A free family friendly festival celebrating the music, culture, food and drink of Transylvania and the Carpathian Basin
Puppet shows, music and crafts workshops, baby-music sessions, live bands, brightly-costumed dance troupes, a buzzing food market and a cacophony of swirling skirts, stamping feet and lutes, zithers and accordions can only mean one thing...
This May sees the return of the UK's only free family friendly weekend festival to celebrate in riotous colour the arts, culture food and drink of the fabled-region of Transylvania.
Last year's event in Manchester's central Albert Square, saw 17,000 adventurous revellers put their best foot forward to try out traditional folk dancing and sample delicacies including the spit-roasted sweet treat chimney cake and lángos (fried dough served with various toppings such as crème frèche and garlic).
This year’s free event also includes a family activity tent running arts and music workshops throughout the weekend, enchanting puppet shows, a makers' craft market, folk dance demonstrations, small-batch craft food sampling and many other musical and culinary delights.
Acts include the Mátyás Király Zither Ensembl, who are all still at school and Ursos, children's 30-strong folk dance group from Transylvania, who were runners up on a recent TV talent show.
Góbéfest was established in 2017 to celebrate the little-known culture and traditions of the Székler people – a minority group of ethnic Hungarians living in Transylvania, which is part of Romania.
A Góbé is a friendly word for a ‘crafty Székely’.
Event organiser Ottilia Ördög is herself a Székely Hungarian, now settled in UK for almost 30 years and working as a cultural leader. She said: "Góbéfest brings the magical sounds, sights and smells of one of Europe's most mythologised and unspoilt regions to the centre of Manchester.
“The weekend will serve up a family friendly and unashamedly enthusiastic mix of music, dance, arts and crafts and food and drink, offering just a glimpse of the true flavours of Transylvania and the Carpathian Basin."
