Kaposvár’s beloved BábSzínTér troupe is back in 2026 with a month-long streak of puppet shows, family matinees, and roaming exhibits, anchoring spring weekends in Vaszary Park and popping up at kindergartens and in neighboring towns. The base of operations sits at 7400 Kaposvár, Fő utca 65–67, but the program spills well beyond that address, drawing in school groups, families with toddlers, and anyone with a soft spot for cheeky heroes and handcrafted puppets.
On Sunday, May 10 at 10:00, the Family Matinee gets rolling with Figurás játszó, an interactive play space where kids can dive straight into the world of puppets. At 11:00, the curtain rises on Ha lúd, legyen kövér! (literally: If a Goose, Let It Be Fat!), staged by the Szigligeti Theatre (Szigligeti Színház) – Lilliput Company (Lilliput Társulat). Think nimble humor, quick-change characters, and the kind of visual gags that keep both little ones and their parents glued to the stage. It’s a breezy opener designed to set the tone for a full week of school-focused shows and a flurry of May pop-ups around town and beyond.
Lázár Ervin Program: A Week of School Shows
From Monday, May 11 to Friday, May 15, mornings in Kaposvár belong to the Lázár Ervin Program, a series of closed performances that bring classic Hungarian puppet storytelling to students. János Pályi (Pályi János) takes the lead with Vitéz László és az elátkozott malom (Vitéz László and the Cursed Mill), staging it at 09:00 and, on select days, again at 11:00. It’s a lively, traditional glove-puppet romp where the plucky everyman Vitéz László meets a string of spectacular mishaps and magical mischief at a mill that refuses to behave. Expect fast-paced banter, knockabout comedy, and the signature slapstick that made Vitéz László a household favorite across generations.
Performances run:
– Monday, May 11: 09:00 Lázár Ervin Program, closed; 11:00 closed
– Tuesday, May 12: 09:00 closed, Vitéz László és az elátkozott malom by János Pályi; 11:00 closed, same show
– Wednesday, May 13: 09:00 closed, same show; 11:00 closed, same show
– Thursday, May 14: 09:00 closed, same show; 11:00 closed, same show
– Friday, May 15: 09:00 closed, same show
On the Road: Tatabánya and Kadarkút
The troupe doesn’t sit still. On Sunday, May 17 at 11:30, they take Vitéz László és az elátkozott malom to Tatabánya for a field performance. Then on Thursday, May 28 at 10:00, the same show rolls into Kadarkút, proof that the Kaposvár puppet scene travels well and keeps audiences grinning wherever it goes.
School Subscriptions and a Royal Tale
A separate fixture, the subscription performance (Bérletes előadás) for schoolchildren, lands Tuesday, May 19 at 14:00 with Márkus Theatre (MárkusZínház) presenting Mátyás király szárnyai (King Matthias’s Wings). Known for clever stagecraft and crisp narrative beats, Márkus Theatre’s take folds history-flavored adventure into a compact, witty package that rewards attentive listeners and daydreamers equally.
Bábmobil: Puppets in the Playground
The Bábmobil exhibition and play corner weave puppetry into everyday kindergarten life. On Wednesday, May 27 at 10:00, the mobile exhibit and games stop at the Nemzetőr Sori Tagóvoda, then on Friday, May 29 at 10:00, it’s the Tallián Utcai Tagóvoda’s turn. These pop-ups are all about tinkering with materials, handling puppets, and discovering that storytelling can be as tactile and immediate as tying a shoelace or building a block tower.
Where to Stay, Where to Eat
If you’re making a weekend of it, Kaposvár’s historic center piles on options. The freshly revamped Borostyán Guesthouse (Borostyán Panzió), set among chestnut-lined streets, reopens with modernized rooms, a kids’ play corner, a fitness room, and bicycles for hire. For central comfort, the Inn at the Lamb (Fogadó a Bárányhoz) sits right in the heart of town with spacious, accessibility-friendly rooms and a monitored underground garage with free parking for guests.
Hotel Dorottya, one of Kaposvár’s newest and most polished hotels, places you steps from the pedestrian street and within a quick walk of nightlife and landmarks. Another downtown property boasts 80 rooms with minibars, TVs, en-suite bathrooms, and Wi‑Fi, plus a guarded parking garage, café, restaurant with a summertime terrace, a solarium, and a suite of conference and event halls.
Craving a Mediterranean vibe? A family-run guesthouse turned full-service hotel offers 29 rooms and an atrium garden restaurant with Italian flavors; half board is available on request. The Laetitia Guesthouse (Laetitia Panzió) sits about 150 meters from the pedestrian zone on a quiet, traffic-free street shaded by horse chestnuts—handy if you’re juggling nap schedules and showtimes.
On the greener edge, the Lily of the Valley Cottage (Gyertyánosi Gyöngyvirág Kulcsosház) along Route 67 has two separate rooms for 4 and 3 guests, plus up to five extra beds, and a well-equipped kitchen and dining area. For sports-minded families, a tennis-adjacent pension offers 2–3-bed rooms with air conditioning, private bathrooms, free Wi‑Fi, free closed parking, a backyard grill, and easy access to the famed Virágfürdő spa complex. Breakfast—hot or cold—is available downstairs in the on-site restaurant.
What Else Is On in Town
Kaposvár’s calendar is bursting in May and beyond. The Csiky Gergely Theatre (Csiky Gergely Színház) runs a cluster of shows from May 7–17, May 19–23, and May 26–31 with tickets from about $4.10 to $23.80. On May 10, The Attic (A padlás) is priced at about $25.90. May 16 brings Romeo and Juliet – the musical (Rómeó és Júlia – musical) from roughly $18.30 to $49.00, and May 24 sets the stage for Harry Potter Music by Candlelight (Harry Potter zenéje gyertyafényben) at about $34.90–$40.30. The popular Entertaining Outdoor City-Exploration Game (Szórakoztató szabadtéri városnéző kalandjáték) runs week after week through the summer and into 2027.
Classics and tributes line the later seasons: on June 4, Socrates’ Apology (SZÓKRATÉSZ VÉDŐBESZÉDE) at around $4.10; June 5, Vivaldi: The Four Seasons – Candlelight (VIVALDI A NÉGY ÉVSZAK – GYERTYAFÉNYES KONCERT) at about $34.90–$40.30; September 26, The Music of Ludovico Einaudi – Tribute at similar prices; November 19, Tvrtko – Chernobyl 40 (exclusive talk) at about $21.30; and December 4, Attila Kökény & Viktor Rakonczai – I See You Again… (Kökény Attila & Rakonczai Viktor – Újra látlak…) at roughly $35.10–$45.90. Conversions are approximate, based on 1,500–17,900 HUF tickets ranging from about $4.10 to $49.00.
It’s a full slate: puppets in the park, heroes at cursed mills, wings for kings, and candlelit concerts after dark. Spring in Kaposvár is busy, bright, and ready for families to dive in.
