Munich's renowned theatres attract world-class artists. The city's classical spoken theatre and grand music stages present their audience a new diverse and creative programme every season. Here is an overview of the premières in 2024/2025.
Residenztheater
Münchner Kammerspiele
Volkstheater
Nationaltheater
Staatstheater on Gärtnerplatz
Deutsches Theater
The Bavarian State Theatre, featuring the Residenztheater on Max-Joseph-Platz in the heart of the city, stands as one of the largest spoken theatres in the German-speaking region. In addition to the Residenztheater, affectionately called "Resi" by Munich locals, the theatre is also home to the Cuvilliéstheater and the Marstall.
Tip: It is worth taking a look at "Silver Cloud" by Ingo Maurer in the "Zur schönen Aussicht" foyer of the Residenztheater.
Ein Sommernachtstraum (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) by William Shakespeare. The famous poet’s most renowned comedy is brought to life by Stephan Kimmig. In this unconventional and dazzling production, different worlds collide and normality is radically questioned.
Première on 27 September 2024, tickets, residenztheater.de
Experience Stefan Zweig’s Sternstunden der Menschheit (A Tide of Fortune) in a contemporary setting, directed by Tom Luz. For Tom Luz, the resident director at the Residenztheater, music also plays a central role.
Première on 19 October 2024, tickets, residenztheater.de
Blind by Lot Vekemans. With this play, the most-performed Dutch playwright captures the essence of time. It explores the conflicts arising from seemingly irreconcilable attitudes towards major contemporary issues within families, among friends and in society.
Première on 28 November 2024, tickets, residenztheater.de
Sankt Falstaff, freely adapted from Shakeaspeare’s “King Henry IV “. Austrian playwright Ewald Palmetshofer translated the historical play with a polished linguistic style and crude-comic elements. Directed by Alexander Eisenach.
Première on 17 January 2025, tickets, residenztheater.de
Warten auf Godot (Waiting for Godot) by Samuel Beckett. This modern theatre classic epitomises absurd theatre and is staged this season by Claudia Bauer.
Première on 28 March 2025, tickets at residenztheater.de
Romeo und Julia (Romeo and Juliet) by William Shakespeare. In Elsa-Sophie Jach's plots of the feuding Montague and Capulet families, the sexes take centre stage in this timeless tale of love and death.
Première on 16 May 2025, tickets at residenztheater.de
The Programme provides information on all other plays and venues of the Bavarian State Theatre.
The Münchner Kammerspiele (intimate theatre) on Maximilianstrasse is a municipal theatre, which itself can be described as a unique work of spatial art in the Art Nouveau style. Over the years, the theatre ensemble has included famous names like Therese Giehse and Heinz Rühmann. Berthold Brecht once directed here, and August Everding, Dieter Dorn, and Matthias Lilienthal have served as artistic directors. Barbara Mundel has been in charge of the Kammerspiele since the 2020/21 season.
Mia san mia (We Are Us), A Bavarian space odyssey by Marco Layera and Martín Valdés-Stauber. Horror meets comedy, the past meets the future and we are right in the middle of it all: At home in Bavaria, at home in space.
Première on 19 September 2024, tickets, muenchener-kammerspiele.de
Sie kam aus Mariupol (She came from Mariupol), based on a novel by Natascha Wodin. A story about the courage to question one’s own origins and reinvent oneself in the process. Directed by Stas Zhyrkov.
Première on 20 September 2024, tickets, muenchener-kammerspiele.de
Amerika/Der Verschollene (America/ The Missing Man), based on the novel fragment by Franz Kafka in the version of Charlotte Sprenger and Olivia Ebert. In “Der Verschollene”, visionary Kafka describes the class relations of a capitalist society.
Première on 11 October 2024, tickets, muenchener-kammerspiele.de
Baumeister Solness (Solness the Builder) by Henrik Ibsen with texts by Gerhild Steinbuch. The story of a man of power who knows no boundaries and, at the height of his success, sees the next generation as a threat. Directed by Felicitas Brucker.
Première on 22 November 2024, tickets, muenchener-kammerspiele.de
Oh Schreck (Oh, Horror!), A vampire comedy by Jan-Christoph Gockel. Do you have to suck others dry to survive, or is there another way? That’s the big question here.
Première on 24 January 2025, tickets, muenchener-kammerspiele.de
Mephisto, based on a novel by Klaus Mann. Centred on the biography of the actor and theatre director Gustaf Gründgens, it explores individual’s responsibility in a fascist state. Directed by Jette Steckel.
Première on 21 February 2025, muenchener-kammerspiele.de
The Programme provides information on all other plays and venues of Münchner Kammerspiele.
In autumn 2021, the Volkstheater relocated to its new home in Munich’s Schlachthofviertel (district): a modern brick building with arches and undulating curves. The theatre is run by Christian Stückl, a sculptor from Oberammergau, who is also the director of the Oberammergau Passion Play. Together with young actors and directors, he fosters an experimental environment in the theatre.
The Lobster, based on the film by Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou. A hotel and 45 days to find a partner. Director Lucia Bihler brings the Oscar-nominated screenplay to the Volkstheater stage.
Première on 26 September 2024, tickets, muenchner-volkstheater.de
Lichtspiel (Play of Light), based on Daniel Kehlmann’s successful novel. The life of the historical figure Georg Wilhelm Pabst, a celebrated director in the Weimar Republic, was carefully researched by Kehlmann and staged by Christian Stückl.
Première on 24 October 2024 tickets, muenchner-volkstheater.de
The Programme provides information on all other plays and venues of the Münchner Volkstheater.
The Nationaltheater, a classical building, is the venue of the Bayerische Staatsoper (opera), the Bavarian State Ballet and the Bavarian State Orchestra. A highlight of the season is the opera festival, which always takes place in June/July. The stage is one of the largest in the world and has premièred works by Richard Wagner.
Das Rheingold, composer and poet Richard Wagner. Musical director Vladimir Jurowski and director Tobias Kratzer present this work, recommended for ages 14 and up.
Première on 27 October 2024, tickets, staatsoper.de
La Sylphide, ballet in two acts, choreography by Pierre Lacotte, inspired by Filippo Taglioni. Music by Jean-Madeleine Schneitzhoeffer, Ludwig Wilhelm Maurer. Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Première on 22 November 2024, tickets, staatsoper.de
La Fille du Régiment, composer Gaetano Donizetti. Libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean-François Bayard. Directed by Damiano Michieletto, this comic opera in 2 acts is recommended for ages 12 and up.
Première on 22 December 2024, tickets, staatsoper.de
Wings of Memory, a three-part ballet evening. Choreography Jiří Kylián, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Pina Bausch. Music by Antonio Vivaldi, Claude Debussy, Igor Stravinsky.
Premiere on 10 April 2025, tickets, staatsoper.de
The Programme provides information on all other plays and venues of the Nationaltheater.
Since its beginnings, the Gärtnerplatztheater, as it is colloquially known in Munich, has presented operettas and musical comedies in the spirit of popular musical theatre. To this day, the theatre is one of the most important venues for opera, operetta, musicals and dance in Munich.
Carmen, by Georges Bizet, libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. Being a classic of opera literature, it is hard to imagine that Bizet's opera in three acts was a flop in Paris in 1875. Recommended for ages 13 and up.
Premières on 18 October and 20 October 2024, tickets, gaernterplatztheater.de
Die Piraten von Penzance (The Pirates of Penzance), a comic opera by Arthur Sullivan, libretto by William Schwenck Gilbert. With this buccaneer satire, the Britons Gilbet & Sullivan created a highlight as early as the 19th century. The British humour and the catchy songs are still fun today. Recommended for ages 10 and up.
Première on 29 November 2024, tickets, gaernterplatztheater.de
Alcina, baroque opera in Italian by Friedrich Händel. His last great success in London is the opera “Alcina”, featuring a magical island, brought to life by elements of song, pantomime, dance and machine theatre. Recommended for ages 12 and up.
Première on 31 January 2025, tickets, gaernterplatztheater.de
La Cage aux Folles, based on the play by Jean Poiret, music by Jerry Herman. This successful comedy stands for tolerance, equality and freedom and has been conquering the world's stages as a musical since the 1980s. Recommended for ages 13 and up.
Première on 28 February 2025, tickets available from 28 November 2024, gaertnerplatztheater.de
The Programme provides information on all other plays and venues of the Gärtnerplatztheater.
Germany's largest theatre for guest performances, the Deutsches Theater in Munich, hosts concerts, variety shows, ballet and contemporary dance productions in addition to the big musicals from New York's Broadway or London's West End. Located in the vibrant Bahnhofsviertel (district), this stage offers a varied programme of the highest quality all year round.
Information on current performances, tickets and the annual programme at the Deutsches Theater are available here.
