Budapest has been transformed by this bold immersive theatre attraction

In search of an alternative side to Hungary’s capital, Henry Roberts visited a giant circus and dance show on the outskirts of the city

Wednesday 21 January 2026 08:08 EST

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A performer with a robot arm at Walk My Way, Budapest (Báline Hirling)

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I was sure I was in the wrong spot. Ridiculously underdressed for a Hungarian winter evening, I checked my phone again as I searched for the entrance to Walk My World, an immersive circus and dance show based on Virgil’s Aeneid. I was looking forward to an evening of gods and monsters. But all I could see was the entrance to a multistorey car park.

Budapest is a popular weekend break destination for British holidaymakers. Most come to soak up the thermal baths and marvel at the architecture, as well as drink cheap beer in the city’s famous ruin bars. But among these well-trodden excursions, there are plenty of cultural activities tourists can enjoy, too: museums dedicated to centuries of history, modern art galleries, and, as I was about to find out, thrilling live performances.

After a few panicked messages, someone from the team found us. I was taken up a flight of stairs into the mythical world.

Walk My Way purports to be the largest immersive attraction in Europe (Nagy Attila)

Founded by Recirquel, a contemporary circus company,Walk My World allows audience members to walk around freely, following characters and storylines as they choose. They say theatre is different every night, but audiences of Walk My World can literally see two different shows on two consecutive nights. Billed as Europe’s largest immersive attraction, I was excited to see how it would transform my city break into something entirely different.

Once inside, we sat down in the Chaos Bar, styled like a dimly-lit jazz joint, as we waited for the performance doors to open. We were each given a black mask to wear, designed to replicate welders’ masks that factory workers would have worn here a few decades ago.

I loved the freedom of choosing my own characters to follow and stories to pursue. I’d be watching a muscular man walk a tightrope when a woman in red would catch my eye. Along with a few other audience members, I’d follow her into a small corner where she’d dance, but then I would see two characters in my peripheral vision and follow them.

It may be based on an ancient story, but Walk My World brings together past, present and future. Mid-century trinkets and ephemera were dotted around the industrial space: dead frogs in jars, vintage typewriters, rotary telephones, gas masks. And there were plenty of futuristic elements. The famous Trojan Horse, for instance, was played by a robot, literally. A huge mechanical arm moved as freely and gracefully as the human performers.

Towards the end of the show, Bence Vági, the director, miraculously found me and guided me to watch its stunning closing sequence. I won’t spoil it, but suffice it to say, after more than two hours of separate storylines and side-plots, all the performers gathered in the main space and performed some pretty incredible acrobatics, which made me dizzy just watching them from my safe position on the floor.

Back in the bar area outside, Bence told me that he and Virgil share a birthday, 15 October, so perhaps they were kindred spirits through the centuries.

Henry said the attraction was the best part of his trip (Henry Roberts)

I asked Bence whether he felt like one of the gods depicted in the show, wandering around this universe he had created. He paused for a moment; it seemed that the idea had never occurred to him.

“No. I don’t feel like a god,” he finally replied. “I can’t intervene. We’ve rehearsed for so long, but once the performance starts, there’s nothing I can do.

“I just have to watch and let it happen. But we’ve got brilliant performers, some of whom have been working on this project for years now, so I trust them.”

The show is never the same twice (Bálint Hirling)

I spent the next day exploring some of the city’s more popular spots. In the rooftop pool of the Rudas baths, I enjoyed a panoramic view of the city. In the shadow of Gellért Hill, it was impossible not to be taken away by the city’s beauty.

Afterwards, I wandered through the city’s Jewish Quarter and in the evening visited more than one of Budapest’s famous bars. It was a pretty wonderful trip, but made better because I did something that’s not in the guidebooks.

Indeed, any live performance – be it music, theatre, or a site-specific, genre-bending, partially-robotic circus – won’t be available for ever. Next time I visit Budapest, Buda Castle will still be there, but Walk My World might not be. I’m glad I got to experience it while I could. The time spent there was the most memorable of the weekend.

How to do it

Wizz Air offers flights from London Gatwick to Budapest. Flight time is around two-and-a-half hours. Prices start at £33.

Walk My World runs until 29 March. Tickets are available on its website.

Where to stay

Verno House is charming boutique hotel in the centre of Budapest. Guests can book the Verno Experience, a full day’s itinerary to see the best of the city. Rooms start at £130 per night.

Book now

Henry was a guest at Verno House