Strong beer festivals in some of the traditional taverns of the city, the Turkish Film Days and St. Patrick's Day: March in Munich has all kinds of events. And then there is the official start of spring – and with it the time for the first visit to a beer garden of the year!
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Traditionally, strong beer is drunk in Bavaria during Lent between Ash Wednesday (5 March 2025) and Easter (Easter Sunday, 20 April 2025). So every year March gets off to a very cheerful, sociable and Munich start, as the Paulaner brewery hosts its legendary Starkbierfest, which expresses the local attitude to life and is as much a part of the city as the Oktoberfest. Together, people drink strong beer to brass music, talk a lot and have fun, simply enjoying life. Since time immemorial, the people of Munich have made a pilgrimage to the “mountain“ during Lent, more precisely to the Nockherberg in Giesing. There are several festivals in and around the city – but this one is cult and the original. Because the strong beer was invented on the Nockherberg and is called “Salvator“, by the way. The highlight of the Starkbier festival is the Salvator rehearsal with the so-called politician derblecken in the form of a Lenten sermon and a musical comedy.
Strong beer festival on the Nockherberg, date 2025 follows, Nockherberg
During the strong beer festival the strong beer can be tasted in the Augustiner-Keller storage cellar, where beer was once stored and is drunk today. The vaults made of rough red bricks, the rustic wooden benches and, last but not least, the huge old lager barrels create a unique atmosphere. At strong beer time, the old lager cellar becomes a place of pilgrimage for all friends of the “Augustiner Maximator“, who are already eagerly awaiting the quaffable dark doppelbock from the Augustiner brewery after the winter. Strong beer festivals are also held on the ground floor of the Augustiner-Keller.
Strong beer festival in the Augustiner-Keller, date 2025 follows, Augustiner-Keller
The Munich Irish celebrate St. Patrick's Day on 16 March 2025 with a parade. Flag bearers, sports clubs, traditional costume clubs and folklore societies will start at 12 noon at Münchner Freiheit and march the 2.5 km route along Leopoldstrasse and Ludwigstrasse to Odeonsplatz. On Saturday, 15 March 2025, the St. Patrick's Day pre-party will be held from 12 noon on Odeonsplatz with food stalls and a stage with a cultural programme.
St. Patrick's Day pre-party and parade, 15 and 16 March 2025, Leopold- and Ludwigstrasse, Odeonsplatz, Schlachthof
The MachArt creative and manufacturing market will take place in the Alte Kongresshalle and offers a colourful mix of art, fashion, jewellery and decoration, as well as natural cosmetics, toys and stationery. The youngest visitors are also catered for with activities such as a Punch and Judy show, face painting and craft activities.
MachArt, date 2025 follows, Alte Kongresshalle
You can find a well curated selection on Munich - City of Music.
In common parlance, an eccentric attitude is considered to be extravagant and decadent. But eccentricity is much more. Because it refuses any ideology – for the freedom of democracy. This is the basic idea behind the first exhibition on the potential of eccentricity as an aesthetic of freedom. The focus is on art from 1980 onwards, but fashion, design, film and architecture are also included in an exemplary way. Eccentric celebrates the diversity and complexity of the great themes of nature, beauty, intimacy and humanism. The exhibition features paintings, sculptures, installations and video works by John Bock, Maurizio Cattelan, Marguerite Humeau, Jonathan Meese, Pipilotti Rist, Anna Uddenberg and many other international artists.
Eccentric. The aesthetics of freedom, until 27 April 2025, Pinakothek der Moderne
What's in store for the little ones at the children's crime festival, which has its “crime scenes“ in the beautiful, winding Seidl Villa in Schwabing, in several city libraries and even in the Munich puppet theatre. What happened? Forensics, an investigation file and a detective's identity card put all crime thrillers on the right track.
Kinder-Krimifest, date 2025 follows, Seidl-Villa and other venues
The “Kuckuck – Theaterfestival für Anfänge(r)“, which takes place in the Schauburg in Schwabing district, in the Münchner Stadtmuseum on Jakobsplatz and in the Elly Heuss-Knapp Protestant Family Educational Institution between Karlsplatz-Stachus and Sendlinger Tor, should be similarly exciting. Children up to five years of age experience the fascinating world of theatre with all their senses.
Kuckuck, date 2025 follows, Schauburg, Munich City Museum, Elly Heuss-Knapp Evangelical Family Educational Centre
At “Garten München“, southern Germany's largest indoor garden fair, spring is in full bloom. You'll find lots of highlights to look at and take home and get tips on garden design, garden equipment and design, travel and literature as well as competent advice and information. It makes you want to get started right away and make your garden, balcony or terrace even more beautiful.
Garten München, 12 February to 16 March 2025, Trade Fair Center Messe München
At the International Crafts Fair, the meeting place for trade visitors and end consumers, everything revolves around building, modernising and renovating. The topics of living and lifestyle, kitchens and food, crafts and design also take up a lot of space. If you want to be inspired or are looking for concrete tips and information, this is the place to be.
Internationale Handwerksmesse together with Handwerk & Design, 12 February to 16 March 2025, Trade Fair Center Messe München
The Isar is not only there for swimming: in fact, the city river is home to many fish such as trout, perch, pike, carp and eel. No wonder that March of all months is Munich's Fish Month. Firstly, this is when the closed season for most species ends, including brown trout and char. Secondly, the weeks before Easter are considered to be Lent, during which one renounces meat according to Catholic custom. Especially on Good Friday, the climax and conclusion of Lent, fish should therefore be put on the plate. Every reputable inn with Bavarian cuisine then has fish on the menu: for example the Bachmair Hofbräu in Leopoldstraße or the Wirtshaus zum Isartal in Brudermühlstraße. If you are looking for traditional fish dishes from Franconia, you will find them at Gasthaus Siebenbrunn at the Tierpark Hellabrunn (zoo): There you can get baked carp. A real speciality.
Just as you sit in street cafés in Paris in spring, you meet the people of Munich in the beer garden. The first cool measure in which the first rays of sunshine break, should not only be photographed, but also heralds a new attitude to life in the city. From now on summer is within reach. Since with so many beautiful beer gardens it is usually hard to decide where to start, our typology will help you find out which one is the right one. Beer garden beginners are well advised with our tips – you can usually bring your own food, but you should not necessarily order a “beer“.
You can find a detailed calendar of events here.
Curious? On a beer and brewery tour you will learn everything you need to know about the famous barley juice. From a tour of the brewery at the Thomasbräu to a joint visit to the beer garden, visitors will learn all the different facets of the beer.
