It’s going to be crazy: these events await you during Carnival in Munich

Carnival in Munich goes hand in hand with the ball season. It kicks off with the Oide Wiesn Bürgerball on January 23, where you can get a little taste of Oktoberfest. Here you can dance in dirndls and lederhosen to Oktoberfest music and fortify yourself with Bavarian delicacies. Until Shrove Tuesday on February 17, there are numerous other balls where you can celebrate Munich’s carnival in a more or less traditional way, e.g., at the Kuba Ball, the Ball of the Stars, the Medical Ball, the Pumuckl Ball, or the Ball of Nations.

The Schäfflertänze are a very special Munich tradition that you can’t enjoy every year during carnival. They only dance every seven years, and 2026 is the next time, which makes this year’s carnival season extra special. Until February 17, you have the opportunity to attend one of their performances in Munich’s public spaces. The grand finale takes place on the evening of Faschingsdienstgas, when they dance with torches in the dark at 9 p.m.

Many carnival events traditionally take place outdoors. However, as it is still quite cold in January and February, those of you who feel the cold will probably prefer to spend your time indoors. Fortunately, you don’t have to miss out on the carnival fun, as numerous downtown restaurants invite you to their pub carnival. They often offer several events where you can celebrate. One tradition is the Weißwurstessen (white sausage meal) on Rose Monday. Before noon, you can get a Weißwurst for only €1-2 each, which you can then eat with sweet mustard. This year’s participants include the Andechser am Dom, the Augustiner Wirtschaften am Dom, am Platzl, Klosterwirt and Stammhaus, the Donisl, and the Hofbräuhaus.

Of course, a good carnival also includes a proper parade. On Sunday, February 8, starting at 1:13 p.m., you can enjoy the Damischen Ritter, led by Duke Kasimir on his white horse. With magnificent floats, marching bands, carnival societies, fraternities and sororities, dance groups, and historical associations parade through Munich and entertain the thousands of spectators lining the streets. The prince and princess are also there and give the revelers an audience.

What is known elsewhere as “Weiberfastnacht” or “Schmutziger Donnerstag” is called “Unsinniger Donnerstag” in Munich. Under the motto “Fasching hat Herz” (Carnival has a heart), clubs from Munich and the surrounding area gather at the Viktualienmarkt and offer you a fun stage program. The carnival guards perform for you and the market women are also there.

From February 15 to 17, Carnival in Munich enters its peak phase. The street carnival in the city center begins, and you can enjoy three days of colorful entertainment on the stages at Marienplatz and Stachus. The guards will be performing again, there will be plenty of live music, and last but not least, you can meet the prince and princess.

The highlight of Munich’s carnival is the market women’s dance at the Viktualienmarkt on Shrove Tuesday. At 11 a.m., they take to the stage and delight you with their numerous dances in their colorful costumes. Each costume represents a market stall, such as a baker’s wife or a butcher’s wife. The custom originally arose because the market women wanted to improve their reputation as “grumpy market women.” They danced around their stalls during the carnival season to prove the opposite.

Carnival ends on Ash Wednesday and Lent begins. This is symbolically represented by the washing of the money bag in the fish fountain on Marienplatz . Mayor Dieter Reiter and other representatives of the city come together to wash Munich’s coffers. This is supposed to bring money into the coffers. In this context, the prince and princess also return the key to the town hall, which they received at their coronation. This officially marks the end of Carnival in Munich.