The Nutcracker at the Hungarian State Opera

Why it's worth going

The Opera House reopened in 2022 after a long restoration, and a full ballet is the best reason to sit in it. In December this is the Budapest night out that people plan their trip around.

What to expect

A full-length ballet with the orchestra in the pit, in a horseshoe auditorium of red velvet and gilt. Tickets for December weekends and the holidays go early, so book as soon as your dates are fixed; weekday matinees are the easiest to get. Smart casual is fine; nobody expects evening dress.

The Hungarian State Opera's Nutcracker is the production created for Christmas 2015 by Wayne Eagling and Tamás Solymosi, and it has been the company's December fixture ever since. Beáta Vavrinecz based the sets on Gusztáv Oláh's 1950 designs, which gives it the look of a traditional Christmas ballet rather than a reinterpretation, and the Opera presents it as a first ballet for children that still holds adults. The 2026/27 run is long: dozens of performances from 19 November to 10 January, with shows on 24, 25 and 31 December and on New Year's Day. Matinees start at 11:00 and evening performances at 18:00 or 19:00 depending on the date; on 31 December there are shows at 13:00 and 21:00.