Budapest Parade 2006 to Offer New Events, Extended Programme

Budapest?s official end-of-summer event will be a three-in-one bill, including a carnival and a festival in addition to the well-known parade. This year?s event is expected to attract half a million people.

The event will begin with a Roller-Skate Parade to start on the Danube bank in Újpest, in the north of Budapest, early Saturday afternoon. Participants will skate down the embankment road to Roosevelt Square, then continue along Attila József Street, across Erzsébet Square and onto Andrássy Street all the way to Heroes? Square. Roller-skate shows and a skaters? disco will start at the skating rink in the Városliget city park at 9pm.

The carnival will start at 2pm. The world-famous Brazilectro Sound System truck, featuring some hundred dancers, is expected to be one of the main attractions. But several samba schools have prepared spectacular shows as well. The Czech Continuo Theatre will bring giant paper birds and musical instruments to the carnival, and Italy will be represented by 50 flag-throwers followed by a 30-metre Chinese dragon, a capoeira show, jugglers, and a hundred-member drum corps. After the carnival reaches Heroes? Square, ten thousand balloons will be released at the same time.

The convoy of trucks is scheduled to leave Erzsébet Square at 3pm. More than 100 DJs will spin their discs on the trucks, including all of the best Hungarian DJs as well as international stars such as Jeff Mills, DJ Rush, Pulsedriver and DJ Lee. Drum and bass fans can catch LTJ Bukem and MC Conrad live, and the popular monthly event Baar Pult and Hyperspace will also have their own trucks.

Several stages will be set up at Felvonulási Square next to Heroes? Square, where the UK?s Asian Dub Foundation and Hungary?s Anima Sound System and Yonderboi will be among some of the many acts to perform. The concerts will finish with a fireworks display.

The closing event of Budapest Parade will be an all-night electronic festival held in four events halls next to the Népstadion stadium. In addition to the international stars already featured at the afternoon parade, there will be more international top DJs, such as Satoshi Tomie, The Advent, Jack De Marseille, Felipe and Alberto Visi, plus Hungarian stars Náksi vs. Brunner, Hot X, Budai, Newl, Kühl, Slam JR and Sterbinszky.

For more information visit http://www.sziget.hu/budapestparade_english.