A Transylvanian Food Festival With Steins And Folk Music Is Coming To Manchester This Month
Góbéfest will return to Manchester's Cathedral Gardens this summer in celebration of Székler culture.
Laura Rogan - Editor
A huge Hungarian celebration of Székler people is coming to Manchester this summer, shedding a spotlight on the little known culture of the Hungarians that reside in Transylvania. Taking place at Cathedral Gardens – which is also home to the Manchester Food & Drink Festival and beloved Italian food festival, Festa Italiana – Góbéfest will combine food, drink, live folk music and dancing, bringing the very best of the Székler culture back to the city.
This year’s festival will mark Góbéfest’s sixth year in Manchester, after launching in Albert Square back in spring 2017 when it attracted over 10,000 people to the event. Since then, the event has attracted thousands more visitors, and promises to be a “unique celebration, offering a dazzling extravaganza of music, dance, cuisine and multicultural activities, captivating the whole family with the authentic and diverse sounds, tastes and flavours of Transylvania and the Carpathian Basin.”
Between the 24th and 26th June, the little slice of Transylvania will be home to plenty of delicious, Hungarian street food, alongside steins of Csiki Sor beer and Szicsek Palinka cocktails. Expect langos, Romanian sausages (also known as mititiei), grilled pork steaks, Hungarian honey bread and more, alongside delicious sweet treats and snacks. In addition to street food stalls, guests will also be able to shop the small Hungarian market, where they’ll be able to take home artisan goods.
Hungarian folk music will provide the upbeat atmosphere, with plenty of live acts set to perform across the two-dayer, not only performing folk tunes, but an array of other musical genres, too – providing a little something for everyone to enjoy.
Expect to see folk dancers kitted out in traditional dress getting the party started, while teaching guests their moves so we Mancs can get involved, too. Folk dance will mark just one of a number of fun workshops that will be taking place at the festival, including zither instrument workshops, Transylvanian puppet shows for the kids and folklore storytelling workshops.
Góbéfest is free to attend, and will sprawl across Cathedral Gardens – just next door to the Football Museum – this June 24th-26th. Find out more here.