What's on in Munich: The events not to miss this April

Spring festivals

Among Munich’s bigger events in April, the Frühlingsfest (April 25th to May 11th) demands a top mention.

The Bavarian capital’s ‘Spring Festival’ is also sometimes referred to as Kleine Wiesn, or the “little sister of Oktoberfest” because it offers a similar atmosphere and attractions, if at a smaller capacity.

According to the event’s website, the event began in 1964 to provide a source of income for the showmen and women after the long winter months.”

Whether you come to support Bavaria’s showmen and women, or just eat a half-chicken with a litre of your favourite Münchener Bräu, it’s a pleasant way to spend a day.

Many Bavarian cities have their own folk festivals during this season, with spring-themed fests kicking off in late April and early May. For a fun day trip in the surrounding region, you can visit a spring festival in a smaller city. These smaller fests can sometimes offer a more traditional experience with cheaper prices for food and drinks. (If you don’t know where to start, try searching‘Frühlingsfest’ or ‘Volksfest’ and a city name.)

Overlapping with the Spring Fest is the Maidult (April 26th to May 4th) which combines a market and folk festival and takes place at Mariahilfplatz.

Of interest for kids may be the chain carousel, doll houses and cotton candy, whereas adults can shop for pottery, handmade clothes and household goods.

The edible specialty here is steamed noodles and, of course, local beer.

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Art & Performance:

The 36th Turkish Film Days Munich takes place from April 1st to the 6th this year at the Rio Filmplast and Neues Rottmann cinemas.

Here you’ll have a chance to see some of the best Turkish films of the past year, some of which are being shown in Germany for the first time.

Most of the films are naturally in Turkish, but according to the programme on the event’s website they are shown with English subtitles.

For fans of Rock’n’Roll a line-up of legendary performers – including members of the bands Boston, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Black Sabbath and Kansas – will perform at Olympiahalle on April 6th as part of the Rock meets Classic event. Beyond Munich there will also be shows at a number of other Bavarian cities like Ingolstadt, Nuremberg and other major German cities like Berlin, Frankfurt and Düsseldorf.

Theatre lovers wont want to miss the ‘Radikal Jung,’ which features plays and theatre productions by young directors, at the end of the month (April 26th to May 4th).

A full programme can be found on the Volkstheatre website. Note that performances are in German, but at least one production, titled ‘“Rachel and I” is noted to be in both English and German with subtitles.

Sports Events:

Tennis fans will be looking forward to the BMW Open in Munich from April 12th to the 20th.

Matches will be held at the Munich Premium Tennis Club MTTC Iphitos in the northern end of the English Garden.

If you want to test your own strength, you could consider registering for one of the events at Spartan Munich, which takes place April 11th and 12th in the Olympic Park.

Amateur all-around athletes can join 5k and 10k obstacle races including wall and rope climbs, heavy object carries and spear throwing among other challenges.

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Family pick:

A new exhibit opens at Munich’s Kindermuseum on April 5th called Bau mit! (‘Build with us!’). Here children aged 4 and up can jump into a hands-on construction site to erect walls with a crane and create a model-sized construction site of their own.

Also at the Kindermuseum until April 11th is an exhibit for youths aged 14 and up called ‘Drawing Memories - Life Stories in Comics’.

Seasonal tip:

Foraging for wild herbs can be an exciting and healthy hobby to try out in the spring time.

In April, many German foragers traditionally seek out Bärlauch or wild garlic which naturally grows in shady low-land forests around Bavaria.

Since the Middle Ages, this plant has been used medically. It’s said to help with some gastrointestinal issues, and may help protect against heart attacks and strokes.

Bärlauch leaves can add a mildly spicy kick to fresh salads and its stalks can be chopped up and used similarly to garlic. You can also finely chop leaves and stems (or grind them up in a blender) to make pesto, or add the puree to melted butter and let it re-solidify to make your own herbal butter (Kräuterbutter).

You may occasionally see wild garlic in some supermarkets, but if you’d like to try to find it in the wild you can try the English Garten, the Isar flood plains or Pasinger Stadtpark on the banks of the Würm River as well as the Ostfriedhof and Waldfriedhof cemeteries.

If you haven’t foraged before it’s always advisable to go with someone who has a bit of experience. You’ll know you’ve found the right plant if the leaves smell a bit like garlic when you tear or pinch them.

READ ALSO: What's behind the German fascination with foraging for wild mushrooms?