Between autumnal beauty and wintry anticipation: November in Munich enchants us with its red-golden leaves that transport us to an autumn wonderland and the increasing cold slowly but surely puts us in the mood for winter. The Christmas markets start at the end of this month and allow us to enjoy that pure Christmas feeling.
But even before that, there are great events in the Bavarian metropolis that will delight us with cultural, culinary and entertaining delights. We want to make sure that you don’t suffer from FOMO and have put together the 11 best things to do this month, which are also ideal for a nice family day out.
1st Queer Literature Festival
No more grey November: we’re kicking off the month in a colorful way. At the festival in Gasteig, queer writers will be reading from their latest works, whether novels or comics. At the writing workshop, you can put pen to paper and join in the discussion on literary translations. There will be music and drinks to round off the day on Saturday.
📍 Location: Gasteig, Hall X
📅 Dates: November 01 and 02
💶 Price information: 41€ for the festival pass
2nd Lumagica
From November 15, Lumagica transforms Cavalluna Park into a sparkling winter wonderland. Over 300 light installations in the form of horses, carriages, unicorns and reindeer will adorn the park and invite you to take your loved ones on magical walks. Here, the eyes of young and old alike will light up and the anticipation of Christmas will reach its peak. The circular trail takes around two hours and will enchant you with its magical lights.
📍 Location: Cavalluna Park Munich, Hans-Jensen-Weg 3, 80939 Munich
📅 Dates: November 15 to January 25, Thursday to Sunday
💶 Price information: Tickets from €21.90
3rd Bach Festival
The Bach Festival has been held in Munich for 100 years to celebrate the legacy of baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach. For a whole month, you can expect a daily changing program of classical music performances , choir concerts and art exhibitions. In addition, various guided tours on the subject of Bach await you. Up to and including December 7, you can take a special guided tour of the instruments exhibition at the Deutsches Museum to find out more about which musical instruments were of particular importance to Bach’s work. Or take part in the tour of the South Cemetery on November 1, which will take you through the musical Munich of the 18th century.
📍 Location: Various places in Munich
📅 Dates: October 31 to November 30
💶 Price information: Different prices for the respective events
4. winter quarters
The counterpart to the Sommerquartier is starting up again this month. The backyard in the middle of the city center is transformed into a cozy oasis of winter get-togethers. Sip the first mulled wine of the season and enjoy delicious street and comfort food. Live DJs provide musical accompaniment to get you in the mood. Whether with friends or after work, the Winterquartier is one of the hot spots in Munich’s fall and winter.
📍 Venue: Alter Hof 3, 80331 Munich
📅 Date: from November 07 daily from 4 pm
💶 Price information: Admission free
5th Munich Book Show
Autumn is the perfect time to snuggle up and browse through a good book. If you’re still looking for inspiration on what to read next, then the Münchner Bücherschau is the place to go. The book exhibition presents over 10,000 books from a wide range of genres, which you can use as inspiration for your next reading adventure. Special readings and workshops are offered for school classes.
📍 Venue: Haus der Kunst, Prinzregentenstraße 1, 80538 Munich
📅 Dates: November 20 to December 07, daily 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
💶 Price information: Admission free
6th Christmas markets
It will soon be time again for Munich’s Christmas markets to open their doors. In the heart of the city, the Christkindlmarkt on Marienplatz and the Christmas Village at the Residenz create a festive atmosphere that makes the anticipation of Christmas palpable. In the Olympic Park, the fairytale bazaar with its boho tents invites you to linger and Wittelsbacherplatz has a medieval feel.
Wrapped in the twinkling magic of lights, you can enjoy culinary delights – from fragrant gingerbread and roasted almonds to spicy bratwurst and mulled wine. You can also enjoy cultural performances, including thrilling music and dance performances. And of course there’s plenty of shopping too!
📍 Locations:
- Christmas village: Residenzstr. 1, 80333 Munich
- Christmas market: Marienplatz, 80331 Munich
- Medieval market: Wittelbacherplatz, Briennerstr. 6-10, 80333 Munich
- Fairytale bazaar: Olympiapark Süd, Spiridon-Louis-Ring 100, 80809 Munich
📅 Dates:
- Christmas village: November 17 to December 22
- Christmas market: November 24 to December 24
- Medieval market: November 24 to December 23
- Fairytale bazaar: November 27 to December 28
💶 Price information: Admission free
7th Tollwood Winter Festival
As every year, the Tollwood Winter Festival will take place again this year. Soon the Theresienwiese will once again be transformed into a colorful winter festival with an atmospheric Christmas market. A varied program of art, music, theater and cabaret is on offer. You can try your hand at sport on the curling rink and buy new treasures in the tents or even get a tattoo!
The focus on sustainability and environmental awareness is also reflected in the gastronomic offer, which includes numerous organic and fair trade products. The cultural program impresses with a varied mix of live music, theater performances, acrobatics and performance art.
📍 Location: Theresienwiese, Matthias-Pschorr-Straße, 80336 Munich
📅 Dates: November 25 to December 23, December 31
💶 Price information: €39 for the Terces program, €38.50 for the New Year’s Eve party
8th Candlelight
A cozy candlelight concert with your favorite music – is there a better plan for the cold season? With a diverse selection of music to suit every taste and gorgeous venues to show you the city at its best, it really doesn’t get any better than this.
From Queen vs The Beatles and the soulful songs of Adele to Beethoven and Mozart – Candlelight presents everything in a classical version like you’ve never experienced before.
📍 Location: Various locations in and around Munich
📅 Dates: Various dates
💶 Price information: Tickets from €23
9th concerts
There’s plenty for music fans to listen to this month, as several music stars from Germany and abroad will be stopping off in Munich to play concerts for you. Fans of German rap can look forward to two greats of the genre, SDP and Kontra K. LaFee, another icon of German music, will be performing, while metal fans can enjoy Sabaton. One Republic, on the other hand, will strike a softer note.
📅 Dates:
- November 07: SDP (Olympiahalle)
- November 09: One Republic (Olympic Hall)
- November 17: Sabaton (Olympic Hall)
- November 18: Kontra K (Olympic Hall)
- November 18: LaFee (Muffathalle)
10th curling
Of course, Munich’s most popular winter sport is not to be missed! The city’s curling rinks invite you to use the cold season for exercise and fun with family, friends or colleagues. With a borrowed curling stick and target, it’s time to get in a good mood and get playing! There’s also hot mulled wine – perfect for a few hours of fun on the ice.
📍 Locations: Various locations in Munich, e.g.
- Paulaner am Nockherberg, Hochstraße 77, 81541 Munich
- Alte Utting, Lagerhausstraße 15, 81371 Munich
- Hirschgarten, 80639 Munich
📅 Dates:
- Alte Utting: from November 8th
- Nockherberg: from November 10
- Hirschgarten: from November 14
11th Food & Life
The foodies among you should keep the middle of the monthfree, because the Food & Life trade fair is coming to Munich again. Whether sweet, sour or savory, vegetarian, organic or meat, alcoholic or non-alcoholic, connoisseurs of good food will get their money’s worth here. Exhibitors present their culinary delights in five halls covering over 54,000 square meters. Taste your way through the wide range of products, discover new trends and be inspired by the live cooking. You can also buy a few delicacies as Christmas presents for your loved ones.
📍 Location: Messe Riem, Am Messesee 2, 81829 Munich
📅 Dates: November 12 to 16
💶 Price information: Day tickets from €7