Cardiff will become the meeting place for two cultures next weekend, as the city plays host to Welsh-Hungarian Day – a community-led event marking the growing friendship between Hungary and Wales.
Taking place on Sunday 18 May at Lisvane Memorial Hall, the event promises a lively afternoon of cultural exchange through live entertainment, craft stalls, food workshops, and family-friendly activities. The celebration falls around Welsh-Hungarian Friendship Day (14 May), an initiative founded by not-for-profit group Magyar Cymru in 2022 to honour the deepening ties between the two nations.
Organisers say this year’s celebration will be the most diverse yet – showcasing Hungarian and Welsh music, vivid traditional costumes, and inclusive folk dance workshops from both cultures.
“We want people to walk in curious and leave inspired,” said Balint Brunner, founder of Magyar Cymru – the Wales-Hungary initiative. “This is why we’re proud to bring Welsh-language music and Hungarian folk traditions under one roof, and to create a space where communities connect, learn, and feel seen.”
Headlining the musical line-up is Daf Jones, a celebrated Welsh singer-songwriter from Anglesey, known for his heartfelt performances in both Welsh and English. Also appearing is Folktone Band, a UK-based ensemble of Hungarian musicians whose traditional instruments – including the beaten gardon and the ‘cimbalom’ – bring the sounds of the Carpathian Basin to life.
The event will also feature a live Welsh folk dance performance by Newport-based group Gwerinwyr Gwent, and an interactive Hungarian ‘dance house’ led by professional dancers Fanni Magyar and Ádám Radics. Young talent will take the stage as well, with pupils from the Nefelejcs Hungarian School in Newport performing a traditional folk dance.
Alongside the performances, visitors can take part in two food workshops: a Goulash Masterclass by Ceredigion-based Best of Hungary and a Welsh Cake workshop with The Rogue Welsh Cake Company. Craft stalls, a children’s play zone and a Learn Welsh taster session from Menter Caerdydd will complete the programme.
Magyar Cymru hopes to continue the tradition in the years to come, fostering new connections between Welsh and Hungarian families.
The event is supported by The National Lottery Community Fund, the Liszt Institute – Hungarian Cultural Centre London, and Menter Caerdydd.
Tickets to Welsh-Hungarian Day are available online via https://magyar.cymru/cardiff.
