Events Overview

Munich's annual calendar is positively groaning with massive events. It hits the ground running in January with the pre-Lent Carnival, a raucous six week-long affair of street parties and balls. Lent comes to an end in March with Starkbierzeit, when strong beers with names ending in 'ator' are consumed (Triumphator, Salvator, Maximator, etceterator) in a tradition going back to monkish days. April welcomes spring with a mini Oktoberfest called the Frühlingsfest (much less crowded than the real thing), and a mega flea market is held on the last Saturday in April (it's also on in July and October). Munich's music and theatre Biennale is held every second year in May, and late June sees the Tollwood world culture festival at Olympiapark. Corpus Christi is a big deal in Bavaria, with street parades and dressed-up horses. June ends with the Munich Film Festival, a scaled-down version of Berlin's renowned festival. July's Christopher Street Day spills over into three days of gay and lesbian fun, with street parties and high-heeled races. The Opera Festival brings highbrow entertainment to the State Opera House, while Sommerfest hosts two weeks of live bands and outdoor sport contests in Olympiapark. Oktoberfest, the biggest collective booze-up on the planet, is held (confusingly) in September. A six-day Cycle Race is held in the Olympiahalle in November, with plenty of entertainment, food and drink for those less sports-inclined. The year staggers to a close with the Winter Tollwood, a smaller version of the June world culture event, and a huge Christkindlmarkt is held on Marienplatz, complete with an outsized Christmas tree and stalls selling handicrafts and cockle-warming Glüwein.

All shops and banks close on public holidays