Latest News - What's On Now in the Region of Sport

Would you like to try out as many sports as possible? Then you should head to Keszthely on the last weekend of August!

On Saturday, August 29, a free, all-day Sports Festival awaits fitness enthusiasts and anyone looking to discover new sports. The event will take place at the Keszthely City Beach, where you can explore a variety of athletic activities from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Visitors can try out various beach sports and forms of exercise. Water sports enthusiasts can look forward to kayaking and canoeing programs, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), water aerobics, open-water swimming, beach water polo, and regatta races.

There will be no shortage of challenges on land either. Among other activities, visitors can try beach volleyball, handball, korfball, beach soccer, spinning, table tennis, foot tennis, badminton, and pétanque.

Participation in the event is free.

The Veszprém-Balaton European Region of Sport 2026 is proud to join the #BeActive European Week of Sport program. We invite and encourage all our partners, associations, and local governments to showcase our region’s strength at both the national and international levels!

The Séd Creek Valley turned into a true celebration of sports when the National Walking Day, organized with the support of European Region of Sport, took place, drawing nearly a thousand participants. Organized by the Sarolta Monspart Foundation for Healthy Living on August 13, the event focused on active aging, the joy of exercise, and community building.

Hundreds have already taken to the water: the free water sports programs at the Kékszalag PORT are in full swing.

Forty-one boats, countless strokes, and true team spirit—the Veszprém-Balaton European Region of Sport 2026 Dragon Boat Cup lived up to expectations. At the competition held at the Balatonfüred pier, workplace teams, civic organizations, and groups of friends took to the water to put themselves to the test.

What if, in just one day, we could do something for our health, meet new people along the way, and even discover one of the most beautiful parts of Veszprém?

National Walking Day offers an excellent opportunity for this, welcoming interested participants on August 13, 2026 at the Kolostorok and Kertek event grounds in Veszprém.

Let’s get moving together on August 13 in Veszprém! Let’s spend a fulfilling day discover the joy of walking, and show that a healthy lifestyle is a shared cause!

On Saturday, August 8, 2026, visitors to the shores of Lake Balaton can once again look forward to a special sporting event. The picturesque Balatonfüred, on Tagore Promenade, will host the European Sports Strategy 2026 Dragon Boat Cup, which will be much more than just a spectacular water race: it will be a celebration of community, cooperation, and team spirit.

If you’d like to see how twenty people become a single unit, how sport brings together people from different backgrounds into a community, then Balatonfüred on August 8 is the place to be!

Few sporting events can claim to have more than nine decades of tradition, features a world-class field of competitors, and attracts tens of thousands to the shores of Lake Balaton year after year. The Kék Szalag is exactly such an event, which will be held this year between July 30 and August 1. and which is not only Hungary’s most significant sailing race, but also Europe’s oldest and longest lake-circumnavigation sailing race, which every summer turns Balatonfüred and the entire Lake Balaton.

Let’s meet this weekend on the shores of Lake Balaton and celebrate sailing together, perseverance, and the power of community!

Our colleague Szilvia Bonyhádi, a member of the Veszprém-Balaton European Region of Sport 2026 team, has received outstanding international recognition by being named a European Ambassador for Sport within the ACES Europe network. This prestigious appointment not only recognizes the success of Hungary's equal opportunity and inclusion initiatives to date but also creates a unique opportunity to showcase our region's best practices at the European level.

We have taken a huge step toward building a healthier and more active region. We officially opened the new cardio trail between Balatonalmádi and Szentkirályszabadja, which was realized through genuine community and professional collaboration as part of the Veszprém-Balaton European Region of Sport 2026 program series. We are particularly proud that this project was created specifically to promote the health of older adults, those seeking preventive care, and those in recovery.

Hungary—and Veszprém County in particular—celebrated an outstanding achievement at the European Transplant & Dialysis Sports Championships, held in Arnhem, the Netherlands, from June 21 to 27, 2026. Alexandra Gyurkó of Herend not only returned home with five swimming medals but also made history in international sports governance when she was unanimously elected President of the European Transplant and Dialysis Sports Federation. The Veszprém-Balaton European Region of Sport 2026 team is especially proud of Alexandra, who also played a key role in developing the Region of Sport's inclusion program.

Nearly 100 talented players from twelve countries participated in The European Open Table Tennis Championships for Young Talents between June 18 and 21. Supported by the Veszprém-Balaton European Region of Sport 2026 program, this international tournament was proudly hosted by ONE Veszprém Arena.

Whether you come with friends, family, your grandma, or your peers with special needs—everyone will find their favorite way to move. A refreshing neck and shoulder workout, a casual run, a little dancing, or Zumba—it all awaits you! Join the bicycle parade with extra lights, try out various sports, and choose from countless activities we have in store for you. At the exact same time, a walk will kick off across 55 settlements to demonstrate that movement belongs to everyone, including those living with illnesses or disabilities. Enjoy the joy of recreational movement with us and find inclusive communities here!

The race’s finish line marked not only the conclusion of this prestigious international sporting event but also a true community celebration that perfectly embodied everything the Region of Sport stands for: unity, vibrant energy, and a commitment to sports.

Some cities have historical celebrations, but in Veszprém, a single sport has managed to create its own modern-day celebration. In 2026, the Veszprém-Balaton European Region of Sport year, nothing demonstrates the power of community better than the hugely successful debut of the 1st Veszprém Handball Day.

Under the slogan Our Balaton, Our Sport, a series of free sports programs will be held in Balatonfüred from mid-May to mid-September at Kékszalag PORT marina as part of the Veszprém-Bakony-Balaton European Region of Sport 2026 program. 

The Veszprém-Balaton European Region of Sport 2026 initiative has received yet another international accolade. At the ACES “Best Sports Practices” World Congress held in Ascoli Piceno, Italy, our program won first prize in the innovation category, demonstrating the uniqueness of our regional sports concept and community collaboration.

More than 5,000 people turned out for the highlight of the Veszprém-Balaton European Region of Sport 2026 program series, Challenge Day on March 21. Although the attempted 4 GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ undertakings ultimately failed, the event was still a huge success, as thousands of people took to the streets at the same time, and the day was defined by community experiences, with the common thread being the experience of movement.

Health is our greatest asset, which is why we are taking preventive screenings to new locations, so that as many people as possible can take a step toward a more conscious, healthier lifestyle.

Alíz Markovits, CEO of VEB2023 Jsc., emphasized that the level of interest among applicants has exceeded all expectations. More than two hundred people have already registered on the Region of Sport online platform, either to begin planning their projects or to finalize their applications.

The Veszprém-Balaton region is also on the move in the tourism sector. Following the success of the European Capital of Culture program, sports and active recreation have now taken center stage. In light of this, the region’s Tourism Season Opening was held for the first time this year in Veszprém, which is now clearly associated with the title Veszprém-Balaton European Region of Sport 2026, and on building a shared future.

We raised the flag both figuratively and literally, as the mayors of the municipalities joining the Veszprém-Balaton European Region of Sport 2026 program received unique flags with which they can proudly proclaim that in 2026 we will jointly set the region in motion.

Grant applications can now be edited on the online application management interface. 

• Please read the Call for Proposals carefully!
• Register your organization on the SPORT 2026 platform;
• After registering, wait for the confirmation email;
• Log in and create the applicant organization’s profile;
• You can save the form while filling it out and return later to continue.

Did you know that the Sportrégió2026.hu event calendar is part of the HelloVEB.hu portal system ? Upload your program once, and it will appear on multiple platforms.

Do you organize sporting events? Let’s build the future of sports in the region together!

Register for free, upload your events, and reach the active community of the region.

In Brussels, at ACES Europe headquarters, we officially received the European  Region of Sport 2026 title, officially launching the joint effort aimed at making our region even more active.

Eight stations, dozens of participants, countless questions, and even more creative ideas— this is how one could briefly summarize the series of information forums for the Veszprém-Balaton European Region of Sports 2026 bid, during which interested parties could learn about upcoming application opportunities.

RISE won the Grand Prize at ACES International Video Awards in Italy, at the 15th Overtime Film Festival.

ACES Europe has officially announced that Veszprém and the Bakony–Balaton region will hold the title of European Region of Sport 2026 next year.   

Veszprém is competing together with the Lake Balaton region for the title of European Region of Sport 2026. One of the most important milestones on the path to this prestigious recognition was the visit by the international jury of ACES Europe, during which the delegation visited the region’s most important sports venues and met with the experts, and decision-makers behind the project. 

Veszprém and the Bakony–Balaton region have entered an inspiring short film in the ACES Europe 2025 international video competition. The film centers on the personal story of Botond Birnbauer, a para-swimmer from Veszprém, who, through his example, authentically represents the power of sport to shape communities and improve quality of life. The goal of this nomination is to demonstrate that the joy of movement and access to sports are valuable to everyone.