13th National Police and Fire Service Day in Budapest: Free Family Event at Városliget (April 25, 2026)
If you’re in Budapest on April 25, 2026, you’re in for a treat — and it won’t cost you a penny. The 13th National Police and Fire Service Day is taking over Városliget (City Park) for a full day of live demonstrations, music, interactive activities, and spectacular convoy processions through the city. It’s one of the most action-packed free public events of the year, and it’s genuinely fun for visitors of all ages.
What Is the National Police and Fire Service Day?
Held annually in honor of the patron saints of police officers (Saint George) and firefighters (Saint Florian), this is Hungary’s biggest public celebration of its emergency services. Every year, both organizations open their world to the public with professional demonstrations, interactive exhibits, live performances, and hands-on activities that let visitors get surprisingly close to the work these services do every day. The 2026 edition is the thirteenth installment of the event, and it promises to be bigger than ever.
The event is free and open to everyone. It runs from the morning convoy all the way through to early evening.
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The Morning Convoy: A Spectacle Through Budapest
The day kicks off well before the gates of Városliget open, with two simultaneous convoy processions making their way through the streets of Budapest.
From 8:30 AM, the police convoy departs from Szent György tér in the 1st district, traveling through some of Budapest’s most iconic streets — past Dísz tér, across Erzsébet Bridge, along Kossuth Lajos utca and Andrássy út — before arriving at Hősök tere (Heroes’ Square). At the same time, the fire service convoy sets off from Flórián tér in the 3rd district, crossing Margit Bridge and heading down Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út and Andrássy út to meet the police convoy at Heroes’ Square.
At Heroes’ Square, the two convoys are joined by the Hungarian Police Orchestra, the Central Orchestra of the National Directorate General for Disaster Management, the Heritage Police Company, and the ceremonial unit of the Parliamentary Guard. Together, they march to the main stage in Városliget — a genuinely impressive sight if you happen to be anywhere along Andrássy út between 8:30 and 9:15 AM.
The official opening ceremony begins at 10:00 AM on the main stage in Városliget, led by Budapest’s Chief of Police and the head of the Budapest Disaster Management Directorate. Host for the day is well-known presenter Szécsényi András (Szecsó).
On the Police Stage and Police Meadow
Two dedicated areas in the park are devoted to police programming throughout the day. Here’s the full schedule on the Police Stage:
- 10:30 – 10:45 Riot Police mounted carousel display and static demonstration (including horse petting)
- 10:55 – 11:15 ROKK Police Academy patrol tactics demonstration
- 11:15 – 11:25 Armed ceremonial drill with music by the Budapest Garrison Brigade Special Ceremonial Group
- 11:25 – 11:45 National University of Public Service tactical, weapons, and close-combat demonstration
- 11:45 – 12:00 National University of Public Service tonfa (baton) demonstration
- 12:00 – 12:30 Budapest Police Traffic Department motorcycle carousel display (at the Olof Palme sétány – Zichy Mihály út intersection)
- 12:30 – 13:00 Budapest Police Criminal Technical Unit K-9 dog demonstration
- 13:00 – 13:10 High school competition awards ceremony
- 13:15 – 13:35 Budapest Police Choir performance
- 13:40 – 14:10 Surprise celebrity guest
- 14:15 – 14:45 Rave Dance School acrobatic sports dance performance
Around the Police Meadow, interactive activities run continuously throughout the day. Children can try an obstacle course, target shooting, and glitter tattoos, while everyone can get up close with military vehicles, protective gear, X-ray machines, and weapons technology exhibits. Forensic demonstrations cover fingerprinting, handwriting analysis, and footprint examination. There’s also a seatbelt crash simulator, accident prevention information, crime prevention workshops, and a display of police equipment from the past century. Magician Gyula Szalai rounds out the fun with magic shows for visitors.
On the Fire Service Stage and Fire Service Meadow
The firefighters have their own dedicated stage and meadow area, with a full program running from mid-morning to early evening:
- 10:30 – 11:00 Interactive children’s show
- 11:00 – 11:40 Budapest-Zugló Majorette Group performance
- 11:45 – 12:25 Napvirág Band concert
- 12:30 – 13:00 HUNOR Professional Disaster Management Rescue Organization complex demonstration
- 13:00 – 14:00 Liget Dance Academy performance
- 14:00 – 14:30 Budapest Disaster Management Directorate technical demonstration
- 14:30 – 15:15 MANO SWING Band children’s show
- 15:15 – 15:45 Imre Hevesi children’s show
- 15:45 – 16:10 Central Orchestra of Disaster Management open-air concert
- 16:10 – 16:50 Flórián Band concert
The Fire Service Meadow is where the hands-on fun really takes off. Visitors can try a smoke tent and smoke goggles, practice tray firefighting, and even simulate responding to an emergency callout. There’s a VR tent, a cinema tent, a creative children’s tent, and a bouncy castle for the little ones. A photo wall and Instagram wall let you capture the memories, and up-close encounters with real fire service equipment make it a genuinely educational experience as well.
Planning Your Visit
The 13th National Police and Fire Service Day takes place on April 25, 2026, in Városliget (City Park), Budapest. The event is free and open to all. If you want to catch the convoy, position yourself along Andrássy út from around 8:45 AM — it’s one of Budapest’s grandest boulevards and makes a perfect backdrop for the procession. Városliget is easily accessible by metro (M1 line, Hősök tere or Széchenyi fürdő stops) or by bus. The organizers reserve the right to make program changes, so it’s worth checking for updates closer to the date.