Budapest central Christmas market has been cancelled

The Vörösmarty Square Christmas market is probably the most famous holiday event in Budapest. However, this year’s market will turn out very differently. The municipal government of Budapest will not be the organiser of the event. The Budapest Brand nonprofit ltd., the company which organised last year’s market, and the municipal government of the fifth district could not agree on the terms of holding the event.

The whole hurdle started when the government decided that the fifth district should receive the trusteeship right of Vörömarty Square. This caught the district’s municipal government by surprise and because of this, they sought help from the organisers of the previous events. Organising such an event takes months of preparations. So, the district could not do it by itself, at least not this year’s event.

It is true that there are political discrepancies between the capital’s and the district’s municipality, but it is not the reason behind the disagreement. Napi.hu reported that the municipality and Budapest Brand had consulted fairly multiple times, but the negotiations still failed. Budapest Brand could have only undertaken the task of organisation if they could sign a 2-year contract.

No Christmas market this year

Although at the negotiation table both parties aimed to reach a co-beneficial agreement, it did not occur. The negotiations still went on trying to reach an agreement. At last, the Budapest Brand nonprofit ltd. was not commissioned with the organisation of the event. However, based on the latest update on the story, it turned out that Budapest will not hold a Christmas market this year. There is no time for the preparations of the event — said Csaba Faix, the manager of Budapest Brand.

Sadly, the abrupt variations in the public spaces of Budapest and the failed negotiations ultimately led to the market’s failure. Budapest Brand has been the organiser of these events for the past 20 years. The municipality of the fifth district did not respond to the company’s inquiries until September, which were sent in July — told Csaba Faix to ATV.hu. The fifth district decided that they would try to come up with a plan with an entrepreneur instead of the nonprofit organisation. Even if there will be a market somehow, it definitely will not be the same as it was before.

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Source: Napi.hu, ATV.hu