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.
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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 July 25 to August 2, 2026, 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, July 25 to August 2, 2026, Mariahilfplatz
The traditional organ concert at the end of the Auer Dult with the Munich concert organist Gudrun Forstner will take place on August 2, 2026 in the Mariahilfkirche and will feature works from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods. Admission is free, donations are requested.
Organ concert at the end of the Dult, August 2, 2026, Mariahilfkirche
On Friday 1 August, folk singers, folk actors, cabaret artists and costume groups will present traditional Munich entertainment. There will be performances at the following three stage locations: at the Karl Valentin fountain by Café Nymphenburg, at the Liesl Karlstadt fountain by the beer garden and at the Elise Aulinger fountain by the Heilig Geist church.
Fountain festival at Viktualienmarkt, August 7, 2026, Viktualienmarkt
Every first Tuesday in August, Munich's gardeners celebrate their feast day: in commemoration of the guild regulations from 1638, in which Elector Maximilian authorized the purchase of a flag by the art and pleasure gardeners. The celebrations include brass music at Viktualienmarkt, a parade followed by a church service at St. Peter and a ceremony at the Hofbräuhaus.
357th Gardeners' Anniversary, planned on August 4, 2026, Viktualienmarkt
The summer festival in the Olympic Park is a real highlight in Munich's calendar of events! There is a varied programme of live music, sporting events, culinary delights, themed weekends, children's activities and pure summer feeling. The following events are already confirmed: themed weekends, Dachshund Day, the big fireworks display and the influencer flea market ‘Treasure Hunt’. The organisers are currently working on the rest of the programme!
Olympiapark summer festival, July 31 to August 23, 2026, Olympiapark
Since 2002, Greenfields Open Air has been transforming Munich's racecourse into a huge electronic dance and party area once a year. The festival has become an integral part of Munich and is now one of the most important electronic music festivals in Germany. This year, Greenfields is celebrating its 25th anniversary with two stages, eleven hours of programming and 19,000 square metres of space. Between house, techno and sunset, thousands of music fans can celebrate a day full of festival spirit together here!
Greenfields Open Air, August 1, 2026, Galopprennbahn Riem
The Superbloom Festival is taking place in Munich's Olympiapark (Olympic Park) for the fifth time – but this time it's lasting a whole week for the first time! This year's international line-up includes stars and bands such as Lorde, Sombr, Lewis Capaldi, Ayliva and Zartmann. The supporting programme complements the concerts with performances, workshops, talks and much more.
Superbloom, 29 August to 4 September 2026, Olympiapark
The Kulturstrand is a place of encounter and relaxation with a cultural programme for all Munich residents and their guests. Throughout the summer 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, May 1 until September 16, 2026, Vater-Rhein-Brunnen on the Ludwigsbrücke
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 Munich Open Air Summer offers a colorful musical program with rock, pop, jazz, folk music, opera and classical music for two weeks. Among other things, Vivaldi's “Four Seasons“ will be performed at the open-air festival on August 7, 2026. On August 16, the audience can look forward to a summer night of film music.
Munich Open Air Summer, August 7 to 23, 2026, Brunnenhof of the Residenz
Nick Cave returns to Germany in 2026 and will give an open-air concert on Königsplatz on 23 August 2026. The Australian rock and alternative band presents a mixture of dark rock and literary lyrics. A special live experience for fans and music lovers!
Nick Cave, August 23 2026, Königsplatz
The David Garrett concert on 21 August 2026 at Königsplatz is part of his ‘Millennium Symphony Open Air Tour 2026’, during which the violin virtuoso will present symphonic reinterpretations of great pop songs and classical pieces live in the open air.
David Garrett, August 21 2026, Königsplatz
You can find a well-curated selection on Munich - City of Music.
This major special exhibition deals with the consequences of climate change in the Alpine region. It shows how changes in temperature and precipitation affect flora, fauna, landscape and people, and what ways there are to respond to these challenges. This makes it an exciting mix of science, nature and questions about the future – ideal for a visit in late summer.
Zukunft Alpen. Die Klimaerwärmung, until August 30 2026, Alpine Museum
“Beyond the World. The Blue Rider“ at the Lenbachhaus is a major exhibition about the artist group Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), which formed in Munich around 1910 and sought to revolutionise art with new, expressive visual languages. It features works by Kandinsky, Franz Marc, Gabriele Münter and others who were engaged in an international dialogue on society, spirituality and artistic freedom, and highlights how their ideas had an impact far beyond classical painting.
Beyond the World. The Blue Rider, until September 5 2027, Lenbachhaus
You can find more exhibitions in our overview for 2026!
Cavalluna Kids – Totally Crazy Summer Camp at the SHOWPALAST offers a mix of drama, dance and horses for the whole family and tells the story of Nina and her friends Sponti and Ben, who have finally been accepted into the famous CAVALLUNA Horse Academy, where they can begin their training as show riders – but of course, nothing goes as planned!
Cavalluna Kids - A Totally Crazy Summercamp, August 2 to September 14, 2026, Cavalluna Park München Fröttmaning
From 4 to 24 August, Gasteig will be transformed into a large playground: between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. every day, children can walk on cans or stilts and play with badminton rackets or hula hoops on the Kulturinsel. The elements of the Spielkistl construction trailer, such as mini trampolines, giant spinning tops and seesaws, provide free exercise. In Hall E, board games from the Munich City Library and indoor games from the Spielmobil await visitors of all ages.
Summer Playground, dates 2026 TBD, Gasteig HP8
The holiday program at the Kinderkunsthaus München offers a wide range of creative workshops for children and young people during the school holidays. Together, they experiment with colorful materials and techniques, including painting, printing, modeling, and more. The workshops cover a variety of topics and aim to have fun together and be creatively active.
Holiday program Kinderkunsthaus, dates 2026 TBD, Römerstraße 21
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. 12 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.
