Concert Clothes for October Budapest

Yes— that is appropriate for concert dress in Budapest.

At a concert a few years ago in Vienna I wore black knit slacks and a white tee shirt material top that had a few sequins in a design on it. I carried a black pashmina shawl. I felt very comfortable and that I fit in. Have a wonderful evening. I was also in Budapest that trip and really enjoyed it. I hope you plan to go to one of the bath houses. I went to Széchenyi Baths and had a wonderful afternoon I will never forget.

I'm from Budapest. People like to dress up for a classical concert. Some even wear suits and evening dresses. I think black slacks would be more appropriate for men. A nice, neutral dark sweater or cardigan would be ok since you can't really take a dress shirt. You can never go wrong with black or dark colors. Tourists stick out because they wear too much color and are too casual.

Dare I stick my neck out again?

I know we are talking about the Liszt, but I think what would be appropriate for the Opera would be appropriate for a performance in the Grand Hall of the Liszt. The opera has no code, but makes this recommendation: “There is no official dress code at the Hungarian State Opera, but many of our guests take the opportunity to dress elegantly for their visit to the opera out of respect for the theatre and other audience members.”

Okay, that having been said … I won’t tell anyone what to do, wouldn’t achieve anything anyway so this is just my standard so that I feel like a good guest in the home of my hosts: I either want to match or disappear into the background.

A suit is a bit of trouble, but not impossible. But a sports coat is easy. But how do I pack it? I don’t. I bought a wrinkle resistant travel blazer, and I wear it on the plane as my travel vest. It holds all the important stuff like phones, chargers, tickets, passports, etc. Mine has served well for years. Dark slacks which pack fine as they weigh less than jeans or khaki pants, and in the winter a light sweater and in the summer a high style silk looking crew neck shirt … or yes, most often I do bring a dress shirt … the wrinkle free variety. Shoes? There are some stylish as all get out fabric shoes if you do a little shopping. They pack very well. Everything gets more than one use because I like a nice restaurant or two on most trips. Oh, and if I am not on a fishing trip, I travel with just a carryon and a personal item. So, I know it can be done, now it’s only do I care enough about my hosts for me to want to do it?

For the ladies ………… no way. I have been married enough times to know to stay away from the subject of women’s clothing.

Thank you for taking the time to reply with ideas and suggestions. It’s specially useful to hear from someone that lives in the country.

ptovar4, this has become a debated issue of late.

So, I know my perceptions can be wrong and I wanted to test myself. So, I asked myself, what’s the standard? For me the standard is what do Hungarians do. That can be a lot different than what you might see in a tourist-filled presentation.

My attitude is that as a visitor I am a guest, and I have an obligation to fit the norm of the local population so that I am never the cause for even one local resenting my presence.

By that standard it doesn’t matter what "everyone else" is doing, it matters what the local population is doing. If the local population only made up 50% of those at the theater and they were wearing tuxedos, then the standard for me would be a tuxedo. Okay, it’s a bit extreme and if you disagree with the premise, you can stop reading. No judgment. Just about me.

So first I went looking for clues on-line. I found two. One was interior shots of productions that showed some of the audience. That was sort of a mixed bag and I suspect that might have something to do with an evening show vs a matinee. Then I found the recommendation of the Opera House. That recommendation is:

There is no official dress code at the Hungarian State Opera, but many
of our guests take the opportunity to dress elegantly for their visit
to the opera out of respect for the theatre and other audience
members. https://www.opera.hu/en/tickets/informations/faq/.

But I am a curious person, so I wanted to test it. So, what i did over the last few weeks was to visit the best of the Hungarian language live theaters (no tourists) and watch how those entering were dressed. Well, just the men, i don’t comment on women’s clothing. 75%+ of the Hungarian gentlemen were wearing a suit or a sports coat. Sometimes a tie, sometimes not. Before the hyperbole goes flying, I never saw a tux.

I am convinced that the Hungarian norm for an evening at the theater and by extension the even more formal setting of the Opera, is a suit or a sports coat. Even those without the sports coat for the most part were stylish. Very little sluff.

Then I looked at who was entering the Opera to see how it compared to other venues. Weekends were almost always close to what I saw elsewhere. Maybe 65% and up; many nights 75%+ Why less less some evenings? Well, tourists I presume. Some presentations are part of the Season Ticket Packages (locals) others are not (more seats available for the tourists). Weekday presentation the number dropped to half but not below half. Again, I presume tourists. Locals work and are less likely to go out on Wednesday night.

So, if you see the world the way I do, you dont care what other tourists are doing and you dont care if you "can get away with less" you want to respect the culture you are a guest in by adhering to the standards of the local population, and as such a man will at least wear a sports coat and slacks if he wants to be courteous.

If you see the world differently .... we can agree to disagree. I’ve been to a few other venues in other Eastern European cities (Odesa, Sofia, Bucharest, Moscow) and the norm, it’s my perception, is the same. But all the cultures are not the same. I know (believe) in Vienna clean neat clothing is probably the only standard and I believe in San Francisco I could get by with my dress flip flops. But we aren’t in Vienna or San F. The local culture is probably evolving and becoming less rigid but that’s an internal process and it’s not place for guests to participate by bucking the norm.

I was at the Hungarian Opera this past Wednesday evening. I think the LIszt hall would probably be a bit more casual but I can tell you that at the opera, there were people in all sorts of attire.

Most people (75% maybe?) were dressed up; glittery and/or evening wear. Maybe 20% were like me - nice clothes categorized as business casual (I was wearing a nice blouse with black pants). And some (the remaining 5%) were pretty casual. One young woman who sat behind me was wearing a tank top, which I thought was inappropriate, but other than that, nothing was too offensive (IMO). 😊

Honestly, I think what you are describing would be fine. Wear something nice from your clothing, but there is no need to pack something or buy something that you will wear for only one occasion. That's my opinion, but I think the reason that locals dress up more is that they live there, and their dressy clothing is readily available. No one will look at you twice if you are in nice casual clothing.

Oh, I was there on Wed night too. Majority of attendees were very smartly/nicely dressed. That said, I attend classical concerts in my home city and indeed everywhere I go, and always dress up - more than I would for shopping and day outings.

Jennie, how fun! How did you like Turandot? I thought it was pretty great - I loved the staging and choreography, and the costumes were wonderful! And of course there were some phenomenal performances by the singers.

My attitude is that as a visitor I am a guest, and I have an obligation to fit the norm of the local population so that I am never the cause for even one local resenting my presence. . .
By that standard it doesn’t matter what "everyone else" is doing, it matters what the local population is doing. If the local population only made up 50% of those at the theater and they were wearing tuxedos, then the standard for me would be a tuxedo. . . .
So, if you see the world the way I do, you dont care what other tourists are doing and you dont care if you "can get away with less" you want to respect the culture you are a guest in by adhering to the standards of the local population . . .

These are profound statements.

I was at the Hungarian Opera this past Wednesday evening. I think the LIszt hall would probably be a bit more casual

Ok, Mardee, you know I love you and my reply has nothing to do with what to wear but with the assumptions we advance to people who don’t know what we don’t know. I am pretty sure you have yet to attend a concert at the Lizt Academy since I am pretty sure this was your first visit to Budapest. I could also make the same assumption - but I haven’t been either. I would have to temper my answer with what I have experienced, which is walking past one night (only one night) with VERY nicely dressed people waiting to enter. What I do know, from having looked for concerts to attend, is that there is a wide variety of performances. I suspect for student concerts you are correct - but perhaps far from correct when it’s a professional group. We just need to be cautious about offering an opinion not based on experience in the location.

And because I know you love me, I am going to take issue with your logic here:

I think the reason that locals dress up more is that they live there, and their dressy clothing is readily available. No one will look at you twice if you are in nice casual clothing.

After one visit, how could we possibly know why locals dress up? I mean, at home I dress for a wedding in what is culturally expected - not just because I have things accessible in my closet. I dress for the situation. It’s possible they do also.

And I have not figured out how to know if someone has looked twice at me or not, just because they didn’t say anything. I made an assumption that what I am pretty sure is appropriate for the Budapest opera was appropriate for the festival opera in Bucharest - and I am pretty sure I was wrong.

Again, my standard is the norm of the local population because, in my mind, that shows the greatest respect. Of course thats impossible to always know. So what do I do? Well mama always told me that its impossible to over dress. If one were to wear a suit to a t-shirt event, would any of the folks in t-shirts be bothered? Doubt it. But if I wore a t-shirt to a suit event I suspect I would be a problem for some.

As for the Liszt, Ive been to two production over the years, but the last was pre-covid. Both I wore a suit to and felt I had chosen wisely; but yes I could have gotten by with a sports coat. I did go watch who was going in one evening last week (I live close to the LIszt and the Opera so this is not a big deal). It was presentation by the students so I suspect most in attendance were family. A lot of very young people going in with parents. As I recall about 65% were in sports coats or suits. But the Grand Hall is as beautiful and a formal a place as the Opera House so I would anticipate that if you dress the same as you would for the opera you will fit right in no matter what the presentation.

Then there are the special nights at the Opera. The annual gala is black tie. I actually packed a tux one time for that. Somehow it wasnt an issue getting it here. I am thinking about doing it again next year. Then I suspect opening nights for new productions will be a bit fancier than other evenings. Most of the tickets sold for those are sold in Season Ticket packages so the percentage of those in the audiance being local will be higher and if they are into the opening night event atmosphere I suspect suits will out number sports coats ... but thats just a guess. TTM maybe thats what you walked into in Bucharest. When I went which was at least 10 years ago and there werent many if any tourists that I noticed, but my sports coat still seemed to be within the norm. But you raise a good point. Maybe I need to buy a suit just to be safe in the future.

By the way TTM, I had the opportunity to meet Mardee, I found her to be a very intelligent, open minded and classly lady. The type that I am comfortable disagreeing with because she understands the reasoning behind Aristotle's argumentative method. In otherwords, sometimes I learn and sometime the other person at least considers my point.

ptovar4,

I noticed you stopped posting on this topic a month and a half ago. I hope you have a wonderful time!

Happy travels!

Mardee: it was great- lovely set, those moody grey dancers and the black, red contrasts. And hearing Nessun Dorma live is always a thrill. Slick orchestra too.

Mardee: it was great- lovely set, those moody grey dancers and the black, red contrasts. And hearing Nessun Dorma live is always a thrill. Slick orchestra too.

Jennie, yes, the orchestra was awfully good. I loved the red and white dresses of the female that almost had a life of their own. I wish I would have known you were there—it would have been fun to meet up before or after.

TexasTravelMom, you know I love you, too, and definitely defer to you when it comes to Budapest. In my defense, I did say, "I think the LIszt hall would probably be a bit more casual," but you're right. But not having been there, I should never have made assumptions. And especially since the type of concert does matter. So I stand corrected.

I think the reason that locals dress up more is that they live there, and their dressy clothing is readily available. No one will look at you twice if you are in nice casual clothing.

After one visit, how could we possibly know why locals dress up? I mean, at home I dress for a wedding in what is culturally expected - not just because I have things accessible in my closet. I dress for the situation. It’s possible they do also.

Yes, and again you are correct. I guess what I should have said was that it is easier for locals to dress in culturally appropriate clothing, first because they know what is expected (if they are regular attendees), and it is easier to access that type of clothing from home. It is harder for tourists to do that, especially if they are trying to pack as light as possible. But I admit that it can be done, and that sometimes extra effort may be called for, like carrying jewelry and scarves, which don't take up much bulk but can dress up an outfit. Or maybe even hitting a charity shop!

And you are also correct (I'm on a roll here; please savor it, lol!) that there really is no way to know if something more casual would be considered appropropriate by others. Earlier upthread, I spoke of a woman sitting near me who was wearing a blue cotton tank top (inappropriate to my eyes). I certainly did not look at her in disgust. I just glanced at her, noted the clothing, and that was it. So you're right; she (and I) would have no way of knowing whether her top was suitable or not based on other's opinions unless someone told her.

I did find one thing interesting and that was the number of Asian and Indian people (I'm assuming most of them were tourists, as they were taking photos all over the place), who were dressed in truly splendid ensembles. Some of the women's dresses were quite beautiful and really enhanced the mood of the evening. So maybe there is an additional purpose to fancy dress outside of the cultural expectations; one that adds the audience's glamour to the lights and sparkling decor; all of which contribute to a gorgeous evening out. 😊

Great discussion as always, Mardee!

I agree, TTM! This has been a very fun thread!

ptovar4, I hope you enjoyed it, lol! And I'm curious when your trip is. Have you left yet?

You two remind me of an old SNL news show skit. Are either of you named Jane?

Mardee, the number of Asian tourists here is quite remarkable. As remarkable is that they come from all over Asia, so its not one nationality or one culture. The most enjoyable among those I have met have been the Korean. But that might be only because we have a topic i can discuss. Other than tourism, Budapest has the largest Asian population in Central Europe. I think mostly SE Asians.

Oh, and when you dont know, mama said you can never be over dressed.

Some of the women's dresses were quite beautiful and really enhanced
the mood of the evening. So maybe there is an additional purpose to
fancy dress outside of the cultural expectations; one that adds the
audience's glamour to the lights and sparkling decor; all of which
contribute to a gorgeous evening out. 😊

DING! DING! DING! WHOOP! WHOOP! WHOOP! WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!!!!

(sorry, I couldn't resist)

If anyone has the opportunity for a face to face conversation with Mardee, you will find her to be among the most balanced and reasonable conversationalists you will ever meet.

Mr. E, merci du compliment! And may I say the same thing about you! I really enjoyed our meet up and our very interesting conversations! I had a fabulous time!