Kolorádó is a vision of a joyful here and now. A picture of a small world, unlike anything else, yet within reach. A festival where everyone who is curious and enjoys adventuring between styles, on their own path in the forest, finds community.
In 2016, together with scouts who share our values and a crew of Budapest party organizers, we threw the first Kolorádó Festival at Sztrilich Pál Scout Park. We imagined it as a nature-inspired extension of our club, Kolor: a camp among the trees, the vibe of the scout park, and a setting that reminded us of American national parks. Out of this world, not officially independent but running like its own little microstate, came the name Kolorádó.
Back then only a handful of people came. Today, we welcome thousands from all over Hungary and around the world. From the start, our goal has been to create a free, culturally rich, and inclusive space where you can feel like a kid again and camp in the forest. Kolorádó has grown and changed over the years, but we’ve always stayed true to our values.
Now, nearly ten years later, we’re looking for a new home. We’re saying goodbye to the Scout Park, the festival’s cradle. Thank you for the chilly nights, the winding forest paths and best summer memories. Everything we’ve built here lives in all of us, and we know this energy will carry us forward. The world needs Kolorádó now more than ever, and we can’t wait to see what comes next.
Every year, we create our own world in the hills of Buda, where we are on our own for a few days, out of the ordinary - at least that’s how we experience it. Away from the city, without a signal, in a place with a special energy. There is something very captivating about the location of Kolorádó, which had us from the first moment we visited it.
We know perfectly well that nature around us is only loaned to us, we are guests therefore we should behave as such. We only take as much as we can give back, and do our best to leave as small a footprint as possible. Kolorádó found home in the forest and loves it as it has evolved over thousands of years and wants to see it intact and healthy for a very long time.
Kolorádó is a free-spirited festival. We create an atmosphere in which it is worthwhile to be free, to be together without unnecessary constraints. Expression is basic, inclusion is clear. Our supportive and safe community allows freedom of knowledge and art. It is also the same freedom that defines our collaboration with performers and partners.
We love a variety of genres. From the diversity of our programmes comes the diversity of our community, from which we draw our strength. There is no room in Kolorádó for racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, or any form of exclusion. Together we are diverse, that is what makes us strong
To listen, to know and to understand is our shared responsibility, in Kolorádó we open ourselves to the unknown and seek to communicate good, to consider the consequences of our decisions and actions. We draw strength and confidence from openness and curiosity, and our shared experiences give us a sense of purpose in uncertain situations. Knowing where you are going makes you more confident.
The more we know about the world, the greater the unknown we are faced with. In Kolorádó, we dare to make mistakes, learn from our mistakes, and maintain that we will do better the next day. We dare to doubt whether the truth of yesterday is still relevant today. In Kolorádó, we dare not to know and ask questions.