Look, how we ended up here
History of AlfaCity
2001
Where it all began
Alfa Amore didn’t even exist yet.
Members of the “Alfa Romeo… Love?” topic on the Index.hu automotive forum organized a meetup in Esztergom. For weeks, they coordinated who would meet where and how they would make their way to the site of this grand, unofficial gathering.
More than twenty Alfas departed from Flórián Square, winding through the Pilis mountains—much to the surprise of onlookers and the delight of the participants. In the end, 35 cars and their owners gathered in the main parking lot of the Esztergom Basilica. Some traveled from Szeged, and others even crossed borders just for the occasion.
It took a while for everyone to get acquainted with each other and the machines (“Hey, so you’re the one! I recognized you by your beast!”). There were countless test drives, engine bay inspections, and exhaust notes to listen to. On that March day, something special began.
2002
The First Official Meeting
The first official Alfa Romeo Meeting in Esztergom.
By now, the organizers knew this event would be repeated every year. However, they had no idea that in the coming years, it would become one of the most popular events in the Hungarian “Alfisti” community.
2003
Rapid Growth
The Esztergom event continues to expand.
Between 2003 and 2006, attendance skyrocketed. In 2003, 75 Alfas visited the Basilica parking lot; by 2004, that number hit 120. Our first truly massive event was in 2005, with 230 cars counted. In 2006, 400 Alfas arrived at the venue.
2007
The Birth of AlfaCity
This is where we start counting our official history.
We laid the foundations for the future with a new, internationally recognizable brand. The first AlfaCity was an instant success, filling the Basilica parking lot with over 500 cars.
2008
Outgrowing the Venue
The second AlfaCity set another record.
550 Alfa Romeos attended, with an increasing number of foreign guests. A group of 15 cars came from Poland, and the Croatian, German, and Romanian Alfa clubs were also represented.
One of the stars was the Alfa MiTo. We teased that it would be “touchable,” and a guest ice sculptor helped make it happen, carving the newest Alfa model out of a block of ice with a chainsaw during a spectacular musical show.
2009
Monostori Fortress
New venue, new challenges.
We moved to the Monostori Fortress in Komárom with a record-breaking attempt. Welcoming 800 Alfa Romeos, the event officially became the largest Alfa Romeo gathering in Central Europe. Approximately 20% of attendees were international guests (primarily from Slovakia, Czechia, and Poland), marking AlfaCity’s transition into a truly international meeting.
2010
Alfa Romeo’s Centennial
The 100th Birthday in Komárom.
In 2010, Alfa Romeo celebrated its 100th anniversary worldwide. In Hungary, AlfaCity—organized jointly by Alfa Amore and Fiat Auto Hungary—was the official centennial meeting. Nearly 1,000 Alfas and 4,500 guests attended. We also hosted the Hungarian debut of the brand-new Giulietta.
2011
AlfaCity11 Light
A rainy AlfaCity
We expected sunshine and heat; we prepared a cocktail bar, bean bags, and programs to be enjoyed while lounging in the grass. Instead, we got a massive, nearly day-long rain down our necks. We were soaked, we were cold, but we were “Alfázing”—and despite the bad weather, more than 450 Alfas visited our meeting.
2012
It Felt Good (Jól esett)
Another rainy AlfaCity
Gloomy clouds greeted the early birds in the morning, and the rain started shortly after the gates opened. However, those who were persistent enough could enjoy the late afternoon in the sunshine. Not even bad weather can deter the “hardcore” Alfisti: more than 500 Alfa Romeos arrived at AlfaCity!
2013
Finally in the Sunshine
The sun shone again over AlfaCity
After two rainy AlfaCitys, it was strange not having to get soaked and cold, hide under tents, or put on every t-shirt and sweater we had. Fortunately, we knew by the beginning of the week that sunshine was expected, so many of you came prepared with coolers and parasols packed into the Alfas. In the end, we counted 520 Alfas.
2014
Alf4City at Lake Balaton
Alfa 4C and the Amore Birthday
More than 800 Alfa Romeos participated in our first Balaton meeting at SunCity in Balatonfüred. Here, we celebrated the 10th birthday of Alfa Amore and introduced Alfa Romeo’s brand-new sports car, the Alfa 4C! With its Mediterranean atmosphere, SunCity was a worthy venue, transforming into a true Italian small town for the day.
2015
915 Alfa Romeos
The second-largest AlfaCity to date!
Even without a new model, and while waiting for a type only due next year, nearly as many Alfisti gathered as back in 2010 at the Monostori Fortress when we introduced the Giulietta. This year, we introduced a new method for counting the Alfa Romeos: we applied numbered stickers to the windshields at the entry gate. That is how we counted 915 cars!
2016
New Venue, New Records
Zánka, Giulia, and 1,200 Alfas
A historical record was born at the tenth AlfaCity: nearly 1,200 cars participated in Central Europe’s largest Alfa Romeo meeting to pay tribute to the new Giulia. The 10th AlfaCity moved to a new location once again, where we settled in for a longer stay. It seems the new venue worked out: the combo of beach + good weather + family and friends, spiced up with the debut of the Alfa Romeo Giulia, brought results we hadn’t even dared to dream of—a car count over one thousand.
2017
Another Record at Zánka
We are more and more every year
Whether it’s the Balaton, the company, the Alfas, or the concerts—or perhaps all of them together—we don’t know. But we do know that on July 8th, 1,325 Alfa Romeos arrived in Zánka. AlfaCity’s reputation is growing abroad too: many Romanian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Serbian, Austrian, and Italian Alfisti were curious about our festival.
2018
International Success
20% of guests arrive from abroad
An absolute record: 1,410 Alfa Romeos arrived at AlfaCity this year, where a true festival atmosphere awaited visitors. Concerts and partying until dawn. More than 20% of participants came from abroad, and from this year on, we gained many recurring international guests.
2019
Another Milestone: 1,500+ Alfa Romeos
AlfaCity is the world’s largest Alfa Romeo meeting
We never thought we could surpass the previous year’s record, nor that AlfaCity would be such a massive success. We were also surprised by how many of you came as early as Friday—we registered over 600 cars by evening. Then came Saturday, when—despite relatively bad weather—we registered the 1,500th Alfa Romeo by afternoon, eventually stopping the count somewhere above 1,530. As organizers, we were caught off guard on Saturday afternoon when Andrew Higgins, FCA Regional Managing Director, stood on stage and recognized AlfaCity as the world’s largest Alfa Romeo meeting with a certificate. Thank you!
2021
Two-Year Hiatus, New Venue
Finally together again!
Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic, we had to postpone the 2020 AlfaCity. In 2021, we didn’t just hold a simple AlfaCity; we also celebrated Alfa Romeo’s 111th birthday. Kimi Räikkönen and Antonio Giovinazzi, the two drivers of the Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN team, also sent their greetings to the Hungarian Alfisti, who visited AlfaCity on July 16-17 with more than 800 Alfa Romeos. Despite the event being accessible only with a vaccination certificate due to government measures, over 800 cars and 2,500 people arrived. Nearly 200 guests camped right next to their Alfas. We showcased youngtimers and oldtimers—including two Alfa Montreals—as well as the Giulietta TCR race car.
Find the detailed event report and photo galleries here.
2022
Introducing the Tonale before 1,350 Alfas!
Finally free, without restrictions!
Although we didn’t break the 2019 record of 1,530 Alfas, this still became the second-largest AlfaCity in the meeting’s 15-year history. We feared so many cars wouldn’t fit on the island, but fortunately, there were no problems. The latest Alfa Romeo, the Tonale, was introduced to the general public here—the first time the brand’s first hybrid model was seen in our country. One of the most exciting cars was the Alfa Romeo SZ, with two of them arriving. Every fifth participant was international once again.
Find the detailed event report and photo galleries here.
2023
1,200 Alfa Romeos and nearly 5,000 people!
Sunshine and festival vibes at AlfaCity!
The 16th AlfaCity grew to “two days plus VAT” this year, as many arrived by Thursday evening, and a fair number of Alfisti stayed through Saturday night, only striking their tents on Sunday. It was the third largest in our history. We built a proper main stage with a car podium to make it easier to present the most exciting Alfas, including a firefighting 33 from Italy and a 155 that once served the financial police. We also presented the brand-new Plug-in Hybrid Tonale, Alfa Romeo’s first green-plate model.
Find the detailed event report and photo galleries here.
2024
The Junior Debuts before a Thousand Alfas
Exciting oldtimers and the first electric Alfa Romeo!
Never have there been so many exciting and rarely-seen Alfa Romeos in AlfaCity! It wasn’t just the heat from the hottest day of the year so far that made our event “sizzle,” but the car lineup. A total of 1,025 Alfas arrived at Szalki Island. We hosted Hungary’s oldest Alfas, including a 1959 2000 Touring Spider and a 1958 Giulietta Sprint. The greatest fan-frenzy was sparked by the Giulia GTAm arriving from Germany. The audience also saw the first fully electric model, the Junior, for the first time in Hungary.
2025
18 Years of AlfaCity / 115 Years of Alfa Romeo
Brand clubs in the spotlight
More than a thousand Alfa Romeos and over 3,500 people celebrated the Italian brand’s 115th birthday. At the world’s largest Alfa Romeo meeting, several European brand clubs represented themselves, and countless oldtimers arrived from both Hungary and abroad. International guests have rediscovered AlfaCity for themselves; at our 18th birthday event, we saw Belgian and French license plates, the Lithuanian Alfa Romeo club officially attended, and the Italians came again! From Taranto in Southern Italy, a firefighting 33, a Carabinieri 155, and a 1966 police Giulia rolled into AlfaCity. As they said on stage: every Alfista must visit AlfaCity at least once!
In 2025, we prepared several innovations. After many years, we felt it was worth parking the Alfas by model type again. It was a huge success and resulted in superb photos. We also had an exhaust sound-pressure competition—it’s unbelievable how loud Alfas can be! We commemorated the 40th birthday of the Alfa 75, and this was our fifth event on Szalki Island. We haven’t stayed anywhere this long before…
Check out the aftermovie!