Summer Magic in Munich

RIEDEL Magazine, Issue 02 Summer 2025 | Text: Stephanie Geiger | Reading time: 6 minutes

Once again this year, the summer months in Munich are packed with an exciting programme. With concerts by outstanding musicians, exhibitions featuring world-class art, and first-rate theatre and opera performances, Munich is once again demonstrating that it is a world-class cultural centre. It is a special treat to enjoy concerts on a balmy summer’s evening in Italy’s northernmost city – as Munich is often described, and with good reason.

This article appeared in RIEDEL Magazine, Issue 02, Summer 2025. All the dates mentioned are part of the 2025 programme and have since passed. The organisers update their programmes annually; the current dates can be found on their websites.

Classical Music at Odeonsplatz

Orchestra on an open-air stage against a historic backdrop, with a packed square in front in the evening light. — Eagerly awaited by opera fans: the concert by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra on 12 July as part of ‘Klassik am Odeonsplatz’.

There is undoubtedly a particularly strong sense of Italian flair at Odeonsplatz, with the Feldherrenhalle, which was modelled on the Loggia dei Lanci in Florence. It is with good reason that ‘Klassik am Odeonsplatz’, which is once again being supported by RIEDEL as per tradition, can boast of being the ‘most prestigious open-air classical music event in Germany’.

Once again, two of the world’s finest orchestras will be performing: on 12 July, the Austrian star conductor Franz Welser-Möst will lead the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, with Daniil Trifonov as soloist on the piano. And on 13 July, the programme will include, amongst other works, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with soloist Lisa Batiashvili. The Munich Philharmonic will be conducted by Lahav Shani, who is set to become the orchestra’s principal conductor from the 2026/27 concert season onwards.

The Austrian star conductor Franz Welser-Möst will conduct the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra on 12 July.

Classical music as far as the ear can reach

The pianist Daniil Trifonov sits at the grand piano in a dark suit, bent over the keys in concentration. — Pianist Daniil Trifonov regularly performs as a soloist with orchestras – such as this year with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.

It is just a few steps from Odeonsplatz to Max-Joseph-Platz. As part of the Opera Festival (from 27 June to 31 July), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s *Don Giovanni* will be presented there on 6 July as an ‘opera for everyone’, with a live broadcast from the National Theatre. Also taking place in the open air are the concerts in the Brunnenhof courtyard of the Residenz. Opera and classical music, as well as rock, pop, jazz and folk music, are on the programme there during the Munich Open Air Summer from 5 to 17 August.

Not classical, but long since classics in their own right, are the songs of Simply Red. With their timeless evergreens, the British band led by frontman Mick Hucknall has been thrilling fans all over the world for four decades now – and will do so again on 21 October at the Olympiahalle. Just ten days later, Katy Perry will also be sending her fans into raptures there as part of her ‘The Lifetimes’ tour.

One artistic highlight follows another

Stage with coloured spotlights in front of a historic façade, with an audience seated in rows of chairs at dusk. — A particular highlight of the summer are the open-air concerts featuring a variety of genres, taking place from 5 to 17 August.

The Museum Brandhorst has included the American composer John Cage, who died in 1992, in its exhibition ‘Five Friends’, which runs until 17 August. Cage was a friend of Cy Twombly, who forms a central focus of the museum’s collection. The exhibition traces the creative synergy that emerged within this circle of friends – which also included Merce Cunningham, Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg – and which had a decisive influence on post-war art in the fields of music, dance, painting, sculpture and drawing.

The newly redesigned Kunstfoyer of the Versicherungskammer Bayern, now located on Thierschplatz, offers a ‘Closer Look’ through the lens of New York street photographer Bruce Gilden.

Until spring 2027, the Lenbachhaus is exploring the overarching theme of transience, showcasing works from several collections – including some that have never been exhibited before. These include paintings by Lovis Corinth, Wassily Kandinsky, Gabriele Münter, Jean Bloé Niestlé, Franz Marc and Gerhard Richter.

Graphic exhibition poster with the names of the five artists and a coloured image detail from the collection. — From 10 April to 17 August, the exhibition ‘Five Friends: John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly’ will be on display at the Museum Brandhorst.

The exhibition “The Legend of the Titanic”, running until 31 August at the Paketposthalle, invites visitors on a journey through history. With 360° projections, immersive sound reconstructions and virtual reality, the exhibition – which attracted around 325,000 visitors during its first stop in Madrid – brings history to life. And at the “making THEATRE” exhibition at the German Theatre Museum, you can embark on a journey through the history of theatre until 1 March 2026.

Visitors stand in a darkened hall in front of a floor-to-ceiling projection of the ship’s hull. — The immersive exhibition ‘The Legend of the Titanic’ is on display for the first time in Germany, at the Paketposthalle in Munich, until 31 August.

City of Sport

Anyone who enjoys sport shouldn’t miss the Sports Festival on Königsplatz, where, on 6 July, more than 70 sports will be showcased through workshops, demonstrations, taster sessions and competitions – and visitors will be able to have a go at them too. And on 28 September, the Outdoor Sports Festival invites Munich residents to get active together in the fresh air, discover new sports and have lots of fun whilst exercising. Keen sports enthusiasts will find the Munich Marathon on 12 October a great opportunity to compete against others.

Anyone who enjoys sporting activities shouldn’t miss the Sports Festival on Königsplatz.

A participant balances on a slackline above a lawn, surrounded by spectators and sports stands. — On 6 July, it’s time for some sport again: at the sports festival on Königsplatz, you’ll have the chance to try out a wide variety of sports

The Tollwood Festival is also a major event every year. From 19 June to 20 July, the Olympiapark will be hosting events centred on themes such as tolerance, cultural diversity and a fair and sustainable approach to nature. And from 20 September, the Oktoberfest takes over the city: until 5 October, people from all over the world gather at the Theresienwiese for the world’s largest folk festival.

Tradition takes centre stage at the Jakobidult on Mariahilfplatz in the Au. From 26 July to 3 August, the Jakobidult invites you to celebrate, enjoy yourself and browse through old and useful household goods, pottery and antique furniture. For those who can’t make it in the summer, the Kirchweihdult is firmly marked in the calendar from 18 to 26 October.

Incidentally, you’ll also find rare finds at the courtyard flea markets, which take place almost every weekend until the end of October and offer a chance to explore the city’s different neighbourhoods whilst you’re at it.

Market stalls and a fairground ride on a square, with the tall brick tower of the Mariahilfkirche behind. — Experience Munich’s traditions and enjoy life: at the Jakobidult from 26 July to 3 August and at the Kirchweihdult from 18 to 26 October.

You can also explore things in a completely different way at the International Motor Show from 9 to 14 September, where leading car manufacturers, suppliers and start-ups come together to showcase new developments, sustainable mobility solutions and digital trends. And from 6 to 8 October, EXPO Real opens its doors. It is one of the most important networking platforms for the major property markets stretching from Europe through the Middle East to the USA.

The people of Munich know that you don’t always need a special occasion to enjoy summer in the city, to make new contacts or to get that holiday feeling. All it takes is a scoop of ice cream from Ballabeni on Theresienstraße, where on hot summer’s days people queue round the block, at Del Fiore in Maxvorstadt and the Schlachthofviertel, or at Sarcletti on Rotkreuzplatz, which has been delighting Munich’s sweet-toothed residents for 130 years.

Why the cultural calendar is part of the situation

Classical music at Odeonsplatz, ‘Opera for All’ at Max-Joseph-Platz, the Brunnenhof at the Residenz, Brandhorst, the Lenbachhaus, the Paketposthalle: most of the places listed in this article are situated within a radius of just a few kilometres of Maxvorstadt and the Old Town. That is precisely what makes these neighbourhoods close to the city centre so sought-after: anyone making the most of Munich’s cultural summer can simply walk there in the evening, rather than having to travel there.

Anyone wishing to live within this radius can find an overview under ‘Property in Schwabing ’ and ‘Luxury flats in Munich’. As supporters of ‘Classical Music at Odeonsplatz’, we ourselves are part of Munich’s cultural summer. The Munich market report shows how supply and prices have developed recently.

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