Half-price Ice Cream, 300 Locations: Hungarian Ice Cream Day is Coming up

8 May is Hungarian Ice Cream Day, which is going to be celebrated this year with a special discount and the participation of up to 300 pastry shops and ice cream parlours across the country.

The Hungarian Ice Cream Day will be held again on May 8th, which this year can be joined by up to 300 pastry shops and ice cream parlors across the country. At least four types of ice cream will be available at half price at participating locations, for consumption on site.

The event has grown into one of the largest domestic gastronomic initiatives in recent years: while last year more than 150 places participated, this year the organizers expect double that number. The expansion not only shows its popularity, but also that more and more domestic pastry shops see the event as a common cause. One of the most important innovations of 2026 is that the “Hungarian Ice Cream Day” has received official trademark protection. This means that the name of the event can only be used by registered, verified partners, which in the long term also strengthens quality assurance and the uniform image of the event.

“Our goal is for the Hungarian Ice Cream Day to be not just a promotion, but a real national experience – a day when people discover the best ice cream parlors in their area, while also supporting domestic businesses,” said Vanda Nebehaj, founder and communications manager of the Experience and Expertise Hungary Foundation.

Due to the increased interest, the organizers are also focusing on supporting the participating pastry shops this year: M-GEL Hungary Kft. is helping the participating places with a discount on ingredients, so that the usual quality can be ensured even with the half-price offer.

One of the highlighted ice cream trends this year is cake ice cream: flavors that transform classic cakes – such as punch cake – into ice cream are appearing in more and more places. According to the organizers, this clearly shows that guests are looking for both new and familiar flavors.

The list of participating locations is constantly updated, and the deadline for pastry shops to join is May 2.

You can find more information here.

Photo: Brooke Lark / Unsplash.com