On 13 and 14 June 2026, Munich will celebrate its 868th anniversary in the Old Town under the motto ‘A Festival of its Neighbourhoods’. The music programme on the main stage at Marienplatz, the Irish-Bavarian festivities at Rindermarkt, the crafts village and the folk festival fun at Odeonsplatz have become traditional highlights of the event. In addition, numerous bands will once again be performing, alongside many attractive events and activities, inviting everyone to join in the celebrations.
- Programme at the Marienplatz
- Irish-Bayrisch at the Rindermarkt
- Programme at the Odeonsplatz
- Craftsmen's villages
- Arts and Crafts Market
- Children's programme in the Alter Hof
- Dancing the Town Hall
- National Coin Collection
- Discover Munich – Free Guided Tours
- Bennofest – Church in the City
- Construction Site Open Day
- Birthday Surprises
Watch, enjoy, discover – there is something for every taste on the large VolXmusik stage on Marienplatz. Culinary delights are not neglected: the large beer garden on Marienplatz in front of the Rathaus (town hall) offers a cosy place to linger and feast.
True to the motto ‘A celebration of the neighbourhoods’, locals and visitors alike can enjoy the wonderful diversity of Munich’s neighbourhoods in a fun way: through games and a neighbourhood quiz, as well as information about life in the various districts.
Stage programme Saturday, June 13, 2026
10.30 am Brass band music with the Munich Oktoberfest Musicians
11.00 am Glockenspiel at the town hall tower
11.15 am Opening of the city’s 868th anniversary celebrations with Lord Mayor Dominik Krause
12.00 noon Glockenspiel at the town hall tower
12.15 pm Dance of the Moors
1.30 pm Kapotaki
3.00 pm Dieter Reiter & The Paul Daly Band
5.00 pm Glockenspiel at the town hall tower
5.15 pm Treibauf
7.00 pm FanCanDo
8.30 pm Blechblos´n
Stage programme Sunday, June 14, 2026
11.00 am Glockenspiel at the town hall tower
12.00 noon Glockenspiel at the town hall tower
12.30 pm St Luke's Gospel Choir
1.00 pm Midday prayer
3.00 pm Win a table at the Oktoberfest
3.30 pm BlechBengel
5.00 pm Glockenspiel at the town hall tower
4.45 pm Ecco DiLorenzo and The Innersoul Six
7.30 pm Cagey Strings
Bavaria, with its beautiful mountains, and the Emerald Isle of Ireland are renowned worldwide for their scenic highlights, and their inhabitants also have much in common: their love for their traditions and culture. The capital cities, Dublin and Munich, are also similar in size in terms of population and, aside from their reputation as beer cities, have much in common. The people of Munich and Dublin love their neighbourhoods, where they work, go to school, take part in sports or cultural clubs, sit comfortably at the regulars’ table or in the pub in the evenings, and share a close connection to their own community with their neighbours.
The Irish and the Scots are also closely linked, and the Scots have a vibrant cultural presence in the state capital. Munich and Edinburgh are also closely connected through their town twinning arrangement. For this reason, there will be plenty of Scottish music and dance on the programme, particularly on Sunday at the Rindermarkt. The Irish-Bavarian Stage in 2026 promises a fantastic mix of Bavarian, Irish and Scottish music and dance. From big band to traditional Scottish and Irish music and dance, and from brass bands to singer-songwriters and rock with Bavarian lyrics, there’s something for everyone.
Visitors to the Rindermarkt can enjoy Bavarian and Irish culinary specialities as well as beer specialities from Munich and Ireland.
Stage programme Saturday, June 13, 2026
10.30 am Schoeffeldinger Musikanten
1.30 pm Rince Na Chroi
2.00 pm Da Kanoa
3.30 pm Rince Na Chroi
4.00 pm Strawanza
5.30 pm Rince Na Chroi
6.00 pm Tulsk
8.00 pm The Hollyz
Stage programme Sunday, June 14, 2026
11.00 am Resident Alien Big Band
1.15 pm KleinstePipeBand
1.30 pm Munich Scottish Association
1.45 pm An Smeórach
3.00 pm KleinstePipeBand
3.15 pm Munich Scottish Association
3.30 pm StrawaTulsk
5.30 pm The Monks
7.00 pm The Kubinat
Saturday, June 13, 2026, 10.30 am to 11 pm
Sunday, June 14, 2026, 11 am to 9.30 pm
Against the backdrop of the Theatinerkirche, the Residenz and the Feldherrnhalle, the true spirit of a folk festival comes to life. This year’s highlight is the 1925 Ferris wheel, famous from the Auer Dult. Whilst the grown-ups relax with a coffee or a glass of Prosecco, the little ones take a spin on the children’s carousel before trying their hand at a game stall. All around, stalls tempt visitors with meat, fish, vegetarian and vegan specialities, and of course with typical sweets such as toffee apples, roasted almonds, churros, chocolate-covered fruit and ice cream. Balloons, which are particularly popular with children, are also on sale, along with plenty more.
Organisation and management: Veranstaltungsgesellschaft Münchner Schausteller GmbH (VMS)
Saturday, June 13, 10.30 am to 9 pm
Sunday, June 14, 10.30 am to 8.30 pm
In demonstration workshops, craftspeople and apprentices from 16 craft guilds will be showcasing their skills: roofers, goldsmiths and silversmiths, bricklayers, glaziers, painters and varnishers, metalworkers, electricians, vehicle builders, textile designers, parquet and flooring technicians, stonemasons, joiners, interior decorators and upholsterers, butchers, chimney sweeps and carpenters. A visit to the Crafts Village is particularly worthwhile for school leavers looking to find out about apprenticeships. Nowhere else can you find so many different craft trades in one place and watch the craftsmen at work. Naturally, young people can find out about available apprenticeship or work experience places at the guilds’ huts.
Watching is welcome – joining in is allowed!
Once again this year, visitors will have the chance to get hands-on at a wide range of stalls. From woodturning and blacksmithing to painting and calligraphy and weaving, there are plenty of activities on offer. Come and see for yourself.
The official opening of the craftmen's village will take place on Saturday at 1 pm. Guests are very welcome.
Organisation and management: Claudius Wolfrum, Handwerkerdorf
Saturday, June 13, 10.30 am to 10 pm
Sunday, June 14, 11 am to 8.30 pm
Sendlinger Strasse, Rindermarkt, Wein- und Theatinerstrasse
The arts and crafts market invites you to stroll, discover and buy. Very special things can be purchased here; the entire range of goods is lovingly handmade. Whether jewellery, sculptures made of stone, metal or wood, ceramics, felted or sewn items or works made of leather, everything bears the very special signature of the people who made it. 100 artists present their artefacts and everyday objects in large parts of Sendlinger, Wein-, Theatiner- and Residenzstrasse. At the end of the market at Sendlinger Tor, a quiet island with deckchairs and the opportunity to have a snack or drink invites you to linger.
Organisation and management: Jens Höpke, [email protected]
Saturday, June 13, 11 am to 6 pm
Sunday, June 14, 11 am to 6 pm
ONCE A POPE & TWICE AN EMPEROR
or: How Munich briefly found itself at the centre of high politics!?
Activity programme for children, young people and families
The first name ‘LUDWIG’ appears so often in Munich’s and Bavaria’s history that it’s easy to get confused and mix one up with the other! So: “Ludwig” the Strict, the Pious, the Lazy, the Wise, the Rich, the Hunchbacked, the Bearded, the Roman, the Kehlheim, the Brandenburg, the I, II, IV, X, and so on. That’s a matter for specialists – the historians – but at the very least, you should have heard that there were more than two.
Our game is mainly about the Ludwig who was born here in the Old Court and whose epithet ‘the Bavarian’, used as a papal insult, later became his title of honour. Most children know him mainly from the story of the monkey that is said to have carried him up to the roof of a small tower, though at the time such a tower did not even exist in the Old Court. Unfortunately, not much remains today to remind us of its former appearance.
To mark the city’s anniversary, however, many workshops, the court kitchen, the washhouse, the monastery scriptorium and the ducal building yard are offering attractive hands-on activities, and an exploration game invites you to discover things in and around the Old Court that are easily overlooked in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Organisation and management: play event by Kultur & Spielraum e.V., Stadtjugendamt/Jugendkulturwerk in cooperation with MPZ-Museums Pädagogisches Zentrum and the music group EX-ING. With the kind support of infopoint – museums & castles in Bavaria.
Magical Fragrant Flowers – Open workshop
Spring is here, and with it come lots of fragrant flowers. Do you know of any flowers that smell of pear, strawberry or caramel? Make your own flower out of coloured paper and enchant it with an unusual scent. Find out how our sense of smell works and test your nose in a scent game – with the Munich Children’s Museum, which is visiting the Infopoint. Visitors can also discover the history of Munich’s first Wittelsbach castle in the multimedia exhibition ‘Munich Imperial Castle’ in the Gothic vaulted hall.
museums-in-bavaria.com/infopoint
Sunday, June 14, in the Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus) in the Festsaal (ballroom)
Munich Francaise dance course: 2 to 3.30 pm
Dance course Zwiefache tanzen: 4 to 6 pm
In the ballroom of the Old Town Hall on Sunday, dance master Katharina Mayer and the Niederbayerischer Musikantenstammtisch will teach everyone how to dance the legendary “Münchner Francaise“ and the “Zwiefache“. In the “Munich Francaise“, dancing couples stand opposite each other in long rows and dance various sequences of figures inspired by courtly dance to the lively operetta music of Johann Strauss' “Fledermaus”. This is followed by a “Zwiefache tanzen“ dance class. Rhythm changes within the melody are typical of this genre and are easy to learn under guidance.
The courses are free of charge. Registration and previous knowledge are not required. Individual dancers are also very welcome.
Partnership with the City of Munich’s Department of Culture – Division 3: Cultural Education, International Affairs, Urban Cultures/Folk Culture, https://www.volkskultur-muenchen.de/
Saturday, June 13, 10 am to 3 pm
Sunday, June 14, 10 am to 3 pm
For almost 500 years, Munich has been home to a world-class coin collection. With over 300,000 items – coins, banknotes, medals and pre-monetary forms of currency from all over the world – the Munich State Coin Collection is one of the largest museums of its kind. To mark the city’s anniversary, we invite you to experience history up close: mint your own coin based on a historical model! The template is one of the most beautiful city views ever depicted on a coin – a magnificent 5-ducat gold coin from 1640. Elector Maximilian I had it struck in the midst of the Thirty Years’ War. Whilst the obverse shows the standing Elector, the reverse depicts Munich’s mighty city walls and the famous silhouette of its churches.
A piece of Munich’s history you can hold in your hands – for young and old alike!
www.staatliche-muenzsammlung.de
The Münchner Gästeführer Verein e.V. offers guided tours through Munich's historic city centre on Saturday and Sunday. The meeting point for all tours is the Münchner Gästeführer Verein e.V. stand in front of the Tourist Information Centre in the New Town Hall on Marienplatz.
Duration one hour each
Saturday, June 13, 2026: 11.30 am to 4 pm, starting on the hour
Sunday, June 14, 2026: 11.30 am to 4 pm, starting on the hour
Duration one hour each. For the themed tours, written registration is essential from 1 June 2026 via a link on the website www.mgv-muenchen.de
Saturday, June 13, 2026
12.30 pm – “Where Munich began: the Anger district”
Between today’s Jakobsplatz, the former armoury and the Dult, the history unfolds of a district that, like no other, epitomises trade, everyday life and change in Munich.
2.30 pm – “The Kreuzviertel in transition”
Since the 17th century, the Kreuzviertel has undergone a fundamental transformation: From a simple residential area, it has been transformed by the nobility, monasteries and later banks into a district characterised by power and public authorities
Sunday, June 14, 2026
12.30 pm – “The Hackenviertel: Right in the heart of Munich, yet little known”
One of the oldest parts of the Old Town, and yet often overlooked: Between Sendlinger Tor and Neuhauser Tor, we explore the history of a traditional, middle-class neighbourhood.
2.30 pm: “Power, Market and Craftsmanship: The Graggenau”
Between the Residenz, the Town Hall and the Platzl, this area reveals Munich’s political and economic heart, from ducal power to a small-town-style craftsmen’s quarter.
Organisation and management: Münchner Gästeführerverein e.V., Renate Bartholomae, [email protected], www.mgv-muenchen.de
Saturday, June 13, 2026
Sunday, June 14, 2026
Around the Frauenkirche, around St Michael's in Neuhauser Strasse, stage in Kaufingerstrasse
“Grüß Gott auf dem Bennofest“ is the motto from St Michael's Church, via Neuhauserstrasse and Kaufingerstrasse, to Munich Cathedral. The Catholic Council of the Munich region and the Munich pastoral care region cordially invite all visitors to celebrate Munich's patron saint, St Benno, together.
With spiritual, entertaining and interactive activities, the church comes to life right in the heart of the city: at the ‘Playground’, right in front of Munich Cathedral, there’s plenty of opportunity to play and let off steam. All children named Benno can climb the cathedral tower with their families for free and enjoy the view over the city! On Kaufingerstraße, the “market square” awaits with numerous stalls and hands-on activities. The “church square” around St Michael’s on Neuhauser Straße offers insights into religion and church initiatives. A varied programme of music, dance and acrobatics is presented on stage. On Saturday evening, the original Oktoberfest band “Wuidara Pistols” will get the party started.
The “Bennogarten” invites you to watch, relax and enjoy a snack. There you can linger over delicious treats and enjoy the colourful hustle and bustle. Find out more about the festival, St Benno, the full programme and the event flyer at www.bennofest.de.
Organisation and management: Archdiocese of Munich and Freising
Saturday, 13 June 2026, 10 am to 6 pm (last admission: 5 pm)
The "2nd core route Munich" project invites you to its construction site open day. Come and see for yourself how, right in the heart of Munich’s Old Town, one of the new underground stations for the S-Bahn is taking shape day by day. On site, you’ll be granted exclusive access* underground and gain a fascinating insight into the major construction site. (*Access restricted to persons over 120cm in height wearing sturdy footwear.) Above ground, you’ll meet project experts and learn all about the construction methods and logistics involved. In the adjacent information centre, a multimedia exhibition awaits, providing a clear explanation of this mega-project. There is a special programme for younger guests, including the chance to try out some selected construction machinery. No registration is required.
Where? Marienhof, Landschaftstraße 5–7, 80331 Munich – directly behind Munich New Town Hall
The construction site is not fully accessible.
Further information can be found on this website: 2026 Construction Site Open Day at Marienhof – Munich Main Line 2
Organisation and management: Project 2nd core route Munich
Munich's city centre is transformed into an ‘adventure mile’ during the city's birthday. Street artists will provide birthday surprises and entertain visitors, street musicians will perform and the historic Würmesia city guard will also be out and about.
The programme is subject to change. Events may be cancelled in the event of rain.
