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Erkel Theatre

Erkel Theatre

Erkel Theatre
4.5
About
Theater hosts a variety of operettas during the winter months.
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  • II. János Pál pápa tér • 3 min walk
  • Blaha Lujza tér • 6 min walk
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles236 reviews
Excellent
128
Very good
84
Average
11
Poor
6
Terrible
7

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.

stipet2020
Waiblingen, Germany5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Couples
We have been to opera performances several times, including Nabucca, Lucia Lammermoor, etc. Booking was done through the Vienna Opera's ticket pool (secure booking./Note: When getting to and from the "Erkel Theater", make sure to use taxis that are "certified by the city" (you can tell by the credit card stickers on the taxi. Otherwise the price is incorrect and the driver will determine the currency that he only accepts (bad experience with this!!!)/Erkel Theater: On every visit, the stage design fully met our expectations and ideas!
We can recommend the "Erkel Theater"!!!
Google
Written March 3, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ravensville
Ilkeston, UK298 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SolihullRichard
Dorridge, UK1,457 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Friends
We’d pre-booked tickets for a performance that was part of the Budapest Jazz Festival, with online booking an easy process. We had a few concerns on arrival at the Theatre, with no signage of the event and it apparently closed with international visitors outside - however it opened around 45 minutes before the performance. Breads and cakes available with drinks beforehand, well managed and comfortable seats. The only slight downside was the positioning of the microphones which meant drummer and to a slightly lesser degree keyboard player were far more prominent then the lead saxophonist - this may have been at their request but if not it’s a learning point for the venue
Written May 12, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hocico
Frankfurt, Germany25,807 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2024 • Couples
I went to the Erkel Theater with a good friend from Budapest - she really wanted to watch a Fleetwood Mac "tribute band" - I'm with her because I was so interested. The theatre is very good, very usable acoustics, all clean and functional. Concert was also very entertaining - so it is always worth checking here for the program.
Automatically translated
Written December 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Leigh O
Athens, Greece32 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

The Tit: The Truth In Travel
San Francisco, CA923 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CorpusAstra
Budapest, Hungary45 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022 • Family
The perfect place to go if you're interested in different operas, ballets, acts or other performances.
It isn't that shiny and expensive-looking as for example the Opera looks, but it's still beautiful and worth the visit.
Written September 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

PrincipessaTurandot
Budapest, Budapest, Hungary4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Csengery
Budapest113 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Colin L
Dundee, UK55 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Erkel Theatre - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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