Budapest Book Festival

The festival moves to a new venue at Hungexpo for its 31st year, hosting nearly 200 events and 400 book signing sessions. While the event traditionally focuses on a single nation, the 2026 edition uniquely features three guest countries—Germany, Austria, and Switzerland—to showcase a broad spectrum of contemporary German prose, academic works, and children's literature. Themes explored in author discussions include migration, historical memory, and the social impacts of digitalization.

Irish literature also holds a prominent position at the festival to mark 50 years of Irish-Hungarian diplomatic relations. Distinguished Irish author Colm Tóibín is set to receive the Budapest Grand Prize during the event. The program is diverse, offering activities ranging from literary therapy and calligraphy workshops to a bibliodrama program and specialized sections for comics and children's books.

Organized by the Hungarian Association of Book Publishers and Distributors, the festival involves collaboration with international bodies such as the Goethe-Institut, the Austrian Cultural Forum, and the Swiss Embassy. The Frankfurt Book Fair also participates in the four-day schedule, which brings together approximately 100 international authors and numerous local Hungarian creators.