The Best Performing Arts Venue in Hungary

The circus folk here say that, as long as Városliget has been around, caravan performers have been entertaining crowds on this very plot of land. First created to attract more people into the vicinity of the public zoo, the city circus became popular in its own right and the result is the Budapest Grand Circus, the only stone structure circus in Central Europe, with seating for over 1,500 audience members. At the Fővárosi Nagycirkusz, colorful performances by local acrobats, clowns, and animal trainers, as well as by international artists, are staged in a small ring. While shows used to be very animal stunt heavy, these days the circus focuses on acrobatic shows using music and dance along with some more humane animal-participation routines. The staircase on the left from the lobby will take you past a small bust of Rodolfó, Hungary's most beloved stage magician from the 20th century.