500,000 flowers, 1,600 marchers to be at Debrecen Flower Carnival 2022

After two years of lockdowns, the Debrecen Flower Carnival will return this August, István Puskás, deputy mayor of Debrecen, said. The festival is an important tradition of the city but has always renewed itself and changed with the times. The deputy mayor pointed out that the aim is to make the carnival more sustainable, greener and more flowery every year. He added that it was equally important to prepare for the event in terms of entertainment and quality. 

Réka Mészáros, Managing Director of Főnix Rendezvényszervező Közhasznú Nonprofit Kft., presented the program of the Flower Carnival. 

August 15 is the opening day of the carnival, which will be celebrated with the Night of Classics, she said. 

The carnival week, from August 15 to 21, will open with a concert by Mexican opera singer Ramon Vargas on the stage in front of the Reformed Great Church. As part of the Dancing in the City program, several dance groups will perform in the public squares. 

The Czech Beer Garden will welcome visitors under the name “Beer by Lake.” In addition to Hungarian craft beers, visitors will be able to sample a wide range of international beers. 

On August 15, the Hungarian Press Photography Exhibition will arrive in Debrecen and can be seen on Csapó Street. 

On August 17, the Galiba Children’s Festival will return to the Great Forest Zoo and Amusement Park, she said. This year, Galiba Children’s Festival will focus on the professions, but there will also be new games including e-sport, VR and robots. In the evening, adults will be able to enjoy a Magashegyi Underground concert at Kossuth Square. 

On August 18, 13 foreign dance groups from all over the world will come to Debrecen to put on spectacular performances. The Nights of Lights will also be launched, with light shows and light painting in the city center and around Lake Békás. 

On August 19, the Green Fair will be launched. Plant lovers will be greeted by exhibitors, vendors and speakers at the Botanica Horticultural Expo in the Kölcsey Center and on Baltazár Dezső Square.

This year, the Night Ride will be organized for the fourth time, where visitors can hop on a bike and cycle around the city. 

The main highlight of the carnival, the parade, will start at 9 a.m. on August 20 and will follow the classic route including Rózsa Street, Piac Street, Reformed Great Church, Hatvan Street, Bethlen Street and University Avenue to the Great Forest, where visitors can view the flower floats in the northern event area of the stadium. 

The carnival will feature 12 decorated flower floats, with half a million dahlias coming from the Netherlands. Around 2,000 dancers and musicians will accompany the carnival. Tickets are also available to watch the parade from the stands, Mészáros said.

Some of the flower floats will then be displayed in Oradea. 

The stadium show will be canceled this year, but visitors will be able to watch the rock opera “Stephen the King” on Kossuth Square and then celebrate Hungary’s national holiday on August 20 with a street party.

András Kuhn, Debrecen’s chief gardener, said the aim is to have flowers everywhere during the carnival. On August 19, there will be an international flower competition, where professionals will compete at the Csapó Street flower market. In addition to the flower floats, there will also be flower sculptures in different parts of the city. 

For more information on the Flower Carnival program and other details, visit the website and Facebook.