In Munich, it feels like a new café or shop opens every week, and the list of “must-visit” places is getting longer and longer, so you can hardly keep up with trying everything. At the beginning of the year, the new comic book store in the town hall and DING’S in the former Sendlinger Tor movie theater opened. However, we have had to say goodbye to other businesses and institutions this year – at least temporarily. Here we reveal where closures are taking place this year and what the future holds for these places.
The Ratskeller
The Ratskeller was a real Munich institution that has been around since the completion of the first part of the new town hall. The entire basement could accommodate up to 1,000 people in ten rooms, who enjoyed Bavarian cuisine, wine, and beer. The history of drinking in Munich was also impressively depicted in the paintings on the vaulted ceiling. Ultimately, however, the lease became too expensive and so, with a heavy heart, the decision was made to close the Ratskeller.
From January 20 to 23, a flea market was held where the restaurant’s inventory was offered for sale at bargain prices. Unfortunately, with the Ratskeller, a piece of city history also came to an end. What will happen here next is still unclear. A techno club was discussed for a while, but there are no concrete plans for this yet.
The Wormland men’s fashion store
More or less unexpectedly, the men’s fashion store Wormland closed in the last week of January. Due to the renewed insolvency filing at the end of 2025, there were already rumors that the store would have to leave its premises on Marienplatz. However, the lease was reportedly still valid until the end of 2027, and the insolvency administrator did not confirm that the lease would be terminated.
So the news of its immediate closure on Wednesday came as something of a surprise. The store is closing and all employees have had to be laid off. This affects not only the Wormland in Munich, but all stores throughout Germany. There have been rumors about its successor for a while: Lindt & Sprüngli is said to be planning to open a branch here.
The shoe outlet Muecke
With the Muecke outlet in the Einstein Center, another fashion store is leaving Munich. Muecke sells clothing and accessories, but the focus is clearly on shoes. Here you can find around 100,000 models from various brands, such as Gabor, Rieker, Puma, Nike, Vans, and Adidas. Unfortunately, the Munich branch has to close as part of a realignment of the sales strategy, but you can still shop at Muecke online and at other locations such as Augsburg .
To mark the end, a big clearance sale ran from January 7 to 31 with huge discounts and an additional 50% off the entire purchase. It is not yet known who will take Muecke’s place in the shopping center in the future .
The Olympic Stadium
The Olympic Stadium has been undergoing renovation for some time, and in 2026 it will be the turn of the iconic tent roof. Until now, the renovation work has been carried out while the stadium remained open, but unfortunately this will no longer be possible this year. This means no more tours on the tent roof and , above all, no open-air concerts this summer. Fortunately, we don’t have to do without open-air events, as the big concerts will be moved to the Allianz Arena instead.
BTS, Linkin Park, The Weeknd, and Helene Fischer, among others, will be playing for you here this year. Superbloom is also set to take place as usual in 2026, but the location has not yet been determined. For those of you who preferred to make yourselves comfortable on the Olympiaberg instead of attending the concerts themselves, there is at least one small consolation: you can still listen to the Summer Tollwood and the Midsummer Night’s Dream from up here. And from 2027 onwards, everything should be back to normal.
The Fat Cat
The Fat Cat in the old Gasteig was only intended to be a temporary use from the outset, but it was less clear how long this would last. Now, however, the date has been set when the artists who have rented space here will have to look for something new. The current contract ends at the end of September after another extension. Fortunately, this cultural venue will remain with us for a while longer, but its days are now numbered.
So if you want to attend a concert or a performance such as the Ballet of Lights here, you’ll have to hurry. The subsequent renovation of the building is expected to last until 2034. What will happen to it after that cannot be said at this point. But perhaps the Fat Cat will find a new home elsewhere and remain with us after all. The operators certainly hope so.
The Blitz
The Blitz-Club on Museum Island is legendary. Its sound system is the best in Munich and is considered one of the best in Germany. In addition to the residents, well-known names regularly guest here, playing the finest electronic music for you. But that will soon come to an end.
Blitz is currently located on Museum Island near the Deutsches Museum, but the club has to move out by the end of September because the lease has not been renewed. Whether Blitz will find a new home is still up in the air. So if you want to enjoy the legendary PA system, you should plan a visit in the next few months.