Zamárdi Open-Air Cinema

In my childhood, when there was no TV broadcast on Mondays and there was only one, later two channels available, there was immense interest in films every day.

Often, unbelievably long queues would snake down the street as people waited for the box office to open at seven in the evening.

The afternoon sun blazed down on us, and we stood in the sweltering heat, sometimes as early as from 2 p.m. for particularly exciting blockbuster films! If you joined the queue then (if we weren’t already standing in the street, it was a good sign), you still had a chance of getting a ticket for the evening show.

Often, a single person would queue on behalf of the many nearby children’s holiday camps, and when their turn came, they would buy 20, 30, or even 40 tickets at once. Moreover, the holiday camp kids would take turns standing in line, which was not an option for many of us! So, it was quite the survival exercise back in the day!

Nowadays, such sacrifices are no longer necessary, but the cinema’s Facebook cover photo is proof that queues can still form before the film starts, despite the wide variety of programmes available today.

It is clear that the open-air cinema remains incredibly popular. It was renovated in 2011, and since then, they have strived to entertain the audience with the latest technology and enjoyable shows. Not only films, but also stand-up comedy, theatrical performances, and children’s programmes now enrich the offerings. During the European Football Championship, you could even watch the Hungarian national team’s matches for free…

However, it is important to know that the films are usually shown with Hungarian dubbing.

I highly recommend visiting the Zamárdi Open-Air Cinema if you’re holidaying here!

Box office opens at 19:00, the film usually starts at 21:00, but be sure to check the exact schedule!