May 2005
Merry Month of May
Music, Munich, Marienplatz…May Day. As we’ve come to expect from these “any excuse for a celebration” Münchner, there’s plenty going on to mark May 1.
• Perhaps the biggest event is the
Culture Festival (Kulturfestival) in the city center. Three stages will be set up, with performances ranging from Latin, samba, Serbian and Bavarian folk music at the Viktualienmarkt to a capella and French love songs in the Prunkhof. The central stage on Marienplatz will be featuring Rhythm & Blues and other up-tempo groups. From 6 pm, this stage will also be hosting a youth festival, with hip-hop, pop and rock music acts. Admission is free to the Culture Festival, which runs from 1 pm to 10 pm. For the full schedule see
www.muenchen.de.
• Early birds can get a taste of true Munich traditions further up the pedestrian zone. At 9 am, three local costume clubs will be meeting for a May Day service in the St. Michaelskirche in Neuhauserstrasse, before gathering outside to show off their traditional dress. They’ll then be moving over to the Augustiner hall opposite for Weisswurst and beer, in what promises to be an interesting spectacle for locals and tourists alike.
• For a slightly more curious sight, head to the Olympiapark, where May 1 is Nordic Walking Day. In response to the rapid rise in popularity of the sport, management decided to host an event, charging as many as 5,000 participants up to € 21 to walk round a 6-km circuit with sticks. You’re too late to register to join in, but you can still go and watch. Just resist the temptation to shout “you’ve forgotten your skis!”... <<<
