Sparty is a nightclub that happens to be a thermal bath. Every Saturday from February to December, once the day visitors have gone, two of the outdoor pools at Széchenyi are handed over to a DJ, a light show and a crowd in swimwear, from 21:30 until 02:00.
It is run by a separate organiser and sold on a separate ticket. This page covers what that ticket includes, how paying for drinks works, what to bring and how to get home afterwards.
Sparty tickets
Sparty: The Ultimate Late-Night Spa Party Ticket
The one ticket you need: entry to the party and a locker, as a basic ticket or a premium one that adds drink coupons. Over-18s only. Non-refundable.
- Towels, flip-flops and any drinks beyond the premium coupons are not included
- It is a ticket to the party only. Daytime bathing needs a day ticket
- The organiser advises buying ahead, because capacity is limited
How the night works
Security, then the lobby
The security check is outside the building, with separate lines for men and women. No food, drinks, glass or sharp objects get through, and nor do suitcases, so bring a small bag at most. Tickets are checked inside.
Swap your ticket for a wristband
In the lobby your QR code is exchanged for a wristband that works as your ticket and your locker key. Hand it back when you leave, because a lost one is charged for.
Get a SpartyPay card before you queue for a drink
The bars do not take cash or bank cards. You load cash onto a SpartyPay card at a top-up point in the lobby or by the bars, and the card carries a deposit. Whatever is left on it, deposit included, is refunded when you hand it back, but only on the night and only before closing.
Pay for a cup, then a drink
Drinks are served in reusable cups that you buy first and get part of the price back on when you return them. Premium-ticket drink coupons do not cover the cup. One coupon gets a draught beer and two get a cocktail from the marked list.
What to bring
- Flip-flops or slippers. They are compulsory, and you will not be let in without them. They are sold at the check-in desk if you forget
- Swimwear and a towel. Swimming caps are not needed
- A passport or ID card
- Cash in forints for the SpartyPay card. Do not count on finding a cash machine inside
- As little else as possible. Leave valuables at your hotel and keep your documents in the locker
Rules
- Over-18s only
- Swimwear or beach clothes at all times, no nudity, and no sportswear in the pools
- No jumping or diving into the pools. It gets you removed
- No food, drinks, glass, drugs or large inflatables. Small arm floats and mini inflatables are allowed
- Smoking only in the marked areas by the pools
- Photos on a phone or a small camera are fine for your own use. Drones are banned
- Arrive drunk or behave aggressively and you can be refused entry or removed, ticket or not
- The organiser advises pregnant women to take a doctor’s advice first, and lists the event as unsuitable for them on the ticket page
Accessibility
The organiser asks anyone arriving in a wheelchair to get in touch before the night, so staff can prepare. It describes the bath as a 100-year-old building that was not designed with access in mind, and says the team will help you get around it.
Insider tips
See the bath by day as well
Sparty shows you two pools and a light show. The saunas, the 15 indoor pools and the chess players belong to the daytime bath, and the organiser’s own advice is to come back for those the day after.
Budget for the bar before you go
Drinks are the expensive part of the night, and the cup and the card deposit come on top. If you know you will be drinking, the premium ticket pays for some of it in advance.
Empty your SpartyPay card before 02:00
Unspent money is only refunded on the night, before the party closes, and the balance does not carry over to another Saturday. Hand the card back on your way to the changing rooms, not after.