Where to celebrate Halloween in Budapest (2024)

A special retro concert, inspired by Netflix’s popular series Stranger Things, will kick off on 25 October at the Dürer Kertstarting at 10pm. Attendees are encouraged to dress as iconic '80s' characters– including the cast of Stranger Things, of course – and boogie down to Quixotic’s '80s' synth pop. Quixotic, a popular synthwave DJ from Hungary, released his premiere album Flamingo Drive-In in April, described as, “an album starting off like the Stranger Things intro learned how to shred guitar, and then moves into some heavy hitting '80s' inspired magic”.

A costume contest is also on the menu, so put together your best outfit! Winners will be announced before midnight, between the concert and the party, so try to arrive early if you wish to participate.

Tickets can be purchased online.

For more information, see the event’s Facebook page.

WHAT: '80s' synth-inspired concert
WHERE: Dürer Kert
WHEN: 25 October,10pm-5am

For all the little ones out there who would like to experience the American festivities in full, this event on 26 October offers theperfectchance to go trick-or-treating! Activities take place mainly in Hungarian, but candy speaks for itself.

In all, 14 restaurants along Ráday utca are set to participate this year, handing out candy to children with special Halloween bags, which come free with each ticket.These are purchased per child, but grown-upsattend for free. Mulled wine will also be on-site for accompanying adults.

This is the third year that the Ráday Soho Cultural Club has organised this event, and last year saw more than 2,000 participants.

Tickets can be purchased here.

For more information, check out the Facebook event.

WHAT: Trick or treat
WHEN: 26 October,4pm-8pm
WHERE: Ráday utca

This two-hour event is a charitable get-together, as participants are asked to bring up to three items of canned goodsor other non-perishable food, to be donated to people in need. The Gyermekétkeztetési Alapítvány (Child Nutrition Foundation) will be overseeing distribution.

The event begins at 7pm on Heroes' Square, and participants must bring their own pumpkin! Photos from last year’s successful celebration can be found on the event’s Facebook page.

WHAT: Pumpkin carving
WHEN: 26 October,7pm-9pm
WHERE: Heroes’ Square

The Aquincum Museum in Óbuda sits on the ancient Roman and Celtic ruins of the area, and this year the museum is hosting a whole day of celebrations on Halloween.

Halloween itself traces back to the Celtic Samhain, the last day in the Celtic calendar when it was believed that the boundary between this world and the world of the dead could open up and allow supernatural creatures to walk free. In honour of the holiday’s Celtic roots, the museum is offering a programme of events including pumpkin carving, face painting, apple-bobbing, fortune-telling, dancing and fire duels, guided tours of the exhibition The People of Dragons and Birds – The Celts of Csepel Island, and demonstrations of Celtic living practices. More details here.

WHAT: Ancient fun celebrating Samhain
WHEN: 31 October, 5pm-10pm
WHERE: Aquincum Museum

Make-up artists, a horror photo set, free welcome drinks and spooky live acts are all on the menu for the LA NIGHT Halloween Special at the Budapest Marriott Hotel. The event starts at 9pm and goes until 3am, and costumes are encouraged but not mandatory. If you’re interested in having a professional make-up artist transform you into a ghoul, make sure you arrive early.

Entrance to the event is 3,000 forints, and attendees must click ‘Going’ on the Facebook page to get their name on the guest list. A photographer will also be at the event to takesnaps with the Buda Castle in the background. More details here.

WHAT: Halloween dance party
WHEN: 31 October, 9pm-3am
WHERE: Budapest Marriott Hotel

International students, as well as any interested expats, are invited to take part in the third annual Halloween party hosted by International Club Tour and Erasmus Life Budapest. Last year’s Halloween party brought in 2,300 people,with three dance floors featuringEDM and electronic music, hip hop, reggaeton, techno and chill out. This year, live DJ shows will feature Hungarian andglobal artists.

The party will take place at the Akvárium Klub, starting at 11pm and willfeature a costume competition, so make sure to wear something that really wows. Tickets can be purchased online or at the Erasmus Life Budapest office betweennoon and 8pm. More information can be found at the Facebook event.

Online tickets

WHAT: Dance party for international students and expats
WHEN: 31 October, 11pm-5am
WHERE: Akvárium Klub

The metalfraternityin Budapest invites hardcore music lovers to enjoy not one, not two, but three days of celebrationfor their Budapest Metal Halloween 2019 event.Taking place at the S8 Underground Club andDürer Kert, the party starts on the 31st and doesn'tend till 2 November. In all, 23 bands will befeatured, including Fall from Everest, Prospective, The Tumor Called Marla, Dreamgrave and Hypnos, among others.

Budapest Metal Halloween is hosted every year by the local metal promoter branch Kill Monday Management.

Anyone attending in costume will geta 50% discount on tickets, but the event stresses that full-priceadmissionshouldn’tbreak the bank.

Budapest Zooby the City Park will be having aOnce Upon a TimeHalloween event on 31 October, beginning at 6pm.Eventsand attractions include,pumpkin carving,witch-face painting, scary storytelling, fire artists, ghosts, and horse and camel riding, all amid spooky Halloween decoration.

Children under 14 in Halloween costumesor make-up may attend for free. Everyone else pays 2,000 forints admission.

Most of the events will take place in the Holnemvolt Vár (Once Upon a Time Castle), which is part of the zoo, and will be open on this night. In the evening, those who wish can also join in the Zoo Halloween Evening Walk.

For information on tickets, visit the Zoo website.

WHAT: Halloween at the Zoo
WHERE: Budapest Zoo
WHEN: 31 October, Zoo opens at 9am

Spend 1 November on the riverwith this late-night boat party, which starts at 10pm and runs over two hoursat least. Admission is €26 and features DJ/party music, a free welcome drink and an environmentally friendly reusable cup. Costumes are, of course, encouraged and at the end of the cruise, everyone gets VIP access to one of the mostpopular clubs in Budapest. More details here.

WHAT: River dance party
WHEN: 1 November, 10.30pm-12.30am (or later)
WHERE: On the Danube

TheStudios will be garlanded in ghostly decoration for its Halloween party Dance of the Dead, themed after the Mexican Day of the Dead festival. This is the first year that such a Halloween party will be open to the public here –a convivial venue, also the location for Budapest's popular English-language comedy nights– and not members-only.

Thenight will feature a broad line-up of DJs, including Imi Kiss, Sazabio, Broken Dreams Club and Adis Abbé, among others. Costumes are required, but not restricted to any specific topic, and so participants are urged to get creative!

Admission is 1,500/2,000 forints in advance, 3,000 forints on the door

For more information, see the event’s Facebook page.

WHAT: Dance party
WHEN: 2 November, 8pm-5am
WHERE: The Studios

The leisurecomplex Aquaworld on the outskirts of town will celebrate Halloween a littlelater, opening after-hours on 2 November for AquaworldHalloween Night. The event begins at 9pm and features fire jugglers, dance shows, a party for kids and late-night access to the waterpark’s 11 slides, 15 pools and jacuzzi.

Tickets (3,990 HUF)are only available on-site. Supplementary tickets for three-hour and full-day admission are 2,000 forints.Participation is free for hotel guests. More details here.

WHAT: Halloween Pool Party
WHEN: 2 November,8pm-midnight
WHERE: Aquaworld

While not technically a Halloween party, the nearest Sparty date to Halloween is 2 November. The famous spa parties at the Széchenyi Baths run every Saturday until January, when everything pauses for winter. Basic tickets start at €50, and the party runs until 3am with lightshows, music, booze and access to the outdoor pools.

Tickets for the 2 November Sparty canbe purchased here.

WHAT: Saturday night Sparty
WHERE: SzéchenyiBaths
WHEN: 2 November, 10.30pm-3am

TheAmerican Corner Budapestwill be joined by US Alumni students to bring some Halloween fun to their Conversation Club, which brings together native English speakers and English learners. This week participants will engage in decorating Halloween cupcakes, playing games like Pictionary and Halloween charades and making some arts & crafts skeleton projects.

Those interested mustregister here, as spaces are limited. Registration deadline is 29 October at 1pm.

For more information, see theFacebook event.