The Debrecen Spring Festival and City Day are coming

The Debrecen Spring Festival in 2025 will again feature outstanding Hungarian artists, bands, and family programs, running from April 5 to 15. The events will take place at the Kölcsey Center and several other downtown locations. On March 26, 2025, Puskás István, the Deputy Mayor of Debrecen, and Zita Dobos, CEO of the Főnix Event Organizer Nonprofit Ltd., held a press conference at the Kölcsey Center’s Art Café to discuss the series of events and the programs related to Debrecen’s City Day.

Puskás István emphasized that three cultural events will await the people of Debrecen in April: besides the Debrecen Spring Festival, Debrecen City Day will be celebrated on April 11, and the Debrecen Poetry Festival will be held in connection with Hungarian Poetry Day. He stressed that the goal is to make April 11 a day that belongs to as many Debrecen residents as possible, a day for all to celebrate together.

“We should dedicate a day to live and celebrate our connection to Debrecen, to our city. This celebration should not just be about protocol events, but truly open up to the city, with larger, more diverse programs for a wider audience to talk about ourselves, Debrecen, our identity, and of course, even our history. That’s why April 11 was chosen as City Day,” the city leader said.

He added that in relation to City Day, they are particularly aiming to reach the youth. As he explained, Mayor László Papp will hold an unconventional history class for high school students, while preschoolers will have a playful introduction to the history of Debrecen at the Old Town Hall. He also noted that in connection with April 11, the Debrecen24 – Sleep Another Day 24-hour competition will be held again this year, where the city’s history plays a major role in the challenges.

Additionally, guided tours will be available for residents, and as in previous years, promoting Debrecen’s gastronomic traditions will be a key feature. In collaboration with the Hajdú-Bihar Gastronomy Club, the Debrecen Vocational Training Center, and the Baptist Church’s vocational school, 1693 pieces of Debrecen’s specialty, dill-filled dumplings, will be made in the shape of a bundle. The Deputy Mayor said that the day will end with a celebratory concert by the Kodály Choir at the Great Church.

Zita Dobos highlighted that between April 5 and 15, more than twenty programs will be waiting for visitors at the Kölcsey Center, twelve of which are their own events, organized as part of the Debrecen Spring Festival. She mentioned that they tried to create programs that will appeal to people of all ages, offering both classical and contemporary music lovers opportunities for connection. She also added that a cultural pocket book titled “Debrecen Spring” has been created to complement the event series, which can be found in the city’s cultural institutions.

Featured Programs Organized by Főnix Event Organizer Ltd.:

April 5 – Budding Breezes
A festive concert by the Debrecen Music School’s wind ensembles – 19:00 | Kölcsey Center
April 9 – Golden Wedding
A comedy by Vajk Szente – 19:00 | Kölcsey Center
April 10 – Petra Gubik Concert
“What’s in my Pocket?” – 19:00 | Kölcsey Center
April 11 – Phoenix and Dragon
The 15th-anniversary concert of the Bordó Sárkány band – 19:00 | Kölcsey Center
April 12 – Djabe & Panta Rhei
Two anniversaries, one concert – 19:00 | Kölcsey Center
April 13 – Easter Family Day + Tintanyúl Concert
9:00–14:00 family programs | 10:30: Farkasházi Réka and Tintanyúl
April 14 – Talamba Promenade
Rhythm and spectacle – 19:00 | Kölcsey Center

April 13, 2025, 9:00-14:00 – Spring Festival
Free Family Day at the Kölcsey Center
Family Easter Cavalcade
Colorful programs, creative workshops, and special experiences await families at this unforgettable Easter event!

Interactive Workshops and Demonstrations:

9:30 | Bényi Gallery | Dancing Little Hands – Easter sign language workshop for the little ones by Mónika Bodoki
10:15 | Bényi Gallery | Children’s yoga by Kinga Dezső (limited spots, first come, first served)
11:30 | Bényi Gallery | Children’s yoga by Kinga Dezső (limited spots, first come, first served)
12:15 | Corridor | Storytelling session with Emese Lengyel, therapist, and her therapeutic dog, Gordon
The Hajdúsági Guide and Assistance Dog Training Foundation will also be present, providing information about service dogs

Stage Programs:

9:30 | Feeling Dance and Majorette Association – The youngest talents of the Flower Carnival dance groups demonstrate how they prepare for the Carnival and the Galiba Festival
11:30 | Corridor | Csicsogó Production: The Two Neighbors – Interactive musical puppet show by Judit Ujj

Craft Workshops and Games at Multiple Stations:

KisMaszat Experience Workshop – Creative Easter workshops by Bernadett Kovácsné Milu
Nature Museum – Nature knowledge and discovery programs
Veronika Szentpéteri-Nagy – Eco-conscious workshop and exciting experimental demonstration
Debrecen Pagony – Stories and books for the little ones
Folk toys – Traditional games for children and adults, offered by the Hungarian Reformed Charity

The Friends of Books Network will also participate, with members from Nature Museum (Zoltán Váradi), Debrecen Pagony, and Csicsogó Production.

Debrecen International School (ISD) – Exciting international skill games and quizzes in English

Debrecen’s Day Program | April 11, 2025

Debrecen will celebrate City Day on April 11, 2025. The aim of the event series is to engage different age groups and communities: young people, students, families, local creators, and urban memories. Events will take place in various locations downtown, at the Kölcsey Center, public squares, and cultural institutions.

Detailed Program of the Day:

9:00 – “Cívis Values” (Kölcsey Center)
Unconventional history lesson for Debrecen students by Ady Endre High School
9:00 – Poet Commando (Csokonai National Theatre)
Literary guerrilla action by young poets in Debrecen’s high schools
9:00 – “24-Hour Competition, Sleep Another Day!” (DEMKI)
A 24-hour city competition for high school students
14:00 – City Day Tasting (Kossuth Square)
The dill-filled dumplings and Debrecen’s paired dumplings will again be the culinary symbol of the City Day.

Collaborators: Debrecen Vocational Training Center & Hajdúsági Gastronomy Club.

14:00 – Downtown Stroll in the Footsteps of the Cívis (downtown)
A thematic city walk through the old Cívis world, exploring the mentality of the Cívis people, the challenges Debrecen faced over the centuries, and who were the city’s “champions.”
14:00 – “The Devilish Professor” and His Era (Agóra Science Experience Center)
Fun educational programs
15:00 – Introduction to Debrecen Crafts (Kölcsey Center)
Interactive demonstrations by pottery, gingerbread, and leather craftsmen for kids and families with the help of DEMKI’s experts
15:00 – Heart-Shovel (Poetry Anthology) (Csokonai Forum – Kóti Árpád Room)
17:00 – Writers-Poets’ Debrecen Memorials in Sculpture (Méliusz Juhász Péter Library)
A lecture by sculptor Tünde Kotricz about Debrecen’s memorials through art.
17:00 – Thematic Walk to the Graves of Debrecen Poets (Debrecen Cemetery)
A guided walk and lecture by Nóra Erdei
19:00 – Phoenix and Dragon – Anniversary Concert (Kölcsey Center, Great Hall)
The 15th-anniversary concert of the Bordó Sárkány band.
19:00 – Pál Ábrahám: Victoria – Operetta (Kodály Philharmonics, Csokonai Theatre)
A musical classic with symphonic accompaniment.
19:00 – Light and Shadow – Lent Concert (Kodály Philharmonics, Reformed Great Church)
A special concert reflecting on the Lenten season.