Most people see a music festival and think of stages, crowds, and headline performances. A research team from Corvinus University of Budapest saw a ten-day case study in cultural economics unfolding across three Hungarian villages. In 2026, researchers from the university’s Institute of Entrepreneurship and Innovation partnered with the organizers of the Valley of Arts Festival to examine visitor motivations, spending behavior, technology use, and the operations of craft and food vendors. Supported by Corvinus students working on-site, the team surveyed nearly 1,000 visitors and approximately 120 vendors, completing one of the most extensive research data collection efforts carried out at a Hungarian cultural event to date.
This article explains what the study set out to investigate, how students contributed to the fieldwork, and what the early findings reveal about visitors, vendors, and the economics of festivals in Hungary.
Why Researchers Went Beyond the Music at the Valley of Arts Festival
The Valley of Arts Festival takes place each year in the villages of Kapolcs, Taliándörögd, and Vigántpetend, linking three rural communities through music, handicrafts, gastronomy, and shared public space. Across ten days, the event draws a large and loyal audience from across Hungary and beyond.
The research team’s primary goal was to understand the festival not solely through attendance and ticket-sales figures, but as a complex cultural, social, and economic system. That framing matters. Events of this scale generate effects that box-office metrics cannot capture: money spent in local shops, relationships built between artisans and returning customers, and the social bonds that bring new generations back to the same villages each summer. Findings of this kind give organizers directly applicable insights for improving the visitor experience, strengthening partnerships, and guiding the festival’s long-term development.
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An International Research Framework Adapted to Hungary
The study builds on a methodological framework developed by Dr Giuseppe Attanasi, previously applied at the Italian festival La Notte della Taranta. Applying the same methodology in Hungary allows researchers to compare findings across countries and settings, and to analyze the economic effects of festivals through rigorous econometric analysis rather than anecdote.
“Applying this methodology in Hungary makes it possible to compare findings across settings and to gain a deeper understanding of festivals’ economic effects through rigorous econometric analysis,” said Dr Attanasi, who developed the framework. Dr Giovanni di Bartolomeo added that a further aim is to examine social impacts in greater depth, creating a foundation for international comparisons and for supporting strategic development across the festival sector.
The collaboration brought together Dr Loretta Huszák and Dr Ivett Pinke-Sziva from the Institute of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Corvinus University of Budapest; Dr Attanasi and Dr di Bartolomeo from CIMEO, the Laboratory of Experimental Economics at Sapienza University of Rome; and Natália Oszkó-Jakab, Director of the Valley of Arts Festival. This blend of academic and industry perspectives produced a study designed to deliver findings that scholars, organizers, and policymakers can act on.
How Corvinus Students Powered the Research Data Collection
Fieldwork on this scale depends on capable people on the ground. Eight Corvinus University students supported the ten-day on-site data collection as volunteers, while one final-year student joined the team as a research assistant. Their responsibilities carried the study from design to execution: approaching visitors between performances, guiding vendors through questionnaires, and recording responses accurately under demanding conditions.
The conditions deserve emphasis. This year’s festival posed genuine logistical challenges, with cool nights at the start followed by temperatures climbing above 38°C on the final day. Collecting high-quality survey data at a festival — where respondents move constantly between venues and guard their leisure time — requires training, persistence, and strong interpersonal skills.
For the students involved, the project delivered experience that no lecture hall can replicate: hands-on practice in survey administration, sampling, and applied social research. Participation in projects of this kind also feeds into opportunities such as Corvinus’ Scientific Students’ Associations Conference (TDK), where student research is presented and recognized. Prospective students comparing universities should treat applied research opportunities as a core selection criterion, because few experiences build analytical and professional skills as quickly.
What Nearly 1,000 Visitor Surveys Reveal
The visitor survey produced early findings that challenge several common assumptions about festival audiences in Hungary.
Generation Z Drives Attendance and Loyalty
More than half of the festival’s visitors now belong to Generation Z. For these younger attendees, the Valley offers an attractive, affordable, and diverse experience; their main stated motivations are music and spending time with friends. The loyalty pattern is equally telling: more than 60% of respondents are returning visitors who plan to attend again the following year. Growth of this kind rests on retention rather than one-time curiosity, which gives organizers a stable foundation for planning.
In-Person Connection Outperforms Digital Engagement
The preliminary data also reveal a striking pattern in technology use. Even younger visitors appear to prefer in-person connection over online engagement at the festival. Technology adoption is driven primarily by one practical factor: cashless payments. Visitors embrace digital tools when those tools remove friction from spending, but they do not swap screens for face-to-face experiences. For event organizers and marketers, the lesson is direct: build digital infrastructure that supports the live experience rather than replacing it.
Have you attended the Valley of Arts Festival or a comparable event in Hungary? Share your experiences in the comments below.
Vendors as Partners, Not Just Sellers
The first stage of the research focused on the festival’s craft and food-and-beverage vendors. Over the ten days, approximately 200 craft vendors and 70 gastronomy businesses operate across the three villages, many arriving from different parts of the country. Through handmade products, culinary offerings, and personal presence, these vendors do more than serve visitors; they actively shape the festival’s atmosphere, cultural character, and economic activity.
A Stable, Returning Business Community
The survey results point to a remarkably stable partner community. Among responding vendors, 81.7% had participated in the festival before, and more than one-quarter had returned more than ten times. Participation in the Valley of Arts is therefore not a one-off sales opportunity but a lasting business and professional connection.
Motivations differ by vendor type. Newcomers prioritize acquiring new customers and building business relationships, while returning partners emphasize supplementary income. The festival functions simultaneously as a market-entry opportunity, a branding platform, and a recurring sales channel — a combination few single events can offer.
The vendors’ contribution extends well beyond their stalls. The vast majority are not local residents, so they spend money on accommodation, food, and other local services during the festival, spreading economic benefit into the surrounding area. Researchers applied an indicative, scenario-based approach to estimate this local spending, capturing the approximate scale of the financial flows associated with the vendors’ presence.
The Festival as a Living Market Laboratory
One of the strongest findings of the vendor survey concerns entrepreneurial learning. According to 95.1% of respondents, conversations with visitors help them understand what customers value. A further 88.2% said customer feedback directly improves their offerings, 83.3% consider sharing tips and information with other vendors useful, and 78.5% draw ideas from observing fellow vendors.
These numbers describe the festival as a living market laboratory — a low-risk environment where micro-entrepreneurs, most of them sole proprietors, test products, communication approaches, and sales practices in real time. “Investment in vendors’ operating conditions yields results,” said Dr Ivett Pinke-Sziva, Associate Professor at Corvinus University of Budapest, pointing to organizer-led innovation such as transparent transactions and widely available cashless payments. “The festival — and particularly organizer-led innovation — creates a real and visible learning ecosystem.”
Measuring Value Beyond Ticket Sales
“The value of the Valley of Arts cannot be reduced to ticket sales,” said Dr Loretta Huszák, a researcher at Corvinus University of Budapest. “The festival is a meeting place where visitors, local communities, craft vendors, and program organizers create economic and cultural value through their interactions.”
That statement captures the study’s central argument, and its implications reach well beyond one Hungarian event. Festivals are frequently evaluated — and funded — on headcount and revenue alone. Research data collection of this kind gives policymakers, sponsors, and organizers a fuller account of value creation: vendor retention, local supply-chain spending, skill development among micro-entrepreneurs, and community building across generations. No single metric captures that combination, which is exactly why systematic surveys matter.
The Next Stage of the Research Project
The current findings represent the first stage of a larger project. The next phase will deliver a detailed analysis of the visitor survey, exploring how different visitor groups connect with the festival’s craft and gastronomic offerings. The aim is to identify developments that strengthen participating businesses, improve the visitor experience, and reinforce the Valley’s cultural identity, while measuring its economic and social impacts more precisely. Readers who want to follow the project can explore our related news articles for further reading as new results are published.
Why This Story Matters for Students, Researchers, and Event Professionals
For prospective students, the project demonstrates what applied research at Corvinus University of Budapest looks like in practice: undergraduates contributing to internationally comparative studies alongside faculty and partner institutions, and building demonstrable professional experience before graduation. For researchers, the study shows the value of a validated, repeatable methodology that supports cross-country comparison in cultural economics. For event professionals, it offers a working model of how evidence can guide decisions on payments infrastructure, vendor relations, and audience development.
If this combination of rigorous research and hands-on experience matches your goals, examine Corvinus University’s business and economics programmes in detail. Submit your application today to join a community where students contribute to studies of this kind during their degree. You can also schedule a consultation to learn more about admissions requirements, scholarships, and life in Budapest and Hungary.
