Budapest Opera
 

I will be going to Budapest in May and I'm thinking about attending an opera performance but I'm concerned about the dress code. Has anyone been to an opera there and can tell me what people wear? I don't want to bring a suit along on the trip just to wear for a couple of hours, but I don't want to look like a slob at the Opera House either. What is the minimum I can dress up there and not stick out like a sore thumb?

I'll be going there in May too. What are you seeing?

We'll probably wear what we normally wear in zurich - nice skirt and nice top for her and dress pants and nice shirt for him. Usually check the jackets in anyway.

Budapest's Operahaz, located on the lovely (and leafy) Andrassy utca, is a great place to take in a cultural event, be it concert or opera. Their opera boxes are lined in red brocade, and have a gilded mirror in each box-a nice touch! (Milan's La Scala, by contrast, does not have the mirrors, or at least they didn't before renovation).

I attended a modern Opera there on a Friday night, and I wore a dressy black pants suit, I think, however, I specifically noted what other people were wearing that night. I take it that you are male? The dress pretty much ran the gamut from jeans to a bit of formal wear, the older men wore suits, but there was a signficant number of younger men there, and they did not. It was the tourists wearing jeans, and they did look out of place.

On a Saturday night I think the local crowd would be a bit more dressed up, but I don't think you necessarily have to bring a full suit, a nice jacket and khaki trousers (something other than jeans) will do just fine.

I should say, I was there on a Friday night just this past November, so my attendance was quite recent.

Hungarians wouldn't dream of wearing informal wear to the opera. Black pants and a shirt and tie would be the minimum I would say. It is still comfortable and you won't stick out. But since some tourist go in jeans I guess they let you in even if you are casual. The locals will think however that you do not respect the place and the performance if you don't go a little bit formal.

Lindi-there was a sizeable group of gay Hungarians who were there when I was there, and they were by no means dressed up-some may even have been wearing jeans.

My experience is that there is absolutely no dress code at the Budapest opera.

A minority like to dress up. I have never encountered any hostility to dressing in the highly informal way I would to a theatre in London

I wore a dress (not an evening dress) & my husband wore a jacket & shirt but no tie. Didn't notice what anyone else wore but we felt comfortable.

You would be fine with a nice shirt, sweater, and pants. ((R))

Caroline-I have to say this, 'cause it cracks me up- (note that I did not say to jond to wear a tie-)

I think the one thing that M-Kingdom2 has said on this board that really resonated with me is his/her utter distaste for men who dress up for an evening out wearing a shirt and tie (the "once-in-a-lifetime" event-like going to the Ivy-I'm laughing as I type this!) ANYTHING but that look, and Mk2 favors a nice Italian cotton T under a jacket-and I think that's right-you almost never see men with any fashion savvy wearing a shirt and tie these days when going out, now do you?

The Budapest Opera house is a marvellous bit of architecture, as Spygirl has confirmed.

I attended a performance there last September on a Friday night, mainly to have a look at the inside than interest in the production itself, which turned out to be quite good (a contemporary Hungarian opera called 'Vernasz' with English subtitles).
There was a mixture of dress styles. Suits, jackets and ties (some looking like they'd walked in from the office, others trendy), open collars and lots of young people hanging around outside dressed 'modern' casual (e.g. with those sneaker type shoes). Didn't notice any bare arms or tee shirts. The women seemed to be more dressed up for an evening on the town than were the men. There were no capes, top hats, monocles or canes in sight!

I had on dark blue jeans (which don't look like jeans in low light or at night), a dark blue blazer, diagonal striped shirt and brown suede shoes and felt comfortable amongst others around me on the orchestra level about a third away from the stage.

I enjoyed Budapest very much, but was only there for 2 days last year so I am going back again in May as well.
Since there seem to be a few others going, anyone interested in getting together for a coffee in Budapest ? I'm tentatively there May 9 - 14.

My husband and I are visiting Budapest at the end of May - those going earlier, please post your trip report as soon as you get back home so I can savor them before our trip. We're staying the Hotel Budapest in the Buda Hills, and if by chance any others are there, would appreciate your opinions of it as well. ENJOY !

MK2 has opinions but they are only that -- opinions, which are often much disputed on these pages.

His/ her remarks, if you have reported them accurately, strike me as reverse snobbery of the worst kind.

"Dressing up" is rather pathetic I suppose.

But dressing well is always okay (by definition) and the last time I checked with the sartorial police, dark suits were still allowed in polite society outside bankers' conventions.

"Dress as who you are" is a good rule always.

I cannot imagine my poor sainted father wearing a "smart t-shirt under a jacket".

If not in evening clothes -- which he certainly wore -- he would surely have worn a dark suit.

jond - Since there is a variety of opinions, it would be helpful if you would post here with your experience when you return.

Who is MK2?

Spygirl: yes, MK2 is usually good for a laugh :-) But here I also agree - in the summer, my husband dresses up for the evening by wearing a light suit with a nice t shirt. We went to Budapest at Christmas, though, so I think it would have been a wool jacket & trousers & some sort of 'smart-casual' shirt (or maybe his sparkly jumper !).

I guess in the end it comes down to your age, personal preferences, current wardrobe, etc. etc.

But...it is always better to be overdressed than underdressed.

I will see Blood Wedding by Sandor Szokolay in May. Someone here mentioned English subtitles, I'll be surprised if there are any since the Opera is in Hungarian.

Last September, I saw 'Vernasz' also by Szokolay Sandor.

It was in Hungarian, but had English subtitles.

mathieu; Was this in Budapest ? Surprised. We saw 'Tosca' in Italian with Hungarian surtitles, which is what I'd expect.

What do y'all mean by sub-titles?
Does a second person sing English?
Is there a screen with the words on it?
Is there a multi=lingual brochure with the words in it?
Does one watch it on a screen, with words in English scrolling beneath, like closed captioning?