Aura Bay Open Air Opens on Budapest's Óbudai Island with HUGEL

A New Venue on Óbudai Island

Aura Bay Open Air will launch on Óbudai Island in Budapest on Friday, September 18, bringing a new permanent event space to the island that hosts Sziget Festival. The venue sits partially within the recently opened Aura Bay Light Park, where electronic music events will unfold among large-scale light installations, illuminated gardens, and sculptures.

The open-air section occupies part of the light park's outdoor grounds, allowing attendees to move through installations including a 20-meter illuminated LED whale, a walkable illuminated pyramid, the botanical light garden of Blooms Park, Crystal Garden, the twin 4,000-LED face sculptures known as Talking Heads, and the interactive Kickit light-ball court. The venue marks a permanent addition to the island, also known as Hajógyári-sziget, which was formerly used as a shipyard before becoming one of Budapest's most familiar music locations.

HUGEL Leads the Opening Lineup

HUGEL will headline the grand opening from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM, marking the French DJ and producer's first standalone headline show in Hungary. Born in Marseille, HUGEL has become closely associated with Afro Latin House and runs his own label, Make The Girls Dance Records. His recent schedule has included appearances at EDC Las Vegas, Tomorrowland, BPM Festival, Untold, and Coachella, alongside residencies at Hï Ibiza in both 2025 and 2026.

His first album, Twenty One, was released in 2026, while "Movin' To The Sun" has passed 100 million streams on Spotify since its release in May. The opening program will begin at 3:00 PM with Shooma x Guztavo, followed by MELO x Groove Generation, DJ Freespirit, GATANO, HUGEL, Tom Enzy, miirabelle, and Budai House Clique.

Local and International Artists Share the Bill

The lineup brings together international artists and names from Budapest's house music scene across the eight-hour event. Tom Enzy has previously appeared in the DJ Mag Top 150. GATANO says, "I'm really excited to be part of the opening of Aura Bay Open Air and to share the lineup with HUGEL. Budapest has an incredible energy, and playing in such a unique setting, makes this show even more special." Miirabelle also added, "House music has always been about joy, connection and shared moments. Being part of the opening of a new venue in our hometown, alongside HUGEL and such an exciting lineup, feels like the perfect opportunity to bring that spirit to the dancefloor."

Aura Bay Open Air opens Friday, September 18, 2026 from 3:00 PM to 11:00 PM at Aura Bay, Óbudai Island, Budapest. Tickets are available through Fourvenues.