Góbéfest is back
Transporting the sights, sounds and tastes of Eastern Europe’s Carpathian Basin to the centre of Manchester

Friday 23-Sunday 25 June 2023 12-11pm
Cathedral Gardens, Manchester
FREE ENTRY
gobefest.com

Manchester’s free annual celebration of the music, dance, food and drink of the legendary Carpathian Basin region of Eastern Europe is back from Friday 23-Sunday 25 June 2023.
Góbéfest’s multiple stages, colourful traders’ stalls and family activity tents will transform Cathedral Gardens into a riotous melee of swirling skirts, spirited strings and stomping feet, all served up with steaming dishes of goulash and clinking glasses of palinka fruit brandy.

Established in 2017 to celebrate the little-known culture and traditions of the Székler people – a group of ethnic Hungarians living in Transylvania, which is part of Romania – Góbéfest now also showcases the practices and folklores of other cultures from across Europe’s centre and east.

The festival takes its name from the Hungarian word góbé, which is a friendly word for a ‘crafty Székely’.

For three days in June, stages across Cathedral Gardens will play host to an array of bands, choirs, ensembles, orchestras, solo performers and dance groups in the Transylvanian, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Romanian and Polish traditions.

The popular food and drink market will serve up infamous and lesser known dishes from around the region, including langos, paprikash, chimney cakes and goulash.

Free family activities will be centred around the children’s activity and dance tents in Cathedral Gardens and will include beginners’ dance classes in a variety of eastern European traditions, arts, crafts and zither workshops.

Music programme includes: the 150-strong Children’s Philharmonia of Szentegyháza (Transylvania), singer Koszika (Transylvania), Finom Zenekar (Transylvania), Yek Duy (UK), Folktone Trio (Hungary/UK), Manchester Zither Ensemble, Stacja Fanfara (Bulgaria/Poland/Macedonia/ UK), The Kalinka Balalaika Ensemble (UK), Michael Billington & Ildikó Csige (Hungary/UK), Michael Cretu Trio (Romania/UK), Manchester Youth String Orchestra and Berci Bíró (Transylvania)

Dance programme includes: Százlábú Caterpillar Dance Ensemble (Transylvania), Ansamblul Tezaur Romanian Dance Group (UK/Romania), Hunique Folk Ensemble (UK/Hungary), Polonez Polish Dance Ensemble (UK/Poland), Podilya Ukrainian Dance Ensemble (UK/Ukraine), TK “Ripni-Ka” North-West Bulgarian Dance Group (UK/Bulgaria), Hungarian Folk Dance Group of Bristol (UK/ Hungary), Szép Arany Hungarian Folk Dance Group (UK/Hungary) and Manchester Hungarian Folk Youth Ensemble (UK/Hungary)

Free family workshops: zither, Ringató baby music, folk dance, Kodály music workshops, storytelling, singing, arts and crafts

About Góbéfest

Góbéfest was established in Manchester in 2017 to celebrate the little-known culture and traditions of the Székler people – a minority group of ethnic Hungarians living in Transylvania, which is part of Romania.

Since 2017, Góbéfest has grown to include more cultures from around eastern and central Europe, particularly around the area known as the Carpathian Basin including Hungary, Romania and Poland.