The Former Chancellor of Austria and a Host of Stars Will Take the Stage at This Year’s MCC Feszt

One of the biggest names at this year's MCC Feszt will be Sebastian Kurz, who served as chancellor of Austria from 2017-2019 and 2020-2021. He was also President of the Austrian People's Party from 2017-2021. At the time of his election at the age of 31, he was the youngest head of government in the world and the youngest chancellor in Austrian history. The actor, writer, and podcast host Michael Knowles will address the festival audience on some of the leading and pressing questions of the day. He is one of the most well-known conservative political commentators in the United States and works for the US news and media outlet The Daily Wire, where he hosts his own show. Another headline speaker at MCC Feszt will be data scientist and law enforcement consultant Vincent Harinam from the University of Cambridge. The internationally-acclaimed expert's research focuses on the use of artificial intelligence in fighting crime and the analysis of different statistics and trends in law enforcement. The festival will also feature Dean Karalekas, research fellow at the Centre for Austronesian Studies at the University of Central Lancashire, author and co-author of several books, including The Men in No Man's Land: A Journey Into Bir Tawil and Civil-Military Relations in Taiwan: Identity and Transformation.

Similar to last year, notable figures from various fields of Hungarian public life will also be present to discuss a diverse range of topics. The panel on The Power of Digitalization in the Financial Sector will address the issues of digital banking, innovations driven by artificial intelligence, and cryptocurrencies. Panelists will include Péter Fáykiss, Head of the Digitalization Directorate of the Central Bank of Hungary, Bálint Danóczy, Senior Specialist for Open Banking at Mastercard, János Pereczes, Managing Director at Magyar Bankholding, and Zsolt Demkó-Szeres, Deputy CEO of the Hungarian Student Loan Center Ltd.

The discussion on The Revolution in Office Design will feature some of Hungary's most prominent Ybl Prize-winning architects, including József Finta, Kossuth Prize-winning architect and co-designer of the MOL Campus, Zsolt Gunther, designer of the Vision Towers, and Bence Vadász, designer of the Szabad György Office Building. Other expert speakers from Hungary include Hunor Örs Detre, lead developer of the James Webb Space Telescope, Ádám Pölcz, a popular linguist, Péter Szekrényi 'Pedro', an expert on digital transformation, Ágnes Katona, editor of the Agatha Christie book series, and Szabi the Baker, one of Hungary's most famous and popular bakers.

The festival will showcase the finest Hungarian popular music talent. Festivalgoers can enjoy the performances of renowned artists and bands such as Ákos, Bagossy Brothers Company, Irie Maffia, Budapest Bar, Balkan Fanatik, Random Trip, and Lili Regán. Other artists, especially those popular with younger generations, will include Valmar, T. Danny, Djudlo, and Blahalouisiana Symphonic. For the first time in MCC Feszt history, there will be a Folk tent, where István Pál Szalonna and his band will set the mood with traditional Hungarian music and dance. The Edu Promenade will be even more colorful than in previous years, showcasing not only the training programs and activities of MCC but of its partner organizations as well.

As with previous years, the MCC Feszt will be mostly free of charge. However, to enjoy all of what MCC Feszt has to offer, as well as extra discounts and services, you can purchase an MCC Feszt Pass. The MCC Sziget area of the festival is available only to those with a MCC Feszt Pass. Concerts start at 5p.m. each day. For more information, please visit the official website of the event.