Every detail at the University of Debrecen’s gigantic semester-opening event, which is unique in Europe, seemed to be about the anniversary. In line with the tenth edition of yoUDay, the organizers designed an X-shaped stage and prop pieces. We did not have to wait long for the first surprise element either. A short clip promoting next year’s Debrecen Marathon was shown to officially open the registration period of signing up for the race, which is scheduled to be held on April 4, 2027.
The Welcome Show was the first part to set the tone for the evening, with vocal students from the Faculty of Music and from the Institute of Popular Music delighting the audience by performing both Hungarian and international hits. The wind orchestra of the University of Debrecen, called the Marching Band, together with the DEAC cheerleaders, also received thunderous applause from the stands for their breathtaking stunts.
Mounting anticipation for a countdown before 8:00 PM was followed by a recap of memorable moments of the past ten years of yoUDay. Directed by Veronika Végh, the stage show, was full of uplifting moments. Just like they do every year, international students marched onto the monumental stage carrying their national flags, while members of the oDEon international theater troupe of our university stirred hearts by singing “We Are the World” and “Black or White,” embodying this year’s motto for the academic year-opening show: “We Are the World!”
A part that took everyone by surprise, leaving them amazed, was when the university’s international students started singing in Hungarian. It was really heartwarming to hear them perform the songs “A csitári hegyek alatt” and “Mesélek a bornak.”
There was no interruption on the stage for even a second: Abrakazabra’s international medleys and the performances by dance groups from Debrecen were huge hits, while quite a few members of the audience on the arena floor and in the stands tried to keep pace with the choreography of “Just Dance.” At the same time, FM90 Campus Radio hosts Betti Gábor and Árpi Burai kept the atmosphere lively during stage transitions, taking the obligatory selfies with the crowd and even announcing the date for next year’s yoUDay in an unexpected moment.
Surprises continued to follow one after the other. Rector Zoltán Bács and Kevin Németh, President of the Student Union of the University of Debrecen, also greeted the participants with a song that they performed together with international students.
- yoUDay is an event that is discussed by students and university staff not only on the day of the show, but also afterwards. When we first thought of creating such a show at Nagyerdei Stadium more than ten years ago, we could not even be sure that it would be followed by a second one. In ten years, this event has come a long way. Today a significant portion of yoUDay's performers and organizers come from within the university, which means several hundreds of contributors. The semester-opening show thus provides a common experience, strengthening the community of the University of Debrecen as well as the brand of our institution- said Zoltán Bács to hirek.unideb.hu.
Of course, there can be no yoUDay without star performers either. Parno Graszt created a genuine festival atmosphere, while the really popular and well-known lyrics of “Sehol sem talállak”, “Muki fia” and “Boldog” were sung in unison with the band by the stadium's 22,000-strong audience.
BSW and Bogi Nagy, who also celebrate a jubilee this year, were awaited by a lot of people, and the singer took the stage several times.
The audience was also mesmerized by Fruzsi Erdős, joining the couple who sealed their love with a padlock. Following the public proposal on yoUDay two years ago, they got married and now they are the proud parents of their first child.
Charlie, who received a standing ovation, also dazzled the audience with his timeless evergreens. The iconic favorite performed this time accompanied by the band Abrakazabra. The playlist included staples like “Nézz az ég felé” and “Mindenki valakié,” while the words of “Könnyű álmot hozzon az éj,” his encore, was sung together with the crowd on the arena floor and in the stands.
One of the most eagerly anticipated performers of the show was Beton.Hofi, who practically blew the roof off the arena when he got on stage. Naturally, no one was disappointed by him, as the two-time Fonogram Award-winning rapper, composer and lyricist put on a stellar performance, with the crowd roaring along with him to “Bagira,” “Meggyfán,” “Angyalok,” “Tiszalök,” “Pont jó” and “Vizipaok.”
The spectacular visual effects on the giant X-shaped stage, which had never been seen in Debrecen before, also captivated the crowd of nearly 22,000 at Nagyerdei Stadium, while another 10,000 viewers joined the show via the online broadcast.
The main event, which lasted for more than three hours and extended the evening well into the night, concluded with a stunning light and laser show, guaranteeing that the unique atmosphere of the tenth yoUDay would not be forgotten for quite some time. As a matter of course, the partying continued for many, with after-parties at Víztorony and in the venue called Hall, keeping up the merry spirits until dawn.
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