5 exciting Budapest exhibitions through the fall

From Communist-era photography to a sweeping survey of Hungarian contemporary art

Naturally, Budapest’s cultural calendar slows down somewhat during the peak summer season but I still find it a challenge to visit all that I want to! Below, five new exhibitions that I most enjoyed recently.

1. Esterházy Art Award 2025: One one of the oldest and wealthiest feudal lords in the Hungarian Kingdom, the Esterházy dynasty needs little introduction in our neck of the woods. They were first among many: unlike with other aristocratic families, their princely title was granted by Habsburg Leopold I not as King of Hungary but as Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, so technically they are imperial princes which, let’s be honest, is pretty cool. The family’s possessions were confiscated by the Hungarian Communist regime starting in 1945 but since most of their land fell on the Austrian side of the border after WWI, they are still very wealthy.

In 2009, the Esterházy Foundation established