Táncdalfesztivál (literally Festival of dance music) was a series of Hungarianpop music competitions and exhibition shows, airing on the National Television from 1966 to 1994.
Significance
In a country with only one television channel, Táncdalfesztivál was the premier chance for young musicians to showcase their skills and become well known in the Hungary of the '60s. It was the starting point in the career of the era's most popular performers, like Kati Kovács, Pál Szécsi, Klári Katona or Zsuzsa Koncz.
As television sets were just becoming widespread, it also meant a good opportunity to musicians already popular from the radio, but never seen performing live. Performers who gained fame through the show include Éva Mikes, Mária Toldy, Katalin Sárosi, János Koós, and László Aradszky. According to János Bródy, the Táncdalfesztivál series played a key role in the renewal of the contemporary Hungarian music scene, which spread beyond national borders.
The classical Táncdalfesztivál was held annually between 1966 and 1972, followed by irregularly held competitions with varying names and scopes until 1994.
