Spring Festival
Debrecen’s cultural exuberance is approaching: the Debrecen Spring Festival is waiting for its audience again between 5 and 15 April 2025!
The program will again feature a variety of genres: classical music, theatre, children’s concerts and Easter activities. Popular Hungarian artists, including Petra Gubik, Réka Farkasházi and the Talamba band, will provide a great entertainment, but also performers from Debrecen celebrating their round anniversary this year, such as the 15-year-old Bordó Sárkány band, the 50-year-old Panta Rhei and the 30-year-old Djabe.
The program of the Debrecen Spring Festival:
5 APRIL
19:00 | Kölcsey Centre, Great Hall
“Whispering Winds” – Concert of the Wind Orchestras of the Debrecen Music Academy
On the opening day of the Debrecen Spring Festival, the youth and children’s wind ensembles of the Debrecen Music Academy will take to the stage together. The nationally acclaimed orchestras, made up of students from the school named after Emil Simonffy, will kick off the Debrecen spring with a concert that is sure to be a blood-pumping experience.
10 APRIL
19:00 | Kölcsey Centre, Great Hall
What’s in my pocket? – Concert by Petra Gubik
Petra Gubik is a Junior Prima, Honthy and Petőfi Music Award-winning actress, performer and the first female winner of the Star on Star contest, the most versatile performer of 2023. She has performed in numerous plays and musical productions throughout the country and is currently a member of the Játékszín company. In addition to her theatre career, she is also a dubbing and performing artist-singer-songwriter, consciously forging her own path. Her first solo album, “Ez van, ez!”, was released in the summer of 2022, co-written with Edina Szirtes Mókus and Péter Müller Sziámi. During the evening, she will present her own thoughts, poems, songs, stories, unique arrangements, without acting. He pulls it all out of his pocket with unvarnished honesty and naturalness.
Gergő Dánielfy, actor and singer, is the invited guest of the concert.
11 APRIL
19:00 | Kölcsey Centre, Great Hall
Phoenix and Dragon – 15 years of the Bordó Sárkány band
The Debrecen-based orchestra is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a grand concert show. The title of the concert is an allusion to the fact that on the occasion of this milestone anniversary, the Bordó Sárkány (Burgundy Dragon) will return to the common nest of the 2 mythical creatures, the Phoenix and the Dragon, in Debrecen.
The Hungarian pioneer of medieval world music will play a whole range of special medieval and folk instruments on stage. The songs of Bordó Sárkány, set in a medieval atmosphere, are performed in a danceable, powerful dynamic style, in tune with the world music of today. In addition to their own compositions, they boldly combine Hungarian and European medieval songs, dances and end-time songs with their own creative ideas. The internationally acclaimed group has so far given highly successful concerts in 17 countries.
The orchestra is celebrating its jubilee with a number of invited guest musicians, a light show, dancers and a real all-round artistic performance. The program will include the most popular songs from the band’s 5 albums, as well as never-before-heard compositions.
Special guests of the concert are jazz singer Sára Bolyki and former musicians of the band.
12 APRIL
19:00 | Kölcsey Centre, Great Hall
Anniversaries – Panta Rhei 50 – Djabe 30 – joint concert of Djabe and Phanta Rei
In 2025, two bands with ties to Debrecen will celebrate a round anniversary. Panta Rhei, which started in 1975, celebrates 50 years, Djabe, which debuted in 1995, 30 years. Both bands have been outstanding and influential figures in Hungarian music life. András Szalay, leader of Panta Rhei and Attila Égerházi, leader of Djabe, decided to celebrate their anniversaries with a joint concert. Both bands invited guests to make the evening as colorful and exciting as possible. Panta Rhei will be joined by the vocal ensemble Rotunda, while Djabe has invited the world-famous American guitarist Chieli Minucci from New York. He is known to the public as the leader of Special EFX.
13 APRIL
9:00-14:00 | Kölcsey Centre, Circular Corridor, Ballroom
Easter Family Day
10:30 | Kölcsey Centre, Ballroom
Réka Farkasházi and the Ink Rabbit
They have been making music for 18 years, have released 8 albums, published countless poems with poetry and delighted young and old alike with dozens of fantastic hits! On stage you will be enchanted by 4 excellent musicians and a wonderful actress-singer: music, poetry, fairy tales, games, dancing and lots of love!
14 APRIL
19:00 | Kölcsey Centre, Great Hall
Concert of the Talamba orchestra
A magical meeting of two jubilees awaits the audience on the stage of the Debrecen Spring Festival. The Talamba Percussion Ensemble celebrates the 25th anniversary of its foundation with Musorgsky’s 150th anniversary piece, a 21st century adaptation of the piano cycle Pictures at an Exhibition. Composed after versions by Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Tomita Iszao, the musicians have created their own version of the 19th century masterpiece for percussion and electronics with DJ Bootsie. In the second half of the performance, the ensemble with Sena Dagadu shows the audience the elemental forces that can be mobilized by the harmonization of percussion and the human voice.