on map

  3. Photography

    Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center

    Terézváros·Photography gallery·Ticket

    A photography centre on Nagymező Street named after the Budapest-born war photographer Robert Capa.

    Nagymező utca 8Explore View on map

  4. Op Art

    Vasarely Museum

    Óbuda·Art museum·Ticket

    A museum of the Hungarian-born father of Op Art, Victor Vasarely, in a baroque mansion in Óbuda.

    Szentlélek tér 6Explore View on map

Check programmes and book ahead for concerts; many museums close on Mondays.

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