Valley of Arts Festival Near Lake Balaton in July

With new venues and around 3,000 programs ranging from visual arts to new circus and music, the Valley of Arts is waiting for visitors between July 18 and 27 in Kapolcs, Taliándörögd and Vigántpetend in an area north of Lake Balaton.

Speaking at a press conference in Budapest on Wednesday, Minister of Public Administration and Regional Development Tibor Navracsics said that the Valley of Arts is much more than just a festival, it is the foundation of a regional economic model.

He was of the view that the Valley of Arts is a good example of how culture can also become an economic force. “It is a force for regional organization which, in addition to providing entertainment for local people, attracting tourists and enhancing the attractiveness of the whole region, also has concrete economic results. It creates jobs and strengthens the entrepreneurial culture and the community of local people," he said of the festival's year-round impact.

The festival's director, Natália Oszkó-Jakab, said: the 40 venues offer a variety of genres, including exhibitions, theater, circus, dance, classical and popular music. She pointed out that the festival will once again feature a foreign artist: Franz Ferdinand will present his new album ‘The Human Fear’, the cover of which was inspired by a painting by artist Dóra Maurer, one of whose works can also be seen in the permanent exhibition at the MűvészVölgy Mansion.