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Erkel Theatre
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Erkel Theatre

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Erkel Theatre
4.5
About
Theater hosts a variety of operettas during the winter months.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
232 reviews
Excellent
127
Very good
82
Average
11
Poor
5
Terrible
7
Ravensville
Ilkeston, UK225 contributions
An amazing afternoon out
May 2022 • Family
Visited here after a recommendation from The Times travel supplement. What an amazing find. We went to see 'No limits' a high quality ballet performance
The costumes, set, and attention to detail was exceptional.
I would definitely recommend
Written May 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
The_Crofter
Warrington, UK902 contributions
A Birthday Treat
Feb 2020
Booked a box as a treat for my daughters birthday to see the Hungarian National Ballet in Eifman's Karamazovs, which was great. A quality performance at an absolute fraction of the price that you would pay back home. Even the drinks at the interval were reasonably priced, there is no way that we would normally have three glasses of champagne at half time at home!
The Erkel Theatre itself has a plain interior very of its time, but a good rake to the comfortable seating. Very similar in style to the likes of Liverpool Philharmonic or the Bridgewater in Manchester.
Great experience and lived up to our hopes. Would love to return one day.
Written March 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Jamesynot
United Kingdom266 contributions
Die Fledermaus was fantastic!
Jan 2020
Wanted to go to the main Opera house but it is closed when we were there. We got tickets for Die Fledermaus, by the same company and it was outstanding. Great performers form all made a very enjoyable evening.

The bars were a little small so getting refreshments in the breaks was a bit difficult but over all a great night out.
Written February 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Bluesky91
Kingston upon Thames, UK603 contributions
Home of Hungary's only classical ballet company
Feb 2020
Visited Budapest for the sole purpose of seeing the Hungarian National Ballet in Eifman's Karamazovs, which was wonderful. What a great ballet company! The Erkel Theatre itself has a plain interior, but a good rake to the comfortable seating. The foyer serves a range of nice-looking snacks and drinks and there is a gift shop selling dvds and souvenirs. Formal wear not necessary. Tickets are ridiculously cheap! Flowers for performers can be left at the manager's office. Check their website for details of upcoming opera, ballet and music performances. Budapest's main Opera House is closed for refurbishment until 2021.
Written February 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Leigh O
Athens, Greece28 contributions
Nutcracker
Dec 2019 • Couples
Saw Nutcracker here on 29/12. It was very good experience and really gets you in Christmas spirit. The ballet & music & customs were very good. We were engaged the whole time. Lasted from 6pm to 830pm. Definitely worthwhile to go. I would recommend it. Theatre itself was old, but nice enough. Safe and easy to walk afterwards to center. In my view when you travel in Europe, you should expect older buildings - that is the beauty.
Written January 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
EqualRightsTourist
San Francisco, CA770 contributions
First Timer For The Nutcracker
Dec 2019 • Friends
Can you believe I've never seen the Nutcracker! My wife booked 5th row seats at the Erkel and it was as deal in my opinion. $80 bucks. Seats were very close to the stage. So now that I have seen the Nutcracker I can relate to all the songs used in many movies, commercials, and advertising. But this was a great way to enjoy the holiday traditions especially in Budapest.
Written December 1, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
PrincipessaTurandot
Budapest, Budapest, Hungary4 contributions
the greatest applause I've ever heard!
Mar 2013 • Solo
At the beginning I couldn't believe that it was not reviewed yet, but in fact... here you don't find the tourists. It's a huge opera house for locals! If you blend with the crowd (not difficult as the theatre has 2400 places!!!) you can experience high class performance in the fantastic acoustics and the true applause od 2400 true opera lovers! Never heard something similar in my life. The prices are really reasonable ans the programme - just check on the website opera.hu, it's the second theatre of the same company, last year it was renovated and there are really good pieces od music performes there not "some operettas in winter"!!! For example, I saw Turandot and there are many more fantastic titles. If you ask me - an absolute MUST as for the music as for the atmosphere.
Written July 6, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Csengery
Budapest104 contributions
Superb opera house, well worth a visit
May 2016 • Solo
The Erkel theatre in fact dates to 1911 although the exterior of the building is not particularly attractive and is in a rather scruffy (though quite central) part of Pest that is being revitalised and renovated. In the next few years probably restaurants and cafes will spring up around, which the immediate area currently lacks and that does put visitors off if they do not know the city. Eat somewhere outside the vicinity before you come for an opera performance, there are few opportunities for that nearby. Erkel has bars for coffee, alcohol and snacks but no restaurant.

The interior renovation is beautiful, glowing in grey and mahogany, and the acoustics are superb, far better than the grand National Opera House.

When you book opera tickets it is important to know whether they are being held at Erkel or the National Opera, this is not always apparent to visitors. The opera houses are some distance away and radically different in their immediate environment - the National Opera is in the best part of the city and surrounded by attractive features as well as good cafes and other eating places. Erkel is not.

Productions at Erkel are part of the National Opera, and at times are interchangeable in location.

Tickets at Erkel are incredibly cheap. In general, the opera repertoire encompasses both the standard operatic repertoire and more adventurous new productions of little-known operas, such as the recent "Sly" by Wolf-Ferrari, also operas by Hungarian composers such as Erkel himself.

If you book on the Opera House website you can see if the tickets you are buying have a restricted view. Restricted views occur in most theatres - but an agency may not tell you this. I always book tickets on the Opera House website or in person.

I have good experiences of the quality of productions, and singing, in both opera houses but there have also been disappointments - this would apply to any opera house, and with any production. With Erkel, the tickets are so cheap that it hardly matters if you don't like something about the evening as there are almost certainly going to be aspects of it you DO like even if it is only the opportunity to see a rarely-produced opera, or a new production of one you do know. Thoroughly recommended for at least one visit.
Written July 10, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Colin L
Dundee, UK61 contributions
First taste of Opera
Feb 2016
We booked in advance of our trip, an easy and simple process with ticket prices more than reasonable for five rows back. The theatre was quite easy to find and is a lovely if modern building.
Marraige of Figarro was our performance and at three hours long still seemed to move along nicely. The theatre like most buildings in Budapest in Feb was way to warm and this along with the pre theatre cocktails and the beautiful music and singing I must admit my eyes got heavy once or twice.
If like us it is your first Opera it's worth doing a bit of research into what you'll be seeing as the italian with Hungarian subtitles (shown on a screen above the stage) didn't mean much to us so it was worth looking into the opera to find out what was going on and made the performance much more enjoyable.
The performers were a delight and whilst I don't think i'll be buying a season ticket to the Opera this night out certainly has encouraged me to go again.
A great start to an evening and well worth a visit.
Written February 25, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
TravelbugVietnam
Vietnam1,667 contributions
Excellent opera in an ordinary theatre
May 2014 • Solo
I saw an excellent production of Il Trovatore for an unbelievably cheap price, compared to other opera houses in Europe, and I was in a box in the centre of the balcony. The theatre is a bit hard to find in a side street so I suggest you get a taxi from your hotel. My hotel had warned me against hailing a taxi in the street to take me back, so after the performance I walked around the corner to the Novotel and asked the receptionist to call me a cab. He got the taxi that his hotel usually uses and it was even cheaper than my forward journey.
Written June 19, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Erkel Theatre (Budapest) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

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