The joint festival of Müpa Budapest and the Budapest Festival Orchestra always lends an exciting flavour to the start of the new season: besides classical concerts, it also features jazz, popular music and film screenings. At the centre of each instalment over the years of this event series launched in 2013 has been a country or group of countries with a rich and diverse culture and significant musical traditions – as a country’s music says a great deal about its inhabitants. From 2021, the concept behind the festival is changing: although the focus will remain on Europe, within this context we will be partnering with another major cultural centre and jointly organising events in both locations, thus promoting the creation of co-productions between the two countries. Our partner this September will be Rome's Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, meaning a bridge is being built between Budapest and the Italian capital.