Arts and entertainment - The Rough Guide to Budapest - page 277

MillenárisPark II,KisRókusutca 16-20 13364000, millenaris.hu . Complex ofbuild-
ings near Széll Kálmán tér which has music, theatre and dance shows. In summer, concerts
are held on the park's outdoor stages.
PalaceofArts(Művészetekpalotája-Müpa) IX, Komor Marcell utca 1 1 555 3000,
mupa.hu . This substantial complex on the riverbank in southern Pest (15 mins on tram #2
from Vigadó tér) has one of the best concert halls in Europe, as well as a theatre and mu-
seum. As the shop window for the capital's culture scene, it sees a superb range of concerts,
attracting the top international classical, jazz and world music orchestras and acts. Box office
Mon-Fri 1-6pm, Sat & Sun 10am-6pm.
Trafó IX, Liliom utca 41 1 215 1600, trafo.hu . A dynamic contemporary arts centre in
a former transformer station, it pulls in full houses with its strong roster of dance, theatre and
music, by Hungarian and foreign artistes. Contemporary art gallery and a good bar too. Box
office daily 4-8pm. Closed July & Aug.
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CLASSICAL MUSIC, OPERA AND BALLET
The city offers a wide variety of performances, with several concerts most nights, especially
during the Budapest Spring Festival and the Contemporary Arts jamboree in the autumn,
when you can bank on a roll call of world-class artists pitching up. Most opera productions
are in Hungarian, a custom introduced by Gustav Mahler when he was director of the Opera
House, which remains Budapest's principal venue. One genre that has long appealed to the
Hungarian spirit is operetta , with Hungarians making a major contribution to the turn-of-
the-century Viennese tradition through composers such as Ferenc Lehár and Imre Kálmán.
Lehár's The Merry Widow and Kálmán's The Csárdás Princess still draw the crowds with
their combination of grand tunes, extravagant staging and romantic comedy in the suitably
over-the-top Operetta Theatre.
BartókMemorial House (Bartók Emlékház) II, Csalán utca 29 1 394 2100, bartok-
museum.hu . Concerts - not just of the music of Bartók - are held in the villa where the com-
poser used to live, most on Fri at 6pm but also on other days. Tickets are either included in
the entry fee or are up to a modest 2500Ft. Tues-Sun 10am-5pm or until start of concert.
Budapest Music Center IX, Mátyás utca 8 1 216 7894, bmc.hu . Great acoustics in
this new chamber music venue just south of the Great Market Hall. Box office Tues-Sun
9am-9pm, Sat-Sun open from two hours before start of concert.
BartókNationalConcertHall(BartókBélaNemzetiHangversenyterem) in the Palace of
Arts. The home of the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra has superb acoustics and
attracts world-class performers, not just in the classical arena. Box office daily 10am-6pm or
until start of concert.