Budapest 150 Series of Events Gets Underway

The Budapest 150 program series celebrating the 150th anniversary of the unification of the Hungarian capital has begun with the announcement of the Budapest Nyitány (Budapest Overture) composition competition and the awards ceremony of the Budapest Drama Competition.

Mayor Gergely Karácsony said at the event on Tuesday at the Örkény Theater that Budapest was not made a united city by the document of recognition, but by the people who live in it, who have made it and are making it a united city every day.

As he said, they want to showcase and make the diverse culture of Budapest widely accessible and enjoyable. "Because culture is what holds communities together, it is what sustains us even when social or economic crises ravage us," he added.

The composers' competition is organized by the Budapest Festival Orchestra with the support of the Budapest Municipality, and entries are invited until April 30. The winning work will be performed by the orchestra under the baton of Iván Fischer in an open-air concert as part of the Budapest 150 program.

Tuesday’s event also saw the launch of the renewed Budapest Time Machine.