In May, Munich takes to the streets: the Streetlife Festival and a Vespa parade showcase the city's very special attitude to life. The backyard flea markets offer unique insights – and perhaps a spontaneous barbecue party with new friends.
The "Streetlife-Festival" with its accompanying "Corso Leopold" is one of the most colourful and creative street festivals you can imagine: On 30 and 31.5.2020 there will be dancing, eating and celebrating between Odeonsplatz and Münchner Freiheit - with a deeper ulterior motive. The environmental festival of the association "Green City" wants to raise awareness for a sensible approach to nature with a love of life: with electric scooters, slow food and many inspirations for more sustainability. At the Siegestor deckchairs under palm trees invite you to relax, children discover nature with all their senses on barefoot paths, and when night falls, the best bands play here on Ludwig- and Leopoldstraße.
Streetlife Festival & Corso Leopold, 30/31.05.2020, Ludwig- and Leopoldstraße
At the Erlöserkirche (Church of the Redeemer) near Münchner Freiheit, visitors can feel the Munich way of life on 21 May 2020 (Ascension Day and Father's Day). Here in Schwabing (district) the "Vespa-Corso Munich" begins. In a relaxed Italian manner, the beloved motor scooters take you along Leopoldstraße to the museum district and the Pinakothek der Moderne - with lots of charming rattle, honking and sometimes in formation with nice stunts.
Vespa-Corso, 21.05.2020, from the Erlöserkirche (Ungererstraße) through Schwabing
The "Wellküren" are a Bavarian folk music and cabaret trio consisting of three sisters from the well-known Well family of musicians. On May 26, 2020 they will fight against dull simplicity and political hatred with their trio singing in the Lustspielhaus - after all, the "Wellküren" are also the founders of the STUGIDA movement: "Stubenmusik gegen die Idiotisierung des Abendlandes" (House Music against the Idiotisation of the Occident). Pleasantly funny!
Wellküren, 26.05.2020, pleasure playhouse
There are also top musical performances at the Munich Residence Concerts. In the impressive ambience of the Hercules Hall of the 500-year-old Residence, classical concerts take place all year round.
Residence Concerts, 10.05.2020 (several dates), Herkulessaal of the Residenz
On 23 and 24.5.2020 "Die Fantastischen Vier" will make the Königsplatz shake with their "Jubilee Tour 30 Years" - definitely one of the top events of the concert year!
Die Fantastischen Vier, 23. and 24.05.2020, Königsplatz
You can find more concert highlights in Munich here.
At the "BMW Open Tennis" tournament from 27.4. to 2.5.2020, the MTTC Iphitos club on Aumeisterweg will be showing who will be cheering for the winner's cup at the end of many exciting matches.
BMW Open Tennis, 27.04. to 02.05.2020, Aumeisterweg 10
One of the most important events in April is the "Long Night of Music". Thousands of people then listen to musicians and bands who indulge in all kinds of music styles - at the most curious venues throughout the city, such as churches, savings banks, bookstores, cinemas, museums, cafés, Bavarian inns or in the darkest clubs.
Long Night of Music, 07.05.2022, various locations
For the curious and sociable, Munich's backyard flea markets offer surprising and often wildly romantic insights into the gardens and estates of others. They start in May in the Viehhof-, Schlachthof- and Dreimühlenviertel districts - until October, the weekends are open to all parts of the city. Wherever colourful balloons hang on the facades, you will find the best bargains on clothes, toys, household goods and antiques - it is important that the cellar finds are in good hands! But even that often becomes a minor matter when the residents spontaneously invite you to apple pie or barbecue and strangers become acquaintances. A typical Munich togetherness!
Backyard flea markets, starting from 02.05.2020, cattle yard, abattoir, three-mill quarter and afterwards until October in all districts
A Bavarian village without a maypole? Good luck finding one of those! You may even come across a city neighbourhood or company with its very own maypole. These painted or decorated poles stand guard over town halls, churches or village squares. Maypoles and May-time festivities are pretty easy to find; however, you’ll have to keep your eyes peeled if you want to actually watch a pole being erected on May 1. Often, the poles are only replaced once every few years. The town of Rottach-Egern on Tegernsee lake, for example, will be replacing their pole in 2018. The men of the town prefer to erect the pole through physical power alone. To do this, they use things known as Schwaiberl, long pairs of rods which they use to lift the pole up from the bottom until it’s finally upright. It’s a pretty big job and it has to be finished in time for when the church bells ring 12 o’clock. After all, you need to leave plenty of time for the celebrations and May dance.
May in Munich means one thing: the best time to enjoy fresh asparagus. The heart of Bavaria’s asparagus-growing region is Schrobenhausen, 70 kilometres north of the state capital. The first stalk of asparagus from Schrobenhausen was delivered to Munich’s royal court in 1856. Farmers later began cultivating it on a large scale in 1913 and asparagus has been a Schrobenhausen tradition ever since. Harvesting – also known as asparagus plucking – normally starts in mid-April and ends no later than 24 June. During asparagus season, countless local eateries, like Gasthaus Zum Schimmelwirt, serve fresh asparagus dishes on a daily basis. The tips of the asparagus are generally considered to be particularly delicious. Anyone keen to find out more about this delicacy can pay a visit to Europäische Spargelmuseum (the European Asparagus Museum) after their meal. The world’s only asparagus museum is housed in the former prison tower in the town walls.
A detailed calendar of events can be found here.
