Classical concerts · Budapest
Organ, strings and voices in Budapest's great neo-Renaissance basilica, consecrated in 1905.
Gold mosaics, a pipe organ and an echo the basilica puts at about six seconds.
The basilica
Building began in 1851 to József Hild's design. The dome collapsed in 1868, Miklós Ybl took over and reworked the church in Renaissance style, and József Kauser and parish priest Lénárd Lollok designed the interior after Ybl's death. The basilica was consecrated in 1905.
Glass mosaics cover the dome and vaults where frescoes were first planned, and the Angster organ dates from 1905. The basilica puts the echo of the church hall at about six seconds, so slow, sustained music suits it.
The main ticket lists a Requiem, an organ concert and an Ave Maria programme, each in four seating classes. A separate listing sells an organ concert by row. Programmes follow the date, so compare two or three dates first.
Six works from the programmes
These six works are named in the programmes on the two basilica tickets. A programme is a list for the evening, and which pieces you hear depends on the date.
Programmes vary by date, line-up and season, and December has its own variant. The calendar entry for your date is the only dependable programme.
Named in the organ programmes. A short free toccata, a four-voice fugue and a brief coda, usually about nine minutes. Bach's authorship has been questioned since 1981, though Christoph Wolff believes he wrote it.
Named in several programmes. Remo Giazotto published it in 1958 as built on an Albinoni fragment that has never been found, and some scholars see a hoax. His authorship of all but the bass line is not disputed.
The Requiem programme lists all eight parts, from Introitus to Communio. Mozart died on 5 December 1791 with it unfinished, and Süssmayr composed the Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei.
Named in the Ave Maria programme, with the Largo from Winter in the organ programme. The four concertos were published in Amsterdam in 1725, and the Largo of Winter is in E-flat major.
Named in the separate organ concert, for a bass voice. It comes from Simon Boccanegra, first staged in Venice on 12 March 1857 and revised for La Scala in 1881. The prologue aria is Il lacerato spirito.
Named in the main ticket's organ programme. Widor wrote the symphony in 1878 and 1879, during his years as organist of Saint-Sulpice, and its Toccata runs about six minutes.
The building
The basilica is a parish church that also lets its nave to concert organisers. These four facts come from its own pages and from Wikipedia.
Around the basilica
The apse and its vault, the dome from below, the sanctuary, the nave, the organ gallery, the west front, the towers and the street at night.
Concerts to compare in Budapest
| Concert | What it offers | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Classical concerts in St Stephen's Basilica | Three programmes, a Requiem, an organ concert and an Ave Maria mix, each in four seating classes, with free cancellation until 24 hours before. The ticket notes that one date is held in another church. | Listeners who want the basilica and a choice of programme. |
| Organ concert in St Stephen's Basilica | A separate listing built around the organ, with a named organist, bass singer and flautist and a programme from Mozart and Bach to Verdi. Its four seat classes are sold by row range. | Anyone who wants the organ above all, and the Toccata and Fugue in D minor. |
| Vivaldi, Four Seasons and more at St. Anna Church | About one hour in a baroque church, played by the Budapest Classic Orchestra with a violin soloist and a soprano. The ticket is marked wheelchair accessible and allows late entry between compositions. | Those who prefer a baroque church and a shorter Four Seasons programme to a neo-Renaissance basilica. |
Concerts in the basilica and nearby
Card one opens the classical concerts in St Stephen's Basilica. Card two is a separate organ concert in the same church, and card three is a Vivaldi evening in a baroque church. Other Budapest bookings sit in the strip below.
Three programmes, a Requiem, an organ concert and an Ave Maria mix, each in four seating classes, with free cancellation until 24 hours before. The ticket notes that one date is held in another church.
Check dates ↗A separate listing built around the organ, with a named organist, bass singer and flautist and a programme from Mozart and Bach to Verdi. Its four seat classes are sold by row range.
Check dates ↗About one hour in a baroque church, played by the Budapest Classic Orchestra with a violin soloist and a soprano. The ticket is marked wheelchair accessible and allows late entry between compositions.
Check dates ↗More to book in Budapest
Before the doors open
The basilica's contact page gives the address as 1051 Budapest, Szent István tér 1. The page gives no transport directions, so use a map or route-planner app, and read the meeting point in your confirmation.
A note on the main ticket says the 30 December concert takes place in the Matthias Church on Castle Hill, not in the basilica. Open the calendar for your exact date before you plan the route.
The basilica says its church hall is unheated, which can be difficult in winter. Wear a coat, and add a scarf and gloves for a winter evening.
The basilica's visitor policy, written for daytime visitors, asks for covered shoulders and knee-length skirts, trousers or shorts. It does not mention concerts, but following it is the safe choice.
The main ticket is marked wheelchair accessible. The basilica's pages do not describe step-free routes, so confirm with the booking page before you travel.
The church hall, a treasury and a panoramic terrace are separate visits with their own tickets, and the basilica says religious services take priority over visitors.
Guides to the basilica, its music and the night out
Which concert to book How to choose between the concerts in St Stephen's Basilica in Budapest: the three programmes, the organ concert, seat classes and what guests report.
Read the full guide → What to expect on the night What a concert in St Stephen's Basilica is like: finding it, the six-second echo, the cold, what to wear, the seats, timing and the rest of the building.
Read the full guide →FAQ
The main ticket lists one hour to 70 minutes, and the organ ticket lists a longer range. The calendar shows the duration for your option.
Inside St Stephen's Basilica, at Szent István tér 1 in Budapest, except one date: the ticket says the 30 December concert takes place in the Matthias Church on Castle Hill.
No. Guests describe a string ensemble with a soprano, or an organ with violin, trumpet and two opera singers. The line-up varies by date.
That depends on the date. The main ticket lists a Requiem, an organ concert and an Ave Maria programme by day. The calendar entry for your date shows which one runs.
The main ticket has four classes. The separate organ ticket sells the first row as VIP and then rows 2 to 6, 7 to 16 and 17 to 26. The basilica says seats are not individually numbered, so check how your class is seated.
It can be. The basilica describes its church hall as unheated, which can be difficult in winter, so wear a coat and add a scarf and gloves in winter.
Outside organisers. The basilica says it leases its space to them and that they sell the tickets and answer for the event. This site is independent of both the basilica and the organisers.
The main ticket is marked as wheelchair accessible. Step-free routes and wheelchair seating are not described, so ask the organiser through the booking page first.
A booking made through GetYourGuide can be cancelled without charge until 24 hours before the start, and nothing is due at the time you reserve.
The fare shown is per adult in US dollars, and checkout converts it to your own currency.