St. Stephen's Day National Celebrations
Thu 20 Aug, 09:00 · Danube banks, Parliament/Kossuth Square, Buda Castle and city-wide · Budapest
Details & booking — Budapest by Locals
via Budapest by Locals · Checked 21 Jul 2026
About this event
Hungary's biggest national holiday fills Budapest with mostly free programmes. The day opens with a military air parade over the Danube at 09:00, the Parliament throws open its doors free of charge (10:00-18:00, Holy Crown and Dome Hall), and the historic Pannonia ship can be boarded for free. It culminates at 21:00 in one of Europe's largest displays: a 1,500-drone show and pyrotechnics spanning the river between Petofi and Margaret bridges.
Why we picked it
The single biggest free public celebration of the window, with a spectacular drone-and-fireworks finale over the Danube.
Free entry
Air parade, Parliament open day, ship visit, drone show and fireworks all free; food at associated festivals purchased separately.
Registration
None
A third-party event from official public listings, checked by Glentio. Programmes can change — confirm on the organiser's site.
Organise one of these? Add your event to Glentio →
Free around town
Free events we found in Budapest from official city and venue listings. Tap an event for details — booking happens on the organiser's own site.