Budapest Pride marchers brave record-breaking heatwave in Hungary

Описание: (27 Jun 2026)
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Budapest, Hungary - 27 June 2026
1. Wide of DJs
2. Mid of fan
3. Wide of Pride participants marching
4. Wide of Pride participants, Virág Réka Végh and Lili Német cooling each other with water guns
5. SOUNDBITE (Hungarian) Virág Réka Végh, Pride participant from Baja:
"There's a huge crowd, and an extreme heat, so we thought water would be a good idea. You definitely need water and a fan here.”
6. Mid of a woman drinking water
7. Various of people cooling themselves with fans
8. SOUNDBITE (Hungarian) Lili Német, Pride participant from Budapest:
"Last year’s Pride march was about something else. So many people came out to defend our right to assemble. This year, there might be fewer of us because of the extreme heat, and the stakes aren’t quite as high. But at the same time, people aren't afraid anymore after the change of regime.”
9. Various of people drinking water, cooling themselves with fans
10. Wide of Pride participants dancing
11. SOUNDBITE (Hungarian) Hunor Toth, Pride participant from Komló:
"Last year, from what I heard, it wasn't that warm. But now the forecast shows a real heat wave. There are thousands of people here and the concrete is heating up too. It's rough walking all the way.”
12. Wide of people cooling themselves with fans
13. Wide of Pride participants marching
14. Wide of man making his hat wet from a fountain
15. SOUNDBITE (Hungarian) Hunor Toth, Pride participant from Komló:
"My hair provides good insulation. Plus, I brought an umbrella so I can stay in the shade. And if I need, I'll just pour water over myself.”
16. Various of Pride participants cooling themselves
STORYLINE:
A crowd of thousands gathered in soaring temperatures in Hungary's capital on Saturday to celebrate the 31st annual Budapest Pride, the first such LGBTQ+ march since former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who had sought to ban the event, was ousted in an April election.

The march began Saturday afternoon as temperatures reached 38 C (100 F). Organizers distributed water bottles to marchers and the city's public water utility opened fountains along the route.

Pride participant Virág Réka Végh and her girlfriend arrived carrying water guns to cool each other during the march: "We thought water would be a good idea. You definitely need water and a fan here,” she said.

"This year, there might be fewer of us because of the extreme heat, and the stakes aren’t quite as high,” Lili Német said, referring to the 2025 Pride march which became a protest against Orbán.

Despite the ban, last year's Pride went on as planned and was the biggest in Hungary's history with organizers estimating attendance at over 350,000.

"Last year, from what I heard, it wasn't that warm. But now the forecast shows a real heat wave. There are thousands of people here and the concrete is heating up too. It's rough walking all the way,” another Pride participant, Hunor Toth said.

With the heat coming up from north Africa, much of Europe has been baking under a “heat dome” this week.

The extreme conditions have come in June, earlier in the summer than is usual, as records have been tumbling by day and by night.

Conditions are expected to ease in coming days, though July and August, the traditional height of the European summer, are still to come.

AP Video by Nikolett Csányi

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