Szekszárd’s biggest cultural hub, the Babits Mihály Cultural Center at 7100 Szekszárd, Szent István Square (Szent István tér) 10, is gearing up for a full-blooded 2026. The venue rolls out exhibitions, open universities, concerts, family days, and playhouses, alongside a lively ecosystem of resident clubs and arts groups. Under its wing sit the well-loved Agora Cinema (Agóra Mozi) and the House of Arts, keeping the downtown square firmly on the city’s cultural map.
Spring opens with brass, poetry, and swing
April gets loud and lyrical. On April 25, the Alisca Brass Band gives a standalone concert, while the 13th Fedorka-Never-Was Poetry Day 2026 (XIII. Fedorka–Sosevolt Versnap 2026) celebrates poetry across town the same day. Two days later, on April 27, American Comedy – Swing Musical lands with big-band swagger and vintage humor.
Conversations on love and a dance-theater journey
April 29 brings two very different evenings. The free Whole-Being Open University tackles Love as Crisis (Not Only as a Love Crisis), with mental health expert and complex arts therapist Cecilia Bozzay as speaker and Margit Pócs, head of the Mental Health Workshop, hosting. The same night, the Forrás Folk Dance Ensemble Independent Theater premieres Útravaló, a dance-theater piece that promises movement-packed storytelling.
Musicals, handwriting insights, and a studio gala
On May 5, Endre Fejes – Gábor Presser’s Jó estét nyár, jó estét szerelem (Good Evening Summer, Good Evening Love) returns: a musical about a hooligan, programmed as the fourth show of the Múzsa season. May 8 offers Individual Graphology Short Analysis sessions. A day later, on May 9, the Origo Dance Studio hosts a Dance Gala (Táncgála), making it a weekend for both introspection and performance.
Uzbekistan, stand-up, and youth orchestra milestones
The Culture Sips Open University heads east on May 12 with Tashkent to the Aral Sea – Uzbekistan, an armchair journey through Central Asia. On May 14, comedian László Lakatos arrives with I’ve Arrived — his solo night — with opening act Olivér Wolf. Tickets run $21.50. May 15 features two concerts: the Szekszárd Youth Wind Orchestra’s qualifying performance and Gergő Kovács’s song recital, stacking local talent back-to-back.
Legend tributes and contemporary drama
May 21 revives beloved Hungarian voices in Music, What Am I Without You… — a tribute to Zsuzsa Cserháti and Péter Máté. June turns theatrical: June 9 stages James Fritz’s 4:12, a taut modern drama that puts timing and truth under the microscope.
Pocahontas for schoolkids and a golden oldies hit
For younger audiences, the Topolcsányi Laura – Viktor Maráth adaptation of Pocahontas rolls through three subscription series: Primary 4th Show on June 10, plus Primary Plus 4th Show and Kindergarten 4th Show on June 11. Two days later, on June 13, Apostol hits the stage, bringing the evergreen band’s singalong catalog to Szekszárd.
French farce, piano masters, and Mozart
Early summer rounds out with Husbands in a Pickle, a two-act French comedy, on June 23. After the seasonal pause, September 7 welcomes concert pianists Endre Hegedűs and Katalin Hegedűs for a dual recital. On November 6, organist Gergely Rákász brings Mozart to life with his signature storytelling performance style, and November 24 caps the month with a sweeping Film Music Concert.
Classic novel, modern musical
Mark January 23, 2027, for a major crowd-pleaser: László Dés – Péter Geszti – Krisztián Grecsó’s The Paul Street Boys (A Pál utcai fiúk), based on Ferenc Molnár’s classic novel. Expect a high-energy adaptation that keeps the youthful spirit and ragtag loyalties front and center.
Where to stay: wine-country comfort
A handful of nearby stays make a culture-and-wine weekend easy. Hotel Merops****, a wine hotel in downtown Szekszárd near the Mészáros Winery (Mészáros Pincészet) and just minutes from the city center, leans into calm small-town vibes and wine-country charm. Expect distinctive interiors, a well-drilled staff, and services tailored to both quiet breaks and active escapes.
Nádasdi Ház offers 8 rooms and 2 apartments, plus gastro programs in and around the city. Its Main Street Bistro has become a local favorite for varied menus and polished plates. Wine tastings are on tap, and the cellar sets the mood for Szekszárd-style gatherings — from birthdays and friends’ dinners to corporate events.
Sió Motel sits at Szekszárd’s northern gateway on Route 6, between the Szekszárd and Tolna wine regions, close to the Gemenc Forest and the Sárköz area, spread over 2.5 hectares. For modern comfort, Hotel Zodiaco*** bills itself as the only three-star accommodation in and around Szekszárd, with a keep-innovating philosophy designed to make both business trips and weekend breaks smooth and relaxed.
Wine routes worth wandering
Local cellars keep the glasses full. Attila Estate (Attila Birtok) farms 34.6 acres of vines in the Baranya Valley, focusing on Blaufränkisch (kékfrankos), Kadarka, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Zweigelt. Bodri Winery (Bodri Pincészet) stretches across 247 acres on the city’s southern edge, a full-blown tourism center with winery, events complex, show kitchen, restaurant, and guesthouses. The 19,375-square-foot grand cellar undulates under twelve domes, and the 3,229-square-foot aging cellar opens to tours. Their 15,069-square-foot rosé facility boosts volume without dropping quality. With rooms for 61 guests and a subterranean thermal Roman bath, jacuzzi, and sauna, plus the Optimus Restaurant modernizing Hungarian classics, it’s a one-stop estate.
Borfaragó Cellar (Borfaragó Pince), in the old upper-town heart, pairs artisan wines with the craft heritage of a former carpenter and woodcarver’s workshop — a discreet, easy-access setting for friendly or corporate get-togethers. On Várdomb Hill, a cellar puts Blaufränkisch (kékfrankos) center stage, while carefully tending Riesling, Cserszegi Fűszeres, Kadarka, Kékoportó (Portugieser), Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah.
A dedicated natural-style winery works its own Szekszárd vineyards, mainly in Porkoláb Valley, fermenting only estate-grown grapes without commercial yeasts, malolactic starters, enzymes, fining agents, colorants, or tweaks to flavor, aroma, or acidity — no filtration, sterilizing processes, oxygen dosing, or heat treatment — and bottles everything unfiltered. Another local estate experiments broadly with blends, crafting rosés from nearly every red at hand and notching international wins, while guarding Szekszárd character in reds rooted in Blaufränkisch (kékfrankos) and Kadarka, rounded out by Merlot, Cabernet, and Pinot Noir.
If you want something different, head up a vineyard hill, switch off, kick back, and enjoy the wine. The Eszterbauer family, with Swabian and Serbian roots, runs a tradition-steeped Szekszárd winery offering tastings led by family members in a show cellar and stately wine house. They host 8 to 50 guests with food pairings from simple nibbles to full dinners, and their webshop carries an array of award-winners. A family estate farming 16.3 acres across four Szekszárd sites focuses on Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Blaufränkisch (kékfrankos).
Organizers reserve the right to change dates and programs.
