The Bridging Europe Festival of classical music was created on the initiative of the prominent Hungarian composer Ivan Fischer, the head of the Budapest Festival Orchestra, and the Müpa Budapest Cultural Centre in 2013.

Each year, the festival focuses on the culture of a different European country. So far, the cultures of the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, France and Spain have been presented. The 2018 edition put the spotlight on four Baltic states, celebrating 100 years of independence in 2018.