Discover Munich's latest highlights: Events, sights, restaurants and hotels. Immerse yourself in the vibrant cultural scene, enjoy exquisite delights and find the perfect accommodation for your stay.
On 27 September, SAP Garden opened its doors to the public. The state-of-the-art multifunctional sports hall in Olympiapark (Olympic Park) will be the new home to the EHC Red Bull Munich ice hockey team and serve as an additional venue for FC Bayern Basketball. The arena will also host sport-related events, including e-sports in the future.
Visitors will have the chance to use the underground ice rink during public skating sessions. To celebrate the opening weekend, EHC Red Bull Munich will face the Buffalo Sabres from the USA National Hockey League (NHL), the top ice hockey league in the world. A week later, FC Bayern's basketball team will make their EuroLeague debut in the opening game against Real Madrid.
In April 2024, the first events and concerts were hosted at the new Bergson Kunstkraftwerk cultural centre, which will be fully operational in October. The listed former heating plant in Aubing, in the west of Munich, now houses a concert hall, live club, restaurant and Germany's largest gallery of contemporary visual art.
After several years of renovation, the Archäologische Staatssammlung (State Archaeological Collection) has been presenting the history of humankind from prehistory to modern times in a new, exciting format based on archaeological finds since spring 2024.
Immersive features bring the exhibitions to life in a unique way: from an augmented reality treasure hunt with mascot snake Sisssi, to a web-based journey into the mysterious world of the Celts, or exciting hands-on tours in which archaeology can be explored through tinkering, puzzling and touching – particularly for younger guests and those with impaired vision. Afterwards, visitors can relax on the rooftop terrace, enjoy the views of the English Garden and slowly return to the present.
At Munich's BMW Park, the home of German basketball champions FC Bayern Basketball in Munich's Westend district, an innovative upgrade is making waves: As the first club in Europe and the first event venue worldwide, the club has installed a full-surface LED video glass floor for the new season, taking the playing experience to a whole new level.
With this cutting-edge technology, the entire court can be animated – from digital lines and player tracking to dynamic sponsor logos. Graphics, videos, statistics, and real-time moves can be projected directly onto the glass surface, creating a more immersive, interactive experience and transforming the game into an unprecedented spectacle.
Since the beginning of 2024, the Munich City Museum has been undergoing renovations that will continue for several years.
The museum Neue Pinakothek in the Kunstareal is undergoing major refurbishment and is therefore expected to be closed until 2029. During this time, a selection of major works will be on display on the first floor of Alte Pinakothek and in the Schack Collection.
The Olympiaturm (Olympic Tower) is closed for renovation and is expected to reopen in May 2026.
The Olympiastadion (Olympic Stadium) will be closed for renovation from October 2025 until probably June 2027.
The Valentin Karlstadt Museum will enter its renovation phase on 7 October 2024 and is expected to remain closed for 18 months. It will reopen in mid-2026 with revised, updated and redesigned permanent exhibitions.
The Kunstfoyer of the Versicherungskammer Kulturstiftung (art gallery) will relocate from Maximilianstrasse to the Lehelkaree at Thierschplatz and reopen its exhibitions in spring 2025.
Various Others, the international platform for the Munich art scene, has become a permanent fixture in the global art calendar after its debut in 2018. Galleries, artist-run spaces and institutions invite visitors to explore the city's diverse art venues.
In September, almost 20 international galleries from cities like Brussels, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Venice, Athens, Copenhagen, Tbilisi, Los Angeles and New York will turn Munich into an exciting art hub. Openings and numerous other events will take place at different location around the city.
The US professional league NFL is making a stop in Munich: On 10 November 2024, the Carolina Panthers will face the New York Giants in the Allianz Arena for a top-class football match in front of thousands of fans.
American football is becoming increasingly popular in Germany. If you don't have a ticket, you can still join in the excitement: As with the 2022 match, there will again be a special programme for fans around the stadium and in the city centre.
You can find a full event overview here.
Tired of the usual ride in a Ferris wheel gondola? The Umadum Riesenrad (Giant Ferris Wheel) in the Werksviertel district now offers an adrenaline-packed experience for thrill-seekers. Climb onto a specially designed platform with a lattice floor, secured only by a climbing harness, and enjoy Munich from a height of 80 metres - without a cabin or windows.
For the ultimate thrill, inch towards the edge of the platform and feel your pulse race as your safety harness tightens.
Surfing pros at the Eisbach river in the English Garden are legendary and have shaped Munich’s legacy as Germany’s surfing capital. Since August 2024, everyone from beginners to pros can now let off steam in a new 20,000 square metre artificial wave park: o2 Surftown MUC, located 25 kilometres north of Munich, near the airport.
From children to first-timers to expert surfers, there are suitable offers for eight skill levels. In October 2024, the German Surfing Championships will return to German soil again for the first time in 28 years. The park is open all-year-round, although the outdoor waves may be closed during long frosty periods.
Around 1900, young visionary artists in Munich set out to revolutionise art and reform life. In an era of rapid scientific and technical progress and social upheaval, they sought a fairer and more sustainable way of living. The exhibition at the Kunsthalle showcases Munich's role as the birthplace of Art Nouveau in Germany, featuring paintings, graphic art, sculpture, photography, design, and fashion.
Incidentally, Art Nouveau, or the “Jugendstil” movement was named after the illustrated magazine ‘Jugend’, published in Munich from 1896 and had a decisive influence on the style debates of that time. The best way to experience Art Nouveau in the cityscape is on a Local Love Tour through the Schwabing neighbourhood with its typical elements on many of the façades.
Anastasia Samoylova's photographs offer a critical look at everyday life and scratch the glittering surface of the American dream. Her exhibition at Amerikahaus (cultural institution) presents the Sunshine State of Florida as a dazzling fantasy and subtropical dystopia, characterised by political rifts and the effects of the climate crisis, thereby addressing pressing issues of our time. With her vibrant, colourful, collage-like excerpts from reality, the American artist transports the colourfulness of New Colour Photography into the present day.
For one year, the Pinakothek der Moderne (art gallery) invites visitors to a landscape of varying seating furniture, to sit and engage in communication. The project explores open communication between museumgoers and also examines the relationship between people and the objects they sit on.
KÖNIG BERGSON's opening exhibition at the new Bergson Kunstkraftwerk (cultural centre) is inspired by Franz Kafka. It focuses on his explorations of identity and transformation in a constantly changing, often threatening world.
The exhibition features works by around 100 artists, spread across 1,600 square metres and four floors.
Celebrating its 40th anniversary, Haus der Kunst (art gallery) is dedicating an immersive exhibition to the legendary Munich Club P1. The exhibition under the title „Glamour und Geschichte. 40 Jahre P1" (Glamour and History. 40 years of P1) is an immersive experience based on achieve materials and invites visitors to contribute personal stories and memorabilia on P1, adding to the history of the legendary venue.
The P1 is still a fixture on the German club scene today and is known for its legendary events with both national and international stars.
Featuring over 120 works, Museum Brandhorst owns the largest Warhol collection outside the USA, along with a considerable number of works by Keith Haring. “Andy Warhol & Keith Haring. Party of Life”, marks the first major institutional exhibition dedicated to both artists.
It shows over 120 works from their oeuvre, including collaborations between the two, as well as works created with the influence of other artists, performers, authors or music and fashion icons of the 1980s – a time characterised by MTV, discos, voguing, hip-hop, new wave and graffiti. In addition to key works, “Party of Life” also features film and photo recordings, archival material, as well as posters, records and everyday objects designed by the artists.
Rachel Ruysch's stunningly realistic floral still lifes, featuring exotic plants, fruits, butterflies, and insects, were already highly sought-after and expensive during her lifetime. The demand for her work was so great that the Amsterdam painter could afford to produce only a few pieces each year.
In fact, she led an extraordinary life for a woman of her time: The daughter of the famous anatomy and botany professor Frederik Ruysch, became the first female member of the Confrérie Pictura guild in The Hague, served as a court painter in Düsseldorf, won a lottery and raised eleven children. Alte Pinakothek is dedicating the world's first major monographic exhibition to her until mid-March.
You can find a full exhibition overview here.
In July, Wolfgang Hingerl, along with three long-time friends from Munich’s gastronomy scene, opened the Marie Therese Gasthaus right next to the Theresienwiese (Oktoberfest fairground). The menu offers Alpine cuisine – regional and seasonal, of course, in keeping with Hingerl's philosophy.
Dishes like Schlutzkrapfen (filled pasta), fish from Bavarian lakes, Obatzda (Bavarian cheese spread), and homemade Buchteln (sweet buns) with apricots and vanilla sauce, bring the flavours of the Alps to the guests’ plates. Opening from lunchtime, Marie Therese offers not only lunch and dinner but also small dishes and cakes for afternoon visitors. A variety of starters and snacks are available to taste – you may even want to try more than one.
Elisabethmarkt, one of four permanent markets in Munich, reopened at its historic location in Schwabing on 9 September 2024 in a completely new guise. Founded 120 years ago and named after Austrian Empress Sissi, the market was considered the heart of Schwabing for decades. Fresh produce, local specialities and artisan goods are offered at 23 stalls combining modern design with the charm of bygone times.
A classic is the Ochsenbraterei, which serves ox rolls and vegan burgers. Casa Sarda offers Italian delicacies to take away or to eat in, while Weinatelier Elisabeth sells wines, non-alcoholic treats such as chocolates, fine vinegars and oils, and at Elly Blume, you get everything from cut flowers and potted plants to decorative items that add a touch of colour to the world.
Joh‘s Eckart, Munich’s oldest distillery, has set up shop in the trendy Werksviertel neighbourhood. The special thing about the spirits is their origin. The distillery sources fruit for its spirits from local and regional orchards and private Munich gardens, helping preserve inner-city fruit trees and promoting biodiversity, which in turn promotes the urban climate. In the show distillery, guests can watch the distillation process and, of course, taste the spirits.
The new tenants are working flat out on the renovation of Gutshof Menterschwaige, which is due to open in spring 2025. A historic venue with its vaulted ceilings, multiple parlours and terraces will provide space for individual guests, groups and private parties.
The new beer garden, with seating for up to 1,100 guests will feature a wooden barrel warehouse where only so-called Haserl & Reherl (30-50 litres) or large Hirschen (100-200 litres) will be tapped as needed. In addition to Bavarian specialities, the Menterschwaige will also serve homemade pasta specialities with freshly cooked sauces such as arrabiata, oxtail ragout or their own vegetable bolognese as future culinary highlights.
Haxnbauer, a Munich institution, will finally reopen its doors in December 2024. The pub was previously located in the Scholastikahaus and is famous for its traditional Bavarian cuisine – especially for its pork knuckles (“Haxn”), as the German name suggests. Starting in December, the Altmünchen restaurant will be housed in the beautifully restored ‘Sterneckerbräu’ building at Tal 38, once again positioned right in the centre between Marienplatz and Isartor.
The new building of the renowned Munich luxury hotel Königshof has been welcoming guests since the end of July 2024. Located in the same spot as its historic predecessor, the new Koenigshof overlooks Karlsplatz-Stachus and the entire old town, offering panoramic views of Munich's surrounding area.
With a spectacular cathedral-high atrium designed by Spanish architects Nieto Sobejano, 106 rooms and suites, exclusive dining options, a pool overlooking the city and high-end interior design, this hotel, which is part of Marriott's Luxury Collection, is a true urban retreat.
Following the Cocoon hotels at Stachus, Hauptbahnhof and Sendlinger Tor, the new Cocoon Theresienwiese will open in spring 2025. For maximum independence, the hotel offers classic rooms and flats with kitchenettes, making it the perfect accommodation for longer stays.
Furnished in the typical modern, simple yet elegant style of the Cocoon hotels, the latest member of the Cocoon family with its co-living and co-working areas, as well as the rooftop terrace with a view of the Bavaria statue will be another trendy spot for Munich residents.
Perfectly located in the city centre, Germany's first Stay Kooook is being built between Stachus and the main railway station. In addition to 32 studios with a kitchen, workspace and washing machine, guests will also have exclusive use of a beautifully designed inner courtyard. The Stay Kooook hotels are a temporary home, offer living space and freedom and contact with a community of like-minded people is guaranteed.
If you're not looking for a traditional hotel, this is the place for you: As in a modern shared flat, Stay Kooook offers individual rooms, a large living room for socialising or meetings in a relaxed atmosphere, a dining room with a communal kitchen and community table, as well as a games room for console gaming or a round of pool.
After extensive renovations, the traditional Gutshof Menterschwaige will once again offer overnight accommodation in addition to high-quality catering and its popular beer garden. Plans include 16 classic rooms, 9 superior rooms and 3 exclusive suites in the time-honoured building located on the high banks of the Isar River.
Munich offers a green side that caters residents and visitors alike: At times, it can be very inno-vative, as seen with the vegan Weißwurst (sausages) by the Munich start-up Greenforce, or the rooftop football pitch of Bellevue di Monaco, a residential and cultural centre for refugees and non-refugees in the heart of Munich. Other times, it is traditional, like with its Kron-fleischküche (innards cuisine) , (e.g., from Schneiders Brauhaus), utilising every part from the animal – long before the nose-to-tail trend became popular.
Then again, it boasts hidden gems, such as the sustainable fashion studio “Khala Design“ at Atelierpark of Bahnwärter Thiel, or the vegan Bavarian inn Bhodi tucked away in the Westend-Viertel district. Sometimes, Munich presents itself striking as with the barrier-free experiences at the world-famous Deutschen Museums , or through themed city tours, such as the eco-social guided tour by Stattreisen e.v.. More tips for a sustainable visit to Munich are available here.
Freddie Mercury loved the nightlife on the Isar (river). Giorgio Moroder developed the legend-ary disco sound here and Nirvana staged their last concert in Munich.
If you want to experi-ence Munich on the tracks of pop today, you have several options: join a guided Freddie Mercury tour (private tours in English upon request), explore music history with Herbi Hauke, the director of the (currently closed) Rock Museum on a tour of the Olympiapark (Olympic Park, private tours in English upon request) or Schwabing district, visit the exhibition “Nachts. Clubkultur in München” (“At night. Club Culture in Munich“) (until 7/1/24) at the Stadtmuseum (city museum), dance the night away at Blitz-Club, home to one of the best sound systems in the country, buy electric guitars at MJ Guitars, the shop owned by the Scorpions’ guitarist, or enjoy local DJ performances while sipping a drink at the Goldene Bar in Haus der Kunst (art gallery). More nightlife tips are available here.
The German graffiti scene pioneered in Munich. In the years 1985 to 1988, graffiti experienced such a boom in Munich that sprayers came from all over the world to get at least one chance to spray in this city. Today, there are three museums/galleries dedicated to this topic: the Museum für Urban and Contemporary Art (MUCA) presents top-class artists.
The interim use project KUNSTLABOR 2 offers space for experimentation. Two of the six floors are being transformed into a walk-in work of art by more than 100 artists. Among them are famous names like Loomit and rapper Samy Deluxe, but also newcomers like Pepe. The latest addition is the quaint and fine Amuseum of Contemporary Art.
