The Hungarian capital will host its first street music festival, Budapest Play, at ten venues between July 30 and August 1 as well as between August 6 and 8, financed by the capital.
At a press conference on Tuesday, the city's mayor, Gergely Karácsony, said that "music is a universal language that we should all learn; it is a way to connect with the world, our culture and our city."
Budapest had long lacked a street music festival and the integration of street music as "an organic part of our lives", he added.
The festival, organized in partnership with a professional-civil initiative, will be Budapest's first full-scale festival of its kind, though a smaller event was previously held at the Fény Street Market, organizer Áron Sebestyén said. He highlighted the festival's goal of giving emerging artists a platform and the attention they deserve.
"We all believe in quality acoustic music," Áron Sebestyén added. Applications for the competition are open, with a preliminary selection followed by the announcement of the professional jury's chosen participants and the ten venues' programs on July 23.
Over the festival’s six days, 50-60 street musicians are expected to perform in Budapest's public spaces and other locations.
Márk Bóna, booking manager of the Sziget Festival, said the winner of the festival's audience prize would perform on the Sziget Festival's main stage on its final day, thanks to the cooperation between the capital, the festival organizers and Sziget. This collaboration will also help raise awareness among Budapest residents that the Sziget Festival begins on Óbuda Island in early August, he added.
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