Where the Stars Meet: Margaret Island Theatre
Margaret Island Theatre is Hungary’s most exclusive summer open-air venue, located in the heart of Budapest, amid the unique natural and architectural setting of Margaret Island, surrounded by the Danube. Built in 1938 and seating nearly 3,000 guests, the theatre’s main stage features its own boat dock. Together with the historic Water Tower, which stands in the theatre’s courtyard and serves both as an observation tower and a gallery, it forms one of Hungary’s most impressive cultural and tourist attractions.
A Diverse Season, Unforgettable Experiences
Running from May to September, the season is Hungary’s longest multidisciplinary cultural programme series. With more than seventy large-scale events, it ensures a continuous cultural offering in the capital even during the traditional theatre off-season. The leading open-air venue’s repertoire represents the highest artistic standards, ranging from monumental operas, musicals and ballet productions to classical, pop, jazz and crossover concerts.
World Stars and International Sensations
Margaret Island Theatre is a renowned meeting place for Hungary’s artistic elite and international superstars alike. Alongside legendary performers from the past, the theatre has in recent years welcomed some of the most popular Hungarian and international stars of today. Among the recent highlights in pop and jazz have been two-time Grammy Award winner Kurt Elling, Italian soul star Mario Biondi, Anthony Strong, Nemanja Radulović, Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox and Gregory Porter. The international pop and gala programme has also featured acclaimed names such as the London Community Gospel Choir, virtuoso pianist Maksim, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Chico & the Gypsies and Pink Martini.
Classical Geniuses and the Elite of the Opera World
In recent seasons, the international elite of classical music and opera has been represented by world-renowned tenor Jonathan Tetelman; opera stars Pretty Yende and Nadine Sierra; as well as Aida Garifullina and Francesco Demuro. Among the outstanding instrumentalists to have performed at the theatre are Zoltán Bácsy-Schwartz, Kristóf Baráti and János Balázs, accompanied by the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra.
Grand-Scale Successes and Major Musical Premieres
In recent years, the theatre has also hosted spectacular large-scale productions and musical premieres, including Wonderland, Evita, Rudolf, Shrek, Elisabeth, Mozart!, Elizabeth Báthory and Anna Karenina, featuring stellar Hungarian casts.
The Magic of Movement: World-Famous Dance and Ballet Companies
Dance also holds a prominent place on the theatre’s monumental stage. Among the internationally renowned ballet and dance companies that have performed at Margaret Island Theatre are the Sukhishvili Georgian National Ballet, Ballet Preljocaj, Ballet Español de la Comunidad de Madrid, BERD Dance Ensemble, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, Béjart Ballet Lausanne and Maribor Ballet.
The Cinema Experience with a Symphony Orchestra
Film music concerts are another important part of the summer season and have included highly successful productions featuring Jurassic Park, How to Train Your Dragon, Amadeus, Cat City, The Lion King, Psycho and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
Hungarian Pop and Mainstream Favourites
The latest successes of Hungary’s mainstream and pop music scene have been brought to the island by outstanding performers including Zséda, Nikolas Takács, Andrea Szulák, Attila Kökény and Viktor Rakonczai, as well as Leander Symphonic, Magna Cum Laude, Caramel, Cotton Club Singers, Péter Geszti, László Dés, and Róbert Szikora & R-GO.
