Riot Against the Heat: Budapest Police Are Firing Water Cannons at Tourists (And Everyone Loves It)
Yes, you read that correctly. Budapest police have deployed a water cannon on Heroes’ Square — and instead of running away, people are running towards it. Welcome to summer in Budapest, where even law enforcement has given up fighting the heat and decided to join the party.
When the Temperature Hits 40°C, the Rules Change
Budapest is currently in the grip of a serious heatwave, and the city is pulling out every trick in the book to keep people from melting into the pavement. But nobody — and we mean nobody — saw this particular solution coming. The Hungarian Police Force announced on their Facebook page, with what can only be described as admirable self-awareness, that they had “joined in on the cooling efforts, to the visible delight of those present.” The understatement of the summer.
The vehicle in question is typically used for crowd dispersal. On Monday, it was used for crowd attraction. Scenes that would normally signal a very bad afternoon instead looked like the world’s most spontaneous water park, with fully clothed adults getting soaked from head to toe and apparently having the time of their lives.
Budapest will not surrender to the heat
Even people need a little watering in this heat
Heroes’ Square: Now Also a Giant Splash Zone
The even better news is that you actually have two chances to get involved. Today, Tuesday June 30, the police are bringing the water cannon out for another round — and then they’re doing it all over again tomorrow, also on Tuesday between 2pm and 5pm. That’s right, Budapest’s most unexpected summer attraction is basically becoming a daily fixture, and honestly, we’re here for it.
Heroes’ Square sits at the end of the grand Andrássy Avenue, Budapest’s UNESCO-listed boulevard, and marks the entrance to City Park. It’s a magnificent open space on a normal day. On a 38-degree afternoon with a police water cannon in the middle of it, it is apparently a religious experience. Given that Heroes’ Square is already one of the most visited spots in the city — flanked by the Museum of Fine Arts on one side and the Palace of Art on the other — you were probably planning to walk through anyway. Now you just might want to leave your phone in your bag first.
A City That Knows How to Handle a Crisis
There’s something deeply charming about this whole situation. The Hungarian Police Force, an institution not typically associated with spontaneous fun, looked at a heatwave emergency and thought: water cannon. And they were right. The crowd in the video doesn’t just tolerate it — they surge towards it, arms outstretched, grinning like children. People are soaked through their clothes and couldn’t care less.
Local reports note, with admirable journalistic restraint, that there has so far been no word on whether the square will be renamed Heat Square for the occasion. We’re choosing to remain hopeful.
How to Make the Most of It
If you want to catch the action, head to Heroes’ Square today or tomorrow between 2pm and 5pm. It’s free, it’s bizarre, it’s quintessentially Budapest, and it will cool you down faster than any air-conditioned café. The M1 metro line drops you right there at the Hősök tere stop, or it’s a pleasant — if sweaty — walk up Andrássy Avenue from the city centre.
Just maybe don’t bring a white shirt. Or do. No judgement here.