The event takes as its inspiration the British celebration also known as “Guy Fawkes Night,” held annually across the United Kingdom close to Nov. 5 to mark the anniversary of the foiling of a plot to blow up the Royal Family and the Houses of Parliament in London in 1605.
Here in Budapest, it serves as an excuse to unite “good-hearted guests from the international community in Hungary to #FeelGoodDoGood!” as organizer XpatLoop.com (which will also be celebrating its 24th birthday) puts it. All funds raised on the evening will go to local charities that help Hungarian children.
This year, the money raised will be split between the Autistic Art Alapítvány (Autistic Art Foundation), Magyar Vöröskereszt (Hungarian Red Cross), Rászoruló Fiatalok (Young People in Need Non-Profit Organization) and UNICEF Hungary.
Entertainment includes a virtual bonfire and fireworks display (essential elements of any Guy Fawkes Night), live music, dancing, and plenty of prizes to win. Confirmed guests of honor include Antónia Mészáros, executive director of UNICEF Hungary and Paul Fox, the ambassador of the United Kingdom to Hungary.
“As a Brit and as ambassador, I am proud that XpatLoop.com has held celebrations for ‘Bonfire Night’ for over a decade. Not only have they been some of the best parties in town, but also events that have raised incredible amounts of funds for a number of worthy causes,” the British ambassador said last year.
Tickets are available online from the XpatLoop website and cost HUF 25,000 per person or HUF 50,000 per person for a limited number of VIP Philanthropist seats, guaranteeing an exclusive gala table near the main stage. If any tickets are unsold, entrance can be bought on the door for HUF 35,000, but paying in advance is the recommended route to guarantee admittance.
Henry Scullion will be the MC for the evening, along with Hungarian TV star Zsuzsa Demcsák. The pair will host a live auction, a business card prize draw and announce the winners of the silent auction.
The organizers promise the best food lineup to date for the international buffet dinner, with contributions from restaurants and hotels across the city, alongside a selection of desserts and a wide range of alcoholic and soft drinks.
Other entertainment will include live music from the Just Show Band, a “Wine Mafia” blind-tasting game, roulette and blackjack (played for fun, not money) and a drag show featuring Valerie Devine.
More information and tickets are available on https://xpatloop.com/
This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of October 18, 2024.
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