On the 8th of May, the Margaret Island Open Air Theatre held its season opening press conference, at which Teodóra Bán, the theatre's manager and artistic director, presented the 2025 summer programme. The programme for the May-September season, which focuses on opera, musicals and ballet, has once again been put together in the spirit of quality entertainment. The press conference, which was filled with exciting productions, featured video messages from foreign guest artists as well as a preview of the shows and productions planned for the summer, including Zsolt Homonnay, Tamás Veréb, Péter Sándor, Dénes Kocsis, Veronika Nádasi, Nikolas Takács and the Magna Cum Laude Orchestra.

The event was attended and addressed by Anita Herczegh, President of the Board of Trustees of the Regőczi Foundation, Goodwill Ambassador of the Hungarian Maltese Charity Service and Catholic Caritas, and Irén Novák, Deputy State Secretary for Arts and Community Education at the Ministry of Culture and Innovation.

The Margaret Island Open Air Theatre, under the direction of Teodóra Bán, welcomes lovers of quality entertainment in Budapest with a wide range of cultural programs every summer. The theatre brings the world's best, international and domestic stars and productions to its audience. The wide range is characterized by a diversity of genres in the summer season, which runs from May 17 to September 5.

"The performances of the summer of 2025 promise to be a real curiosity in the cultural life of the capital: we are waiting for those who are interested in relaxing in the summer evenings with new types of community events and a programme series that is more special than ever before. In recent years we have welcomed many famous national and international artists, ensembles and orchestras, and this year we are fortunate to be able to continue our cooperation with our domestic and foreign partners. We are preparing a joint presentation with the Győr National Theatre, the József Attila Theatre and the Budapest Operetta Theatre. To my great delight, many excellent artists are coming to us: Francesca Sassu for the title role of the opera premiere of Lady Butterfly, George Petean, Riccardo Gatto, Oksana Dyka and Elmina Hasan, the stars of the premiere of Nabucco, and among the representatives of lighter genres, Gregory Porter, Maksim, Malevo, Coco Chanel, the dance performance The Life of a Fashion Icon, the Alice in Wonderland Circus re-release family show and, last but not least, Chico & the Gypsies return to Margaret Island." - said Teodóra Bán, the theatre's managing and artistic director.

The open-air theater opens its 2025 season with a world star

The theatre will open its 2025 season with a very special concert: on 17 May, none other than the uncrowned king of jazz, one of the genre's greatest living icons, Grammy winner Gregory Porter, will take to the huge stage surrounded by ancient trees. In addition to Porter, this summer's line-up will also include such internationally renowned artists as Anthony Strong, the British singer and pianist, and Maksim Mrvica, the crossover pianist who is currently the world's highest-grossing concert performer. 

The jazz legends continue on 18 July, when the Duke Ellington Orchestra takes to the iconic stage. Chico and the Gypsies return to Margaret Island on 27 August with hot melodies and exhilarating rhythms. The kings of flamenco, the world-famous musicians, will once again bring a fiesta to the stage.

Visual and classical music

On 16 August the Margaret Island Main Stage will host a world premiere. The Margaret Island Theatre and the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra will jointly present the production Magic of Vivaldi - The Four Seasons. The performance is the latest collaborative work of conductor and director Tibor Bogányi and artist Ágnes Zászkaliczky, in which music, visuals and dance come to life in unparalleled harmony. The production is a 3D multimedia performance for an international tour, giving new meaning to Vivaldi's timeless work. The world of music is represented by the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra and the art of movement by the Budapest Dance Theatre, creating a journey of all the arts for the audience - a concert experience that links the past and the future.

Festive Opening Concert

One of the highlights of the Margaret Island Theatre’s program series is the festive opening concert, which traditionally takes place on the eve of National Unity Day, on June 3rd. This time, the theatre is preparing for the uplifting grand concert together with the more than 100-year-old National Philharmonic Orchestra. One of the most prestigious symphonic ensembles in our country is a guarantee of the highest quality of classical music. The special feature of this year’s concert is that for the first time, the orchestra’s chief music director, Liszt and Kossuth Prize winner György Vashegyi, will conduct on the Margaret Island stage, and for the first time, we can welcome the Liszt and Kossuth Prize winner violinist Kristóf Baráti, who will delight the theatre audience with Ludwig van Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D major.

“The first part of the Margaret Island concert will be devoted to Beethoven. We will start with the Egmont Overture, then the Violin Concerto, with Kristóf Baráti's wonderful solo. After the break, there will be Galántai Dances by Zoltán Kodály, then Symphonic Minutes by Ernő Dohnányi, and finally we will close with Les Preludes by Ferenc Liszt,” explained György Vashegyi, the principal music director of the National Philharmonic Orchestra.

On the Day of National Unity, on June 4th at 11 a.m., the theatre will welcome Tamás Szarka and his orchestra. In 2025, the initiative of Kossuth Prize-winning performer and composer Tamás Szarka will be held for the 7th time, and has already proven its success. In 2024, more than two hundred thousand people sang Tamás Szarka's song Kézfogás (Handshake) throughout the Carpathian Basin on the occasion of national unity. The artist invites you to sing together on the occasion of the holiday this year, teachers and children will be invited to the Margaret Island main stage.

Opera, musical and operetta performances

Giacomo Puccini's opera Lady Butterfly is one of the most popular and most performed operas, and the Margaret Island Theatre will be presenting it twice this season. In a new production, but with respect for the magical melodies of classical music and the story, the story of the young geisha Cso-Cso's disappointed love and loyalty will be staged in a beautiful and aesthetic setting, with the participation of excellent artists. The leading roles will be played by Francesca Sassu, Pinkerton, Szabolcs Brickner, Csaba Szegedi Scharpless, Péter Balczó Goro. The orchestra of the performance will be the Budapest Philharmonic Society conducted by Dániel Somogyi-Tóth with the participation of the Kodály Choir Debrecen.

The other major opera premiere of the summer season is Verdi's grand opera Nabucco. At the age of twenty-seven, Verdi created an opera that changed his life and that has written itself into opera history. The opera will be performed with excellent foreign singers in the main roles, who have already sung the emotional songs of Nabucco on the world's greatest opera stages. Oksava Dyka as Abigél, George Petean as Nabucco, Elmina Hassan as Fenéna, Riccardo Gatto as Ismail, András Palerdi as Zacharias, Boldizsár Zajkás as the high priest of Baal, Kinga Kriszta as Anna, Zacharias' sister, and Gergely Ujvári as Abdalló, the officer of the Babylonian king. Featuring: the Kodály Philharmonic Debrecen and the Kodály Choir Debrecen. Conductor: István Dénes.

It is undeniable that the most popular genre of our time is the musical, which provides an experience for all ages. The special outdoor features of Margaret Island are truly an advantageous location for large, story-telling musical productions. Musical theatre lovers can confidently expect that the new Rudolf and Shrek musical performances will appeal to every single sense of the audience. The Rudolf musical will be performed three times, in two casts, and Shrek the musical will be performed two times, also in two casts, in the Margaret Island summer theatre.

“The flagships of the Margaret Island Theatre are the operas and staged theatre performances staged as large productions. The five hundred square metre stage size of the Margaret Island Theatre and the three thousand-seat auditorium require the presentation of impressive, spectacular productions. Such a large apparatus naturally comes with high costs, but I believe that we can primarily show ourselves to the domestic audience and the international arena with large-scale, exclusive productions,” said Teodóra Bán.

Rudolf: The Story of a Visionary

The historical musical Rudolf from the Habsburg era is a challenge for the creators of the leading roles, while for the artists playing the leading roles, the historically significant piece requires not only knowledge of the roles, but also serious mental preparation. The authentic portrayal of Rudolf, the tragically rebellious heir to the throne, and his love, Mária Vetsera, is also an acting challenge. In the leading roles, Péter Sándor, Dénes Kocsis, Kitti Jenes and Virág Alma Nagy are outstanding actors of the Hungarian musical theatre, who will bring their talents to the Margaret Island Theatre this summer. The production is directed by Gábor Bakos-Kiss, the set and costume designer is Nóra Árva, and the company and orchestra of the Győr National Theatre are conducted by István Silló.

The performance will be realized in cooperation with the Margaret Island Theatre and the Győr National Theatre. The two theatres successfully brought Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's world-famous play, EVITA the musical, to the stage last year, which will now return to Margaret Island once again in 2025.

This August, in collaboration with the József Attila Theatre and a cast of popular artists and stars, they will present Shrek the Musical, which promises unadulterated entertainment for all ages. With catchy tunes, a great cast and the well-known and loved characters of the ogre story: Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Dragonfly and the rest, the musical finds a "real green home" among the trees of Margaret Island. The main characters of the humorous musical show are Márk Ember, Csaba Zöld, Angelika Tóth, Csenge Horváth, Tamás Veréb, Ákos Blazsovszky, Gábor Fekete, Balázs Fila and Évi Sári. Szente Vajk is the director, Tamás Rákay the set designer, Yvett Alida Kovács the costume designer and Lajos Péter Túri the choreographer.

At the initiative of the Budapest Operetta Theatre, an extraordinary and magical Danube Symphony – Frank Wildhorn and Friends Musical Gala is coming to the Margaret Island main stage. The Hungarian premiere of the Danube Symphony will be held on the magical Margaret Island stage on August 7, with Frank Wildhorn, the world-famous American composer nominated for multiple Grammy, Tony and Emmy awards, personally participating. This evening, Wildhorn’s monumental piece of music entitled Danube Symphony can be heard for the first time in Hungary, which tells the story of the river that crosses Europe, the peoples living on its banks, our common culture and history, offering the audience an unparalleled musical experience. The grand concert and musical gala will feature excerpts from the iconic musicals of the New York Broadway hitmaker. The Budapest Operetta Theatre orchestra and artists will take to the stage in the joint production: Nikolett Füredi, Veronika Nádasi, Franciska Lipics, Zsolt Homonnay, Péter Sándor and György Szomor, the evening's conductor is Gyula Pfeiffer, the director is Zsolt Homonnay, the artistic director of the theatre.

Forever Dance: dance productions on Margaret Island

There will be no shortage of special, large-scale dance performances this summer. The Malevo team is coming directly from Argentina and the dance performance Coco Chanel, the life of a fashion icon is coming from Brno to Margaret Island. The Forever Dance with the Stars contest dance show will take the stage as a separate performance, in which the country's favourite dancers will once again play the leading roles. Malevo is the official cultural ambassador of Argentina. The members of the world-conquering troupe have wowed audiences in Las Vegas, New York, Paris and London, among other cities, with their exceptional dancing skills. After being discovered on America's Got Talent, they quickly rose to international fame.

The dance performance Coco Chanel, the life of a fashion icon, presented in collaboration with the Brno National Theatre, will be shown for the first time in our country, which is a memento of an exceptionally talented woman. Her life's work, creations, style, well-known design and brand, which are still alive today, are among the finest French fashion brands. The story explores the story of the strong and the tragic story of survival and reaching the top at any cost, told in the language of dance through the choreography of Mario Radačovský, which explores the creativity, triumph, and immorality of Coco's complex life from orphan to fashion legend in a narrative ballet imbued with realism and beauty.

One of the sensations of the summer of 2025 will be the Forever Dance with the Stars competition dance show, which is the third production of the Margitsziget Theatre's large-scale self-developed dance series. After the Tango with the Stars and Paris Night productions, the Margaret Island Theatre will stage a lively, all-night dance show with the most popular standard dancers in Hungary in the lead roles. Among others, András Suti, Bertalan Hegyes, Alexandra Stana, Katica Tóth and Zsuzsanna Szőke will be seen, and the choreographers on this occasion will be Stana Alexandra and Szabolcs Valc.

A stage for local bands

The legendary series of concerts will continue on Margaret Island next year. EDDA Művek, Nikolas Takács, Budapest Bár and Magna Cum Laude will also be coming to the stage with a long history. An important part of the theatre's repertoire is the offer of local pop music, in which the theatre also strives for high quality and the invitation of renowned performers. At the beginning of June, the theatre will open its pop music season with the concert "The Old Island..." by the Magna Cum Laude band, the band being a returning guest on Margaret Island. The members of the deservedly popular band will bring their songs to the audience in a new guise, with a special big band sound, with the participation of the ABS Bigband. Nikolas Takács will give a concert on the theatre stage for the first time in June, together with his star guests and the Swing à la Django band. The legendary EDDA Works will perform a unique unplugged concert for the audience of the Margaret Island Theatre. This evening, the best-known Edda Works hits will be performed on acoustic instruments, with the participation of the 40-member Lautitia Children's Choir from Debrecen.

The 100-Member Gypsy Orchestra will bring its 40th anniversary concert to Margaret Island, and the LEANDER Symphony Kills will perform a unique concert at a special venue for them. The season will be closed in terms of concerts by the Budapest Bar team, which returns year after year with great success, with renowned singers and evergreen melodies.

The 30th Jubilee Danube Carnival Gala will take to the stage under the title Golden Times. On the occasion of the jubilee, the most memorable stage moments of the past 30 years will be recalled, with foreign and domestic dance groups and nearly 300 contributing artists. The event will also be joined by performers invited to the Danube Artistic Ensemble and the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble. The evening's editor is choreographer Gábor Mihályi, the music editor is István Szalonna Pál and Zoltán Dulai, and the director is Zsolt Juhász. Festival Director: Andrea Vincze.

This year, the gala concert featuring the best Hungarian jazz musicians, which will take place on the Whitsun weekend, was also given the title Wonderful Hungarian Jazz. In 2025, the event will be jointly organized by the Hungarian Jazz Association and the Margaret Island Theater for the second time. In connection with the big concert, similarly to last year, the theatre is organizing a weekend-long Jazz and Wine Festival called Jazz and Wine Days, where 12 wineries and winemakers from six wine regions of Hungary will present their products. The event promises a unique cultural and musical experience for lovers of Hungarian jazz and Hungarian wine. The event will give the opportunity to young talents of the Hungarian jazz scene to make their debut at the Margaret Island jazz courtyard. The gala will feature performances by renowned Hungarian jazz artists, including the Lukács Miklós-Cimbiózis trio, the Budapest Jazz Orchestra, the Malek Andrea Soulistic band, and the Roby Lakatos & Gipsy Jazz Band feat Miri Lakatos.

Community building and special events

“In addition to the main stage performances and international productions, the theatre, to the extent possible, pays special attention to children, families and young people in the present, providing meaningful and valuable recreational opportunities for their development. We consider Hungarian cultural values ​​important, and we also focus on Hungarian fairy tales with plays by Hungarian authors, folk tales, children's performances and readings. We not only bring books, but also exchange them, because from now on there will be a Book Cart at our theatre, where children will also be able to read fairy tales and poems, with a storybook fair and exchange. We entertain families with free children's performances on weekends, and on Saturdays, a total of 16 times, puppet shows, musical stories and concerts can be seen under the 3 plane trees. On Sunday mornings, Renaissance mornings are held in the courtyard of the St. Margaret Monastery ruins, where period games, singing, music and instrument learning is waiting for everyone, also 16 times, from May to September.” – said the director.

In addition to its spectacular, large-stage productions, classical and pop music concerts and shows, the Margaret Island Theatre is also opening an old-new venue this season, with an evening performance for young people and adults. Ferenc Molnár’s eternal classic, Liliom, will be seen in a new approach at the new venue called TheatRom located at the ruins of the St. Margaret Monastery on Friday, May 9 (in case of bad weather, in the theatre’s RAK-TÁR theatre).

This performance was created according to the unique directorial concept of Péter Nagy. The puritanical stage design and the restrained visuals almost imperceptibly give way to the excellent acting, allowing the viewer to get closer to the story and its deeper layers. The performance by the creators of the Platform Analog Workshop can be seen by the audience, with the support and recommendation of the Déryné Program, at the new, special chamber theater venue of the Margaret Island Theater, at the ruins of the historic St. Margaret Monastery. The Margaret Island Theater aims to open the world of theater primarily to young people in this fascinating environment, to provide inspiration, experience and real community encounters in a space where everything can be honest and authentic.

On the occasion of International Children's Day, after the previous highly successful Children's Day programs, the Margaret Island Theater will organize its Children's Day event on May 24th again this year on the large meadow and in the theater courtyard. The organizers are waiting for families from 10:30 under the title Fairy Tales and Martians. During the day, both young and old can relax with a series of special adventures, contests and scientific presentations. This evening is now traditionally the night of the theatre's film-music-concert series on the main stage: the screening of the cult film E.T., directed by Steven Spielberg and composer John Williams, which will come to life in a completely new dimension, on a huge screen, with live orchestral accompaniment. The music of the Oscar-winning iconic film will be played by the Danubia Orchestra, conducted by the excellent Ernst van Tiel.

Another special film and musical event of the Margaret Island Theatre's film-music-concert series will be Alfred Hitchcock's film classic Psycho. The evening, intended for adults, will offer a special, chilling treat for those over 18. The composer of the cult film is the well-known Bernard Herrmann, whose orchestral work will accompany the film live this time, significantly enhancing the experience of the exciting parts of the film. The Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra will also be performing, conducted by the excellent Ernst van Tiel this time as well.

"The national and international reputation of the Margaret Island Theatre is mainly due to the performances of Hungarian celebrities and foreign guest artists and ensembles, to those who spread the good news about the theatre and the cultural life of the country, thus recommending it to international interest. As an important bastion of Hungary's rich cultural scene, the Margaret Island Theatre, as a community-run institution, aims to serve the discerning audiences who come to the capital with guaranteed operational support from the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, balanced and multi-year artistic seasons, and high-quality service. In previous seasons, the Margaret Island Theatre welcomed nearly 90,000 visitors, and in the 2025 season, the number of visitors is expected to reach 100,000," added Teodóra Bán. - added Teodóra Bán.

Source: Margaret Island Open Air Theater

Photos: Mihály Samu Gálos, Margaret Island Theater