“I had never heard the Budapest Festival Orchestra prior to my first midnight concert, but I knew they are a special institution. This was confirmed on that night, and since then I have moved on from the beanbag chairs to the concert halls as a regular attendee of their concerts. But what makes Midnight Music so great? You get to listen to music while sitting inside the best hi-fi system in the world. It is an unrivalled experience!”, Botond Békési, a member of our audience.

Some prefer listening to music at night. At the Midnight Music concerts, beginning at 23.30, audiences enjoy classical music from a new perspective with unique acoustics, lounging on beanbags right near our musicians in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. “I wanted to find a time for the concert when parents and grandparents would not be able to make it, because they would be in bed already. This helps young people feel like the performance is intended for them. They are among friends, and it is fun to sit on beanbags and among the musicians. The format is appealing to the younger generation,” says Iván Fischer.

The Midnight Music concerts are for the open-minded who enjoy getting to know our artists under unusual circumstances and, of course, are night owls. In addition to a beautiful, high-quality classical performance, the audience is also provided with short, insightful and entertaining introductions to the pieces. For those who have never heard the BFO perform live, this is the perfect opportunity to get to know our world-renowned ensemble. Instruments are but an arm’s length away as you are embraced by the music – a perfect setting even for a date.