After several international cities, Madame Tussauds’ exhibition of 51 lifelike Hungarian and foreign wax figures will open in Budapest on May 25 at Palazzo Dorottya.
At the local press premiere of the 250-year-old global tourism brand, Chris Skura, representative of the franchise owner, Merlin, Operations Ltd., noted that Merlin is one of the world’s largest service providers, attracting 67 million visitors a year with its attractions. Like Legoland, the London Eye, Sea Life, and Madame Tussauds panopticon, he said.
As he pointed out, Madame Tussauds Budapest is the first individually developed and newly built franchise with local partners.
Paul Fox, UK Ambassador to Budapest, stated that they are not only celebrating the expansion of the world-famous gallery, but also the rich cultural heritage and vibrant spirit of Budapest.
The ambassador assured that a great British brand had set foot in Hungary, and that this was presently the only Madame Tussauds Panopticon in Central Europe.
Josef Krenbacher, owner of Madame Tussauds Budapest, quotes Pablo Picasso as saying: “Everything that can be imagined becomes reality, and everything that human imagination can imagine can be realized.”
The Tussauds panopticon is a kind of gift to the 150-year-old Budapest, Gergely Karacsony, Mayor of Budapest, whose wax figures give us the feeling of being close to the people, as if we had a common history with the celebrities we saw. here. As he said, in this gallery you can find characters from the present, the past, and the long past, which is somewhat similar to the whole city.
According to the announcement of the organizers
Madame Tussauds’ 24th production in the world brings 51 vibrant figures and their associated installations to audiences.
At the attraction, visitors can meet 17 Hungarian celebrities, made exclusively for the Budapest production in the workshop of Madame Tussauds near London. The document notes that during the planning phase, the public was asked who they would be most curious about.
A number of famous Hungarian buildings and landmarks are displayed within the gallery. Visitors can walk through the Buda Castle Tunnel, meet the stars on the Danube, take part in a helicopter movie shoot at the Fisherman’s Bastion, and immerse themselves in a private spa world.
Hungarian and foreign personalities also appeared at Madame Tussauds exhibition in Budapest: among others Harry Houdini, Katinka Hoszów, Katalin Karady, Lajos Kossuth, Ferenc Liszt, Bela Lugosi, King Matthias, Mihaly Moncáczi, Janos Neumann, Barbara Palvin, La Petofi Sandor, Ferenc Puskas, Sisi, King St. István, István Szechenyi and Jimmy Zambo, as well as the late Pope Francis II. The show features Queen Elizabeth, Beyoncé, Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Xi Jinping, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey Jr., Lady Gaga, Mikhail Gorbachev, Ronald Reagan, Steven Spielberg and Donald Trump. The organizers noted that only in Budapest the general public can meet the lifelike statues of Bud Spencer, Chuck Norris and Peter Volk.
OUR Featured Image: A wax figure of American actor Peter Falk at the press launch of Madame Tussauds Budapest exhibition at Dorotea’s Palace on May 23, 2023. After several world cities, Madame Tussauds will open its doors to the public in Budapest on May 25 with 51 vibrant Hungarian and international wax figures . (Photo: MTI/Noémi Bruzák)
