Lumina Park will welcome visitors starting Tuesday, October 20, on Margaret Island, on the grounds of the Palatinus Baths. The spectacle, featuring more than 200 light installations and inspired this time by Lewis Carroll’s novel Alice in Wonderland, will remain open until March 7, 2027.
Ildikó Borosné Szűts, CEO of Budapest Spas and Thermal Waters Ltd., recalled on Monday evening at the park’s grand opening that the light park first opened its doors in Budapest in 2022 and has welcomed the public with a new theme every season since then. Over the past five years, more than half a million visitors have come to see the spectacle, which has become one of the capital’s biggest winter attractions.
One of the goals of creating the light park was to balance out seasonal visitor numbers at the Palatinus Baths.
While the beach welcomed 6,000 to 7,000 guests daily in the summer, that number dropped to 200–300 in the winter, which also made it difficult to keep staff employed.
The CEO revealed that operating the park posed a particularly significant challenge at the onset of the energy crisis, but the light park operates using energy-efficient solutions, and its daily energy consumption is comparable to that of two pizza ovens.
In this year’s light park, inspired by Lewis Carroll’s novel, visitors can encounter the story’s well-known characters and scenes.
The spectacle features a tunnel of light leading to Wonderland, the Hatter and the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts’ castle, a maze, and a musical, interactive animal band. The park also welcomes visitors with a hand-cranked carousel, a giant slide, and a film projected onto a water screen in the Wave Pool.
Lumina Park was created through a collaboration between Budapest Gyógyfürdői és Hévizei Zrt. and its Polish partner, Lumina sp. z o. o. At the opening ceremony, Jan Szagdaj, CEO of the Polish company, said that for its fifth season, the Budapest light park has prepared more than one million light sources, 200 light installations, interactive elements, and special projections.
Lumina Park’s light trail can be walked at a leisurely pace in about one to one and a half hours, is open daily—except Mondays—from October 20, 2026, through March 7, 2027, from dusk until 9:00 p.m.; during peak periods, it remains open until 10:00 p.m. Those interested can find detailed information about opening hours on the park’s website.
Usually closed to the public, the Palace opened its doors for preparations for an upcoming film shoot, giving Hungary Today a rare opportunity to step inside. Continue reading
Via MTI; Featured photo: MTI/Lakatos Péter
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