Sitting on the shore of Lake Városliget, it is difficult to imagine that this was once the site of an elegant summer cinema, filled with the scent of roses and accompanied by live music. Yet in 1957—and even as early as 1921—the Lake Cinema was one of Budapest's most exclusive outdoor entertainment venues, where bourgeois elegance and social life came together. Now, in 2025, Candle Lake is reviving the magic of waterside evenings with similar goals, but in a modern guise.

The program series is closely linked to the spirit of the City Park Café, where the past and present have been intertwined since 1895, and where gastronomic excellence, tradition, and a special atmosphere still offer an unmissable experience today.

The heyday of the Tó Cinema

The history of the Lake Cinema began in the summer of 1921, when Lieutenant Colonel József Daróczy received permission to operate a cinema on the lake in front of Vajdahunyad Castle. The special atmosphere of the screenings was created not only by the lake and the summer in the City Park, but also by the sophisticated program, live music, and bourgeois elegance that characterized the venue. At that time, sound films did not yet exist, so viewers could enjoy the performances accompanied by a pianist or a small orchestra.

The cinema was full every evening: initially on weekends, and later almost every evening, with two screenings.
The press of the time wrote enthusiastically about it: "ozone-rich, cool, rose-scented air" and "artistic music" awaited the audience. This was not just a cinema, but a defining meeting place where the city's social life took place in a vibrant, elegant setting.
Az 1957-es újjászületés új technikai szenzációt hozott: bemutatták a kinemaszkópot, vagyis a szélesvásznat. Bár az első vetített film vegyes kritikákat kapott, a Tó-mozi a szezon végére így
is százezer látogatót vonzott.