Budapest is rightfully deemed a complete vacation destination. The sparkling shopping opportunities, countless museums, cultural and historical edifices, nature attractions and the possibility to make extensive trips in Budapest proper or in its surroundings, all this concur to turning the capital of Hungary into a place of huge tourist popularity.
But nightlife is, is too, a notable ingredient of the tourist recipe of Budapest. Local nighttime leisure opportunities live up to tourists’ expectations, regardless of visitors’ tastes, habits or inclinations.
Thus, Budapest features an extensive cultural scene foreigners can sample and appreciate. Plenty of theaters and music halls fuel in an active and appealing manner the cultural life of the city, but the picture is complemented by the countless bars and clubs, pubs and discos, sexy clubs and casinos. Obviously, Budapest is a city which has something to offer to anyone. Attending to theater representations, listening to live music, dancing and drinking the night out, indulging in gambling and disco hopping, all these are possible in the seemingly inexhaustible Budapest.
Millennium City Center aims to be more than a mere cultural venue. This urban complex is designed to embody the idea of a complete leisure and business platform, intending to accommodate the means for meeting a wide range of necessities: from beauty care centers to car wash facilities, bank and business offices and cultural venues (theaters and concert halls). Located on the east side of the Danube, in Pest, this complex also benefits from a stunning riverside view, which is always a plus to be appreciated as such by visitors and locals alike.
Vigszinhaz is the comedy theater of Budapest. Its popularity with the local public is evidenced by the large crowds waiting to attend to the minutely planned representations. Vigszinhaz is a venue where foreigners can really get in touch with the pulse of the local cultural scene.
Merlin is a cultural venue which comes down to more than the definition of a mere theater. The events it organizes range from theater performances to fashion shows. Tickets to these events can also be purchased online.
Merlin is said to be one of the best cultural venues for English speaking tourists.
Trafo, otherwise referred to as Trafo House of Contemporary Art (Trafo Kortars Muveszetek Haza), is one of the top alternatives for people with less mainstream cultural and artistic interests. It is a leading force in the avant-garde cultural scene of Budapest, and its popularity is substantiated by the large public which usually attends to their shows. A plus refers to the flexible ticket purchase policy practiced by Trafo.
Madach Theater is a place of special decorative magnificence. At present, the theater features 3 stages. As far as English speaking tourists are concerned, the main drawback is, apparently, representations are given chiefly in Hungarian, which is a challenge, one must admit.
MU Szinhaz is yet another cultural venue focusing on promoting and popularizing the works of contemporary choreographers and dancers.
Kilibri is the main puppet theater in Budapest, and its performances are given in three different locations corresponding to a certain branch of the theater: Kolibri Pince, Kolibri Feszek, Kolibri Szinhaz.
In order to get a sense of what the local and national musical scene is all about, visitors are advised to attend to the performances put on by the following venues which organize shows given by famed local bands:
Numerous casinos can be spotted throughout Budapest. They either pertain to famed luxury hotels in the capital of Hungary or are autonomously administrated. Obviously, tourists with a penchant for gambling have plenty of options to choose from. The following is but a short list of such gambling venues.
This is one of the top casinos in Budapest. Opened in 1992, it is hosted by the luxury Sofitel Atrium Hotel. It boasts of having been frequented by plenty of Hollywood stars, such as Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Merkur Casino has several different locations throughout Budapest, its game halls being hosted by sundry shopping centers in the capital of Hungary.
Said to be one of the best venues advisable for rock and jazz lovers, Old Man’s Music Pub is nationwide popular for its shows, which is why foreigners should definitely check it out.
Fat Mo tries to reproduce the spirit of the speakeasies during the prohibition period in North America. All sorts of details (paintings, furniture, drinks, the musical offer etc.) are meant to reenact the atmosphere specific to those times. Most certainly, this is a place not to be missed out once in Budapest.
As far as dancing venues in Budapest are concerned, tourists have plenty of alternatives to choose from. Regardless of their actual location, these venues are as diverse as it gets, managing to give Budapest an air of unmatched uniqueness. It is precisely this sort of venues which contribute, along with other opportunities, to the singular atmosphere of Budapest. Tourists who want to experience Budapest to its full extent should definitely sample some of the charm characteristic of the nightlife in this city.
This is a club which tries to apply the motifs borrowed from a prison-like environment. The venue is said to be somewhat pricey, but the music is worth every penny.
Barokko is a very complex nightlife venue in Budapest. It is both a restaurant and a club, and, in fact, it is a genuine landmark of nocturnal leisure in the capital of Hungary.
Cactus Juice is a pub which revives the atmosphere of the Wild West. It has its personal charm, and, if for no other reason, that at least for its wide range of whiskey-based cocktails should it be visited.
Living Room is very popular with the student population of Budapest. The musical offer consists of the most recent national and international hits, which suits the tastes of the usual customers.
A 38 is a literally unique dancing and music venue in Budapest, being located, in fact, in a former ship which has been out of use for some time now. The ship, at its turn, is located on the Buda bank of the Danube. A 38 is famed throughout Budapest for its active and diverse musical scene, with plenty of bands and artists performing sundry types of music.
This is a discreet venue, meaning it is hardly indicated by any signs. However, discreet is not the word to describe what happens inside. For a fairly complete feel of the gay scene in Budapest, tourist might want to visit Action Gay.
This is a rather recent presence on the gay scene of Budapest, but it has managed to become fairly popular with the less mainstream sexually oriented local public.
There are plenty of sexy clubs in Budapest. Tourists who do not confine to searching out the musical, dancing and gambling scene of the city might just as well explore other opportunities. Apparently, the sexy club scene of Budapest sees a constant expansion, and, as a rule, foreign tourists are at least satisfied with the services provided by these venues.