Light up your lanterns! On St. Martin’s Day, Wednesday, November 11, 2026, Munich’s city center will be transformed into an atmospheric sea of lights. Starting at 4:30 p.m., Munich’s downtown parishes invite you to the traditional St. Martin’s play on Frauenplatz, right in front of the cathedral portal. There, the famous scene will be reenacted in which St. Martin shares his soldier’s cloak with a freezing beggar, before the city’s largest lantern procession begins.
With singing and brass band music through the pedestrian zone
Together with the cathedral pastor, you’ll proceed from Frauenplatz in front of the Frauenkirche through the Löwengrube and Ettstraße to the Jesuit Church of St. Michael on Neuhauser Straße. Festive music is provided by the Cathedral Boys’ Choir, the Girls’ Choir, and the Cathedral Brass Ensemble, who perform classic St. Martin’s songs. The route is short and ideal even for small children. Around 5:00 p.m., the procession concludes with a solemn service at St. Michael’s, whose Renaissance architecture glows in the warm light of the lanterns. In case of heavy rain, plans will be adjusted so that the performance and service take place entirely inside the church.
All the important information about St. Martin’s Day
The best way to get there is by U-Bahn or S-Bahn via Marienplatz. From the endpoint at St. Michael’s Church, you can also quickly reach Karlsplatz (Stachus). Dress warmly, and in the crowds, it’s best to use safe LED lights for your lanterns—especially for the children’s lanterns. If you’d rather celebrate in your own neighborhood, there are plenty of options on November 11. In Moosach, the Magdalenenkirche starts as early as 4:00 p.m.; in Bogenhausen, a lantern-making workshop begins at 3:00 p.m.; and the Stephanuskirche in Nymphenburg starts at 5:00 p.m. A warming St. Martin’s bonfire with punch also awaits you at 5:00 p.m. at the Friedenskirche in Trudering and at 6:00 p.m. at the Passionskirche in Obersendling. So, pack your lanterns, dress warmly, and enjoy this very special magical display of lights right in the heart of Munich!
