Petőfi Csarnok often called PeCsa, is currently Budapest's only youth leisure center. Placed in the Városliget, it is a famous concert spot for pop/rock music, serving as home for hundreds of cultural programs, exhibitions, and fan clubs. PeCsa holds a 930 square meter hall, and an open stage with a guest capacity of 6000 persons.

History

The predecessor of the building was the Iparcsarnok, an exhibition building built in 1885. The building has been seriously damaged in World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, followed by its demolition. Later the Budapest International Fair built a pavilion on its foundations. By the end of the seventies, the city's former youth center, the Budapesti Ifjúsági Park was in dire condition, so the city council decided upon the building of the Petőfi Csarnok, expanding the former pavilion. The center opened in 1985, serving as the only youth center in the city since then, holding over 15.000 programs, and having more than 10 million visitors.

Since its opening, the hall became more and more obsolete, and different ideas come and go about PeCsa's total reconstruction, moving or demolition, making its future uncertain. Despite this, PeCsa serves as an important centre for Budapest's cultural life.