In August Munich shows its summery side once again. Great films are shown under the open sky – there are concerts, festivals and action sports events. For those who find it too hot, the only thing that helps is a jump into the Isar.
It doesn't get much more Munich than this: on Mariahilfplatz in the Au district of Munich, people like to get together in traditional costume for the Auer Dult – or to be more precise, the Jakobidult. From 29 July to 6 August 2023, around 100,000 guests celebrate summer here – each to their own liking: children love the nostalgic chain carousel, handmade dolls' clothes, small furniture for their playhouses at home and the candy floss. Adults browse pottery, knitted jackets or practical household goods – and treat themselves to a beer or a fresh steamed dumpling in between. Dult is cult!
Auer Dult, 29 July to 6 August 2023, Mariahilfplatz
One of Karl Valentin's favourite themes is always the Oktoberfest. In 1921, Karl Valentin made his Oktoberfest film together with Liesl Karlstadt. It depicts the atmosphere at the Oktoberfest in 1921 and contains the first ever film footage of the Schaustellergasse. Valentin playfully combined entertainment and documentation and created the infotainment format here, which only found its way into film as a genre much later. An installation in the courtyard of the Isartor tells the story of the film in its historical context. The individual episodes can be streamed as a film via QR codes.
Karl Valentin and Liesl Karlstadt on the Oktoberwiese, 20 July to 24 October 2023, Valentin-Karlstadt-Musäum
In August, the open-air cinema at the Olympiasee (Olympic Lake) in the Olympiapark is a hot tip for mild evenings. Here, on the open-air area of the Olympic swimming hall, visitors can watch films under the open sky using 3D and LED technology while enjoying drinks and snacks in a deckchair. Let's go when it gets dark. Then, depending on your choice, good art house films and current blockbusters will start – and in really any weather!
Kino am Olympiasee, all August, Olympiapark
The Kulturstrand is a place of encounter and relaxation with a cultural programme for all Munich residents and their guests. For three months until 11 August, it offers an open cultural platform and meeting place - everyone is cordially invited to join in thinking, talking and shaping.
All dates for the music, children's and sports programme or other events can be found throughout the summer in the Kulturstrand programme calendar and on the official Facebook page! On the Facebook page, the organisers also provide information about rain, highlights and life at Kulturstrand. All activities are free of charge!
Kulturstrand, until 11 August 2023, Corneliusbrücke
The Munich Open Air Summer offers a colorful musical program with rock, pop, jazz, folk music, opera and classical music for two weeks. Among others, the Bavarian band Haindling invites to the open-air on 8.8.2023. On 15.8.2023, the audience can expect an unforgettable classical music experience with Carmina Burana.
Munich Open Air Summer, 7 to 20 August 2023, Brunnenhof of the Residenz
The summer festival celebrates its comeback after a three-year break. With popular classics and several new experiences, themed weekends and its own children's programme, the festival is more diverse and colourful than ever before!
Summer festival Olympiapark, until 20 August 2023, Olympiapark
The Tannengarten beer garden is the perfect place to unwind in the open air to jazz, blues, swing and the sounds of home. If, contrary to expectations, it should rain, the concerts are held indoors in the Tannengarten salettl. All concerts take place on a Thursday. All information about the bands and the dates can be found here. Admission is free, donations are welcome.
Concerts in the Tannengarten beer garden in Sendling, various dates in August, Tannengarten beer garden in Munich-Sendling
One of the most beautiful locations for big summer concerts outdoors is the Olympiastadion. Canadian R&B singer The Weeknd will also be stopping here at the beginning of August. His After Hours til Dawn Tour 2023 includes only four stops in Germany, one of them fortunately in Munich.
The Weeknd, 4 August 2023, Olympiastadion
The open-air show “Cavalluna Kids – Eine Show steht Kopf“ offers a mixture of drama, dance and horses for the whole family and tells the story of Nina and her friends Sponti and Ben. The three of them get lost in the Cavalluna Horse Academy's summer show and unexpectedly have to take over the roles of the main performers who have fallen ill. Without experience and clumsily, the three friends manoeuvre their way through the scenes and Nina also falls in love with the prince of the story.
Cavalluna Kids - eine Show steht Kopf, 28 July to 13 August 2023, Cavalluna Park München Fröttmaning
The guided tour on the theme of "A hunting lodge with a hound's chamber and kitchen" is suitable for children aged six to ten. The park castle in Nymphenburg Palace Park is explored in an age-appropriate way. Registration and an accompanying adult are required.
Amalienburg guided tour for children, 20 August 2023, Nymphenburg Palace Park
For the little ones, the play city “Mini-Munich“ will open until mid-August at the Showpalast in Hans-Jensen-Weg. Here you can find everything that you can find in the real big Munich: a town hall, a bank, a building authority, a television studio and a newspaper, theatre, nursery, research laboratories, restaurants, schools, universities and the garbage collection service. This staged world enables children and young people to understand an urban community and, in the broadest sense, a social life. The City of Munich's award-winning project is a model for more than 200 play cities worldwide.
Mini-Munich, from 07 to 12 August daily from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Fat Cat in the former Gasteig Kellerstraße 5
People love summer in Munich – no wonder when you think of the many bathing lakes, beer gardens and mountain trips just waiting to be experienced here. Twelve things you should be sure to try during the hot season!
Wide pebble beaches, clean water and easy to reach: In few cities you can swim as well as in Munich in the Isar. The most popular and longest beach on the Isar begins at the Reichenbachbrücke (bridge) and stretches to Flauchersteg. For safety reasons, bathing is only forbidden for a short stretch at the level of the Wittelsbacherbrücke. It is a little quieter in the south around Marienklausensteg. For naked people we recommend the beach at the natural swimming pool Maria Einsiedel or the pebble beaches at Flaucher, for all surfers the waves at the Flosslände. In comparison to the Eisbachwelle, it is much more relaxed and calmer here; however, surfing is only possible here at certain times, in August this is daily from 2 to 6 pm. In general, there are few restrictions on and in the Isar, although it is officially considered a wild river in the city area. One should be careful during high water and near weirs, dangerous whirlpools can form there. The water quality is checked regularly and is considered harmless to health.
The 24th of August, St. Bartholomew's Day, is traditionally regarded in Bavaria as the beginning of the ceremonial driving down of the mountain pastures. This is because this is how the classic pasture farming in the mountains works: At Whitsun, the cows and calves are taken to the alpine pastures where the grass is juicier and greener. In winter, however, it would be too dangerous and too cold for them up there; anyway, it is difficult to find grass under a blanket of snow. Therefore, at the end of the summer, the animals are driven back to the valley where they are better protected. To keep away evil spirits, the farmers decorate their cows with ribbons or wreaths of flowers. To this day, the Almabtrieb (also known as cattle shedding) is celebrated in many communities. When, is sometimes only determined at short notice: If the summer is particularly warm, the Alm season can be extended until the beginning of October. The Almabtriebe.de page offers an overview of the dates. A special variant of the Viehscheid takes place in Mittenwald: At the Goaßabtrieb goats are driven through the town centre of the municipality.
The elder shrub is perhaps the most popular bush in Bavaria. “Holler“ is Bavarian for “elderberry“, meaning the widespread black elder (Sambucus nigra). Similar to wild garlic (see events in April), elder is a kind of miracle herb. Elderberry tea is an old household remedy for colds, it has an expectorant and slightly diaphoretic effect. The berries used to produce a purple dye which was good for dyeing leather. Because elderberry grows almost everywhere and is easy to process, elderberry juice was once considered lemonade for poor people. To make it, they collected the white elderberry flowers in large baskets and soaked them in water for two days. The brew was then filtered through a cloth and refined with sugar – the elderberry syrup was ready. Diluted with water, it became the elderberry spritzer. Today it is very popular as a thirst quencher, especially in mountain huts. A real speciality is Hollerkiachl: lard biscuits with baked elderberry umbels.
You can find a detailed calendar of events here.
Curious? On a day tour from Gray Line Sightseeing you can visit both dream castles of the fairytale king: Neuschwanstein and Linderhof. Transfer and skip-the-line service included.
