More than a year and a half had to pass before I could once again be part of this incredible experience and rare occasion: hearing the music of the first How to Train Your Dragon animated film performed live by an orchestra. And as if that alone wasn’t exciting enough, this time it happened twice, with two consecutive performances! Naturally, *Toothless* and I couldn’t miss it, so once again we made sure to be there. If you’re curious about our full experience, click “Read more.”
So… where should I even begin… huh. This is always one of the hardest parts somehow, but as always, let’s start at the beginning. Honestly, as bad as 2025 was for me overall, 2026 started off just as well (and I truly hope this trend will continue). This concert had been announced a year in advance, and of course we were counting down the days. Unfortunately, things worked out so poorly for us that we couldn’t book our tickets as quickly as we would have liked. Luckily, about one or two months before the concert we managed to buy the tickets, though sadly, that meant the front row was no longer an option. Still, we were able to secure fairly close seats on the right-hand side, which was acceptable. The event was held at the Riz Levente Sports Hall, which honestly felt smaller in reality than the Margit-sziget event. I suspect that’s one of the reasons why there were two performances, but at least that meant we could experience it twice.
But now let’s get to the real question: what was the concert itself like? Since *Toothless* and I aren’t just casual fans but true enthusiasts, we didn’t go only for the concert itself. For us, it was also the best possible opportunity to meet other enthusiasts like us. In a way, the concert acts as a filter: everyone who was there cares about HTTYD on some level. Because of that, we made sure to do things properly this time as well. For the previous concert, we originally wanted to go by car, more specifically, by *Toothless’s* Dragomobile, but unfortunately that fell through at the last minute. And even if it hadn’t, parking anywhere nearby would have been impossible anyway. This year, however, the situation was thankfully very different. We planned ahead, arrived well before the concert started, and searched for a truly eye-catching parking spot nearby, so as many people as possible could see and admire them. Since our contact details are displayed on them, we also made it clear that anyone who genuinely wanted to get to know two true hardcore fans could reach out to us. Luckily, we found a great spot relatively close to the building so this time, everything worked out perfectly!
Since this was a double-feature concert, I won’t be describing it all in one go, but rather in two separate parts. Of course, it’s worth reading both, as there may be cross-references between them, but I definitely want to tell each experience as its own standalone story. So, let’s begin!
The 4:00 PM Concert
Although the doors opened at 3:00 PM, we were already there around 2:00. We spent some time looking for the entrance, but eventually we found it. A very beautiful poster was on display as well (technically two of them, though the other one was at the staff entrance), which we admired for quite a while and even planned to ask for at the end. When we went inside, there were already a few people at the nearby café, and since there was still more than an hour left until doors opened, it was a perfect opportunity to see if anyone might come up to us. Oh yes, we definitely did things properly this time too! *Toothless* was wearing a “Dragons” T-shirt (see at my collection link), holding a Mega Toothless plush, wearing a Toothless ring and necklace, and carrying an HTTYD backpack covered in Toothless pins (sadly, I don’t have that bag yet, but I'll get it sooner or later). He also wore a rolled-up hoodie so his HTTYD tattoos on his arms were clearly visible. As for me, I was wearing an “Ink Fury” T-shirt, holding a medium-sized Toothless plush (“Toothless plush 14” in the collection), also with the same ring and necklace, and a regular backpack with a smaller Toothless plush peeking out of it (just like *Toothless’s*), also decorated with Toothless pins. If this doesn’t make fans turn their heads, then nothing will… Thankfully, the effect didn’t go unnoticed: more and more people started glancing our way and whispering. Before long, a woman came up to us out of curiosity, and we didn’t hesitate to explain what HTTYD truly means to us. She was completely amazed, but unfortunately, the others either weren’t brave enough to approach us, or who knows why they didn’t. I definitely wouldn’t have missed an opportunity like this, that’s for sure!
At 3:00 PM, people slowly started to trickle in. Ten minutes had already passed, and there were still only a few of them. I mentioned this to *Toothless*, and as soon as I said it, people started arriving in larger numbers. But what happened next… phew. They came almost in a continuous line, unstoppable, and just kept coming and coming. Knowing that chaos would soon erupt, we took the opportunity and quickly positioned ourselves at the entry gate to check everyone individually. Of course, having learned from the previous concert, my expectations weren’t too high, but I was hoping to spot a few more extreme fans who wouldn’t hesitate to show their passion for HTTYD. Unfortunately, in this regard, we were disappointed once again, as most people held back quite a lot. Some had brought along a few plushies, but not many. Some were wearing HTTYD T-shirts, but the number was minimal. And here’s the one thing that truly hurt and annoyed me the most throughout the entire concert: the capital INDIFERENCE! I really couldn’t comprehend it, and neither could *Toothless*. If anything, this concert is the highest-quality event on the HTTYD front, a true Mecca for genuine fans! Yet, despite the fact that we went all out and tried to be as noticeable as possible, people completely overlooked us, as if we weren’t even there. Grrrr… I’m serious, it hurt so much that it really made me question whether it even makes sense to continue the blog, because we didn’t manage to spark a single person’s interest. It was, frankly, infuriating! And yet, on Facebook comments, everyone claims to be a huge fan of the films… sure… yeah, right... I would have given half my arm for a chance like this to meet two real die-hard fans face-to-face (even though I’m pretty introverted). They had that chance, and nobody took it. Oh, the irony! It was incredibly disheartening and really annoying. To give just one example: there were a few people with really cool T-shirts, and *Toothless* and I had planned to approach them properly, but if they didn’t come, we would make the effort. One of them had a large side-profile Toothless on his shirt (a design I hadn’t seen anywhere else), and when I commented that his shirt was really cool, he just said “thanks” and walked away. Reeee! (Congratulations… you must be a true fan too… -.-). There was also a cosplayer dressed as Hiccup, and he was the most promising. Luckily, he noticed *Toothless* and started talking to him, so I quickly joined in, but beyond a few sentences, he didn’t give us any more attention either. Too bad… So yeah… there really isn’t a unified HTTYD fandom here. Everyone experiences it in isolation. Fantastic… But people like that should do us a favor and not claim how much it means to them, because it’s extremely hypocritical! We really wanted to meet fellow fans, but nobody was interested. Shameful! But enough about that, let’s turn to happier wibes…
Five minutes before the start, the hall was almost full, but we still carefully scanned the front rows to see if there was anyone worth approaching during the intermission. Apart from the cosplayer dressed as Hiccup, there wasn’t anyone who really stood out in that regard. We took our seats, and the concert began. Here’s the video of it: Link In the middle of the film, they scheduled a 20-minute intermission, so there was a chance for action again!
*Toothless* noticed that the founder of one of the Hungarian clans in Titan’s Uprising (a HTTYD mobile game), Alphatrainer, was also in attendance and was curious if any other members from the group had come to the concert. Luckily, we found each other in time and were finally able to chat with someone, actually, with a couple of people, since his daughter was with him as well. We ended up having a long conversation about all sorts of great topics, which was an absolute delight!
After that, we got another pleasant surprise! An entire family came over to us! Well, well! As it turned out, each of them was a big fan, and not just any kind! You could really see their deep appreciation for HTTYD! Some interesting things came out during our chat, for example, they noticed that many people were taking photos of our Dragomobiles (o.O), and that their daughter, who hadn’t been very motivated to have her own ride until now, suddenly got really excited about it. Later on, when she gets one, she wants it decorated with stickers just like ours! (Now that’s an honor!) Truly impressive! We managed to meet them just in time, because the performance was about to continue, and luckily, we exchanged contact information, so we’ll definitely try to stay in touch!
After the intermission, just like at the previous concert, the band played Test Drive first, and only after that did they continue with the film (which, I must say, was really cool!).
The LED screen was similar to the one at Margit Island, but unfortunately, from the side it didn’t quite deliver the same quality as from the front. Still, it wasn’t too bad. The acoustics, however, were a different story! Yes… unfortunately, they were pretty poor. Sometimes it was hard to understand the film’s dialogue because the hall echoed so much. Another thing I noticed was that there seemed to be something off with the sound mixing, as the bass was quite weak and Toothless’s deep roars barely came through. In that sense, the outdoor event was far better but of course, that’s just due to the nature of the venue.
The band, on the other hand, delivered once again! Their performance was amazing and very close to the original soundtrack! Hats off to them! Okay… if I were being really nitpicky, the only missing instrument was a bagpipe, but even so… it was an incredibly awesome and brilliant performance! I can only say good things here! The band is truly professional, and at the end of the concert, they received a well-deserved standing ovation that lasted for about five minutes!
At the end of the performance, just like last time, people began leaving at record speed, which I still find puzzling, this would have been the perfect chance for fans to meet each other, yet barely anyone stayed even 15 minutes later… I tried to spot the Hiccup cosplayer in the crowd, but I didn’t see him again. A group photo would have been nice, though. Fortunately, we still managed to chat a bit with the clan leader and his daughter, but they, too, had to leave shortly after. Hopefully, we’ll run into them again sometime!
*Toothless* and I took a moment to catch our breath and talk over the fresh experiences we’d just had. However, we didn’t have much time, because the second session was about to begin…
The 8:00 PM Concert
The first performance ended at 6:20 PM, so we didn’t have much time to rest, as entry started again at 7:00 PM. When we booked the tickets, we noticed that both showings had roughly the same number of attendees, so we expected a similar crowd. However, this also presented a new opportunity. Maybe this time we’d get a chance to meet a true HTTYD fanatic!At the entrance, while gathering, we noticed two young ladies who were clearly very impressed by our appearance, but they probably didn’t dare approach us, so we went over to them just in case. However, when we showed them our collection and how far we go for HTTYD, I didn’t detect amazement in their reaction, rather, it seemed more like envy and, in a way, shame. Well… I suppose they considered themselves “huge fans” and we showed them that there’s always a higher level, which they probably didn’t appreciate. It’s a pity that for some, this comes across as off-putting, but we would have gladly welcomed them into our little circle regardless. In the reverse situation, we definitely wouldn’t have reacted that way! I really wish there had been an even bigger fanatic than us, we wouldn’t have minded at all!
The plan was the same: quickly position ourselves by the entry gate and scope out the crowd. That part worked, but since the evening had gotten quite chilly, almost everyone was in a coat, so we couldn’t see what kind of HTTYD shirts or attire people were wearing until they handed in their outerwear. And almost the same thing happened as in the afternoon show… aside from a few smiles, there was no reaction. More precisely, the ones we truly impressed were the 5–6 year old kids... They were genuinely amazed, but we would have preferred to have that effect on the 20–30-year-olds… Anyway, I won’t dwell on it again. We waited until the very last minute, then quickly took our seats.
The performance was almost identical to the afternoon show, but they managed to fix the film’s sound a bit, and the bass was much stronger… perhaps even a little too much. Still, it’s not easy to properly amplify a venue like this due to the acoustics, so I understand that part. The orchestra once again gave their all and completely enchanted us with their amazing music!
During the intermission, we wandered a bit among the crowd to see if there was anyone worth approaching, but we didn’t really spot anything extraordinary… Of course, whoever seemed promising didn’t even acknowledge us. Very sad. While we were checking out the instruments, *Toothless* noticed a really charming and heartwarming detail, a cute Toothless plush was perched on the harp!
There was actually one more person we wanted to catch for “a few words,” and they were definitely eyeing us as well. They were wearing a shirt just like *Toothless’s*, but unfortunately, during the intermission there was no chance to approach him, cause he was talking with someone on his phone the whole time. Sigh… yeah, as if it was never meant to happen. If he knew what he missed out on… well, actually, it’s probably better he don’t know. But oh well... what a shame.
The band kicked off again with Test Drive, and then the concert continued. I also recorded quite a few scenes this time, and you’ll be able to watch them here: Link
At the end of the concert (just like the previous one), there was a 5-minute standing ovation, which the band absolutely deserved! Bravo! It’s incredible how they maintain such energy and focus throughout the performance. Truly a professional team, no doubt about it!
After that, the audience also left very quickly, and only a few people remained. Before we headed home ourselves, there was one more thing we wanted to achieve. Remember the poster I mentioned at the beginning of the post? Well… we tried to get it from the security, but the one at the main entrance had already been given to a little boy who was celebrating his 7th birthday that day. Of course, we understood and found it to be a very noble gesture! However, there was still one at the back entrance, and they told us it would be given to us. So at the end of the concert, we went to find the security guards (who were super nice, by the way!). We explained the story to the receptionist there, who eventually handed it over to us. Yaaas! Since we could only get one poster, we decided by a coin toss who would keep it, and in the end, it went to *Toothless*. Therefore, since it won’t appear in my catalog, I’m attaching the picture here to show what it looked like.
Conclusion
Overall, the concert was fantastic and lived up to the high standard of the previous one! Although the acoustics weren’t exactly ideal due to the hall’s characteristics, that in no way diminished the quality of the performance. My full respect goes to the band! Listening to the soundtrack live is absolutely amazing and truly never gets old! Of course, if there’s a next time, we’ll definitely be there again! The only disappointing thing was really people’s attitude. I don’t understand why it’s like this, but it’s definitely not right! Back in the day, die-hard fans were much more appreciated, whereas nowadays it seems the goofs and impostors get all the attention, even though they don’t really belong in these kinds of communities… It’s similar to most celebrities... they haven’t really achieved anything meaningful, yet everyone is curious about them. At least we made a few new acquaintances and met some genuinely great fans, and we’ll definitely try to keep in touch with them!
In conclusion, it was an amazing experience once again and we’ll treasure it as an unforgettable memory! I hope we won’t have to wait too long for the next opportunity!
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