Shine! Opening Event

Veszprém and the Bakony-Balaton region will launch the European Capital of Culture programme year on 21st and 22nd January 2023 with a spectacular celebration and accompanying cultural events to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of the Hungarian national anthem and the Day of Hungarian Culture. Music, dance, art and regional gastronomic delights await for two days and beyond. Join us to open the year of the ECoC title together!

Activities for the official opening of the ECoC programme year start days before the grand launch event, so it is a good idea to arrive in the region early.

The renewed permanent exhibition of the House of Arts Veszprém will open at 17.00 on 17th January in Dubniczay Palace, and from 18.00 onwards, a new temporary exhibition will focus on Balaton retro, with objects and paper relics from around Lake Balaton between 1930 and 1980.

On the same day, Veszprém's Papírkutya (Paper Dog) will host one of the UK's most dynamic emerging artists. From 19.00, Sebastian Schub will bring his unique style of Irish folk, gritty American soul and blues.

The House of Arts awaits art enthusiasts with another exhibition opening: from 18.00 the exhibition of Munkácsy Award-winning artist Gyula Várnai will open in Csikász Gallery.t

On the same day, from 16.30, you can take a walking tour of Veszprém, courtesy of Tourinform, while the University of Pannonia is hosting an open day in the great hall of Building B for those who are about to choose a career or want to go back to school.

If you missed Sebastien Schub's concert the previous evening, you can catch him from 7pm on this day and on 19th January, as the British music wizard will be performing twice more on the Papírkutya stage.

A group exhibition of Hungarian and international glass artists will open at the House of Arts from 18.00.

On Art Collectors' Day, there will be another exhibition opening at the House of Arts from 16:00, and two more. KULTUR.KONTAKT.KONKRET will present the Schroth Collection, and from 18.00 there will be an exhibition of works by female artists from the László Vass Collection.

The Archdiocese of Veszprém will give an insight into the process of the restoration of church buildings from 14.00 and 16.00. Visitors can take part in guided tours, where they will not only learn about the investments but also about the history of the town.

In the evening, at TEREM, from 20.00, you can relax to an improvisation concert by Lithuanian Daumantas Lukosiunas, who plays improvisation music on instruments such as the shaman drum, the gong and the bass guitar.

On 21st January, the official opening day of the ECoC programme year, grand performances await everyone who visits Kossuth Street and its surroundings.

On the stage in Szent Imre Square, fans of folk music and folk dance are welcome, while in the square in front of Mackó Confectionery bar pianists will dazzle the admirers of the genre. In the square in front of City Hall, singing will be in focus: choirs from Veszprém and the region will sing for and with the audience.

In Papírkutya, jazz, blues and soul daredevils will impress the audience all day long, and in Expresszó, the family party starts at 10 am, with a special electronic music party for all ages.

In Kirakat, the talented musicians of the Little Moon production will play from 2 pm until midnight, while in Petőfi Theatre Veszprém, fans of operetta, theatre and literature will find the performance they like.

On this day, there will also be four guided walks (10.00, 12.00, 14.00, 16.00), courtesy of the Archdiocese of Veszprém, where you can get an insight into the works in progress and the history of the town.

After the opening performances, the main entertainment will take place: electronic music DJs will spin records in Óváros Square from 9pm to 1am, while Necc Party will take place in front of the Central Post Office, bringing party-goers the delicacies of the 90s and 2000s.

On 22nd January, there will be another Veszprém Walk, courtesy of Tourinform, and the Archdiocesan Walks will continue at four times (10.00, 12.00, 14.00, 16.00). House of Arts will have exhibitions all day from 10.00 until 8.00, and at KUNSZT! you can see the thought-provoking works of Lithuanian photographer Remis Ščerbauskas.

And when it comes to exhibitions: in Balatonfüred, a major exhibition by Imre Bak will open at 16.00 at Vaszary Gallery. 

Two performances await theatre lovers at Hangvilla. The production of The Hammer of the Village starts at 20.00, and János Háy's reading theatre performance of Karaffa - It's me begins at 18.30. 

In Papírkutyva we meet a participant of the InterUrban project: the 2022 ECoC title holder city of Kaunas. The quintet CinAmono from Kaunas will perform playful improvisations on stage from 8 pm.

We can help you go green at your festival! When you plan to travel to our events, you can make a difference by making choices that help reduce your environmental impact!

Sustainability is one of the core values of the Veszprém-Balaton 2023 European Capital of Culture programme, so that our events are environmentally sustainable. As the return journey is usually one of the most polluting activities for events, it is important for us to encourage people to choose less polluting modes of transport.