AmfiFeszt, 10-11 September

On 10 and 11 September 2022, the Aquincum Military Town amphitheatre (Budapest, District 3, Pacsirtamező Street 2-14), comes alive, as gladiators, Roman soldiers and barbarian warriors populate the amphitheatre of the ancient settlement on this early-autumn weekend!

Visitors can learn about the life and arms of the Romans and the peoples who lived in Pannonia and beyond the borders of the ancient province, and they can also watch the clash of the legionaries and the barbarians. They can also witness a slave auction and gladiator training and view – as befits the venue – special gladiatorial combats!

During the weekend, a historical fashion show and beauty parlour, gladiator school for children, and, among others, several craft workshops and presentations, a test your courage game, and, on Saturday evening, a Greco-Roman dance house await those who visit the Amfi.

Free admission for all visitors!

EVENTS

Saturday
10:00-10:30 Glass making techniques in the Roman period – lecture (in Hungarian)
10:00-10:30 The song of the cicadas – Ancient tales for children (in Hungarian)
10:00-14:00 Roman beauty parlour
10:00-17:00 Ancient betting shop (in Hungarian)
10:00-17:00 Barbarian test your courage game
10:00-18:00 Scavenger hunt for families around the Amfi (in Hungarian)
10:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00 Archaeological sandbox
10:00-11:00 Tour of the Military Town (meeting point: Kórház – Polgár Street Roman fortress gate) (in Hungarian)
10:30-11:00 Entry of the re-enactment groups, sacrifice and taking the auspices
11:30-12:00 Clash of the barbarians and Romans
12:00-12:30 The silent goddess – Roman myths for adults (in Hungarian)
12:15-12:45 Latin crash course (in Hungarian)
12:45-13:15 Sarmatian dance-off
13:15-13:45 Celtic HEMA demonstration
13:45-14:15 Fashion show – The newest trends of antiquity on the runway
14:15-14:45 The secret of the amphitheatre cups – lecture (in Hungarian)
15:00-15:40 Slave auction and gladiator training
15:00-17:30 Roman beauty parlour
15:40-16:00 Review of the legionary troops
16:00-16:30 The shield deflects and the sword strikes – how Germanic peoples fought with their weapons
16:45-17:00 Sacrifice
17:00-17:30 Gladiatorial games
18:00-19:00 Greco-Roman dance house

Sunday
10:00-10:30 Glass objects in everyday life in Roman times – lecture (in Hungarian)
10:00-11:00 Tour of the amphitheatre (in Hungarian)
10:00-12:00 Poetry contest (in Hungarian)
10:00-14:00 Roman beauty parlour
10:00-17:00 Ancient betting shop (in Hungarian)
10:00-17:00 Barbarian test your courage game
10:00-17:00 Scavenger hunt for families around the Amfi (in Hungarian)
10:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00 Archaeological sandbox
11:00-11:30 Ancient tales for children (in Hungarian)
11:00-11:30 Entry of the re-enactment groups, sacrifice and taking the auspices
12:00-12:30 Clash of the barbarians and Romans
12:30-13:00 Ancient tales for children (in Hungarian)
13:00-13:30 Fashion show – The newest trends of antiquity on the runway
13:30-14:00 Latin crash course (in Hungarian)
13:45-14:15 Celtic HEMA demonstration
14:30-15:10 Slave auction and gladiator training
15:00-17:00 Roman beauty parlour
15:00-15:30 Architecture in the Roman period – lecture (in Hungarian)
15:30-16:00 Review of the legionary troops
16:00-16:30 The shield deflects and the sword strikes – how Germanic peoples fought with their weapons
16:45-17:00 Sacrifice
17:00-17:30 Gladiatorial games 

Continuous events on both days:
Lifestyle and weapons demonstration at the camps of the re-enactors
Gladiatorial training for children
Roman school (calligraphy, mathematics, rhetoric)
Arts and crafts activities (pottery, felt making, bead stringing, mosaic making, spinning-weaving, paper model making)
Craft demonstrations (blacksmithing, bronze casting, stone carving, glass-bead making, coin minting, spinning and weaving, mosaic making)
Street of ancient vendors

Participating living history groups:

Collegium Gladiatorium, Colonia Rostallo Cultural and Military History Foundation, Flokken, Jaurinum Historical Society of Győr, Legio Brigetio AD 2000 Bt., Legio Leonum Valentiniani (Foundation for Historical, Cultural and Military Re-enactment), Ludus Gladiatorum Aquincum, Nova Roma, Norde Gard – Északi Gárda, Rapax Legio’s civilian camp followers, Szarvas Törzs Celtic Reenactment Association, Szent László Tournament Association – Pannonia Sarmatica, Vita Romana.

The organisers reserve the right to make changes to the event’s programme.

Regulations:

The regulations of the AmfiFeszt can be read here.

Getting here:

PARKING:

On account of the AmfiFeszt and the connected work before and after the event,  the section of the Viador and Szőlő Streets by the amphitheatre will be closed as follows: From 08:00 on Friday, 9 September until 12:00 on Monday, 12 September there will be no parking allowed at the sections in question. From 18:00 on Friday, 9 September until 20:00 on Sunday, 11 September the sections in question will be closed to traffic!

AMPHITHEATRE:

On account of the AmfiFeszt and the connected work before and after the event, the Military Town amphitheatre will be closed from Saturday 3 September until Tuesday 13 September. In this period, the amphitheatre can only be visited during the opening hours of the AmfiFeszt.

The event is organised by the Friends of Aquincum and supported by the Local Government of Budapest District III. Óbuda-Békásmegyer, the Hungarian National Asset Management Inc., the Budapest History Museum and the Óbuda Cultural Centre.