Nearly a hundred applicants asked for combined grants of about twice the HUF 700 million available under a special tender for events that can draw visitors. The amount available was more than twice the HUF 300 million in a similar tender last year.
Applicants were required to meet certain cultural criteria, and events they were organising had to draw at least 10,000 visitors and operate with a budget of at least HUF 50 million.
Of the HUF 700 million available under the tender, HUF 100 million was earmarked for events celebrating food. The minimum number of visitors for these events was 3,000.
The grants were capped at HUF 30 million for each project, but covered up to one-quarter of the total budget for each event.
Savaria Carnival
The winners were the Budapest Autumn Festival (HUF 30 million), events celebrating the Haydn Anniversary Year (HUF 30 million), the Zemplén Festival (HUF 30 million), the "Bartók+Vienna 2009" International Opera Festival of Miskolc (HUF 27 million), the Mezzo opera competition (HUF 25 million), the Museums in Focus programme (HUF 21 million), the International Wine and Sparkling Wine Festival of Budapest (HUF 20 million), the Celebration of Crafts (HUF 20 million), the Vidor Festival (HUF 18 million), the Szentendre Summer Festival (HUF 17 million), the Savaria Historical Carnival (HUF 16 million), the Szeged Open-Air Festival (HUF 15 million), the Jewish Summer Festival (HUF 15 million) and the Veszprém Summer Festival (HUF 15 million).
The tender for events that draw tourists in 2010 will be called in the second half of 2009.
