Servus an Alle!

Welcome back to the Munich Post! The purpose of this newsletter is to share: 3 bits of news, 2 upcoming events, and 1 amazing restaurant/café for expats living in and around Munich. This way, you have a pulse on what’s going on without scrolling through thousands of pages.

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Here’s what we’ve got for you this week:

Summer holidays are here and Munich has the waterfronts covered. Water playgrounds are dotted across the city and surrounding area, from Westpark and Riemer Park to a brand-new spot in Prinz-Eugen-Park.

Munich's outdoor pools also run free activity programs for kids aged 4 to 18 every weekday during the summer holidays – SUP, water polo, slide competitions, and more.

Lastly, the new euro banknotes are getting a public vote. The ECB wants to know which designs you prefer and you can vote for them here.

3 bits of news

New changes coming to Oktoberfest this year

Oktoberfest 2026 has a lot in store for you – starting with more advanced security. Last year's Italian Saturday ended with thousands trapped in front of the tents. This year, AI cameras monitor crowd density in real time and trigger alerts before things get dangerous, with a new coordination office improving communication between security services and the city.

Three new rides join the fairground – including the Chaos Pendulum, which swings riders to 42m at 80km/h. Brass bands will start an hour earlier on weekdays to shift visitors away from crowded weekends.

And Mayor Dominik Krause taps the first keg at Noon on September 19 – his first time doing the honors. Once he shouts, O’zapft is!, the rest of the beer can flow.

Find more information here (in German).

In 1990, Munich had five hot days. This year alone: 25

Munich's Department for Climate and Environmental Protection has released a new urban climate analysis. A set of maps shows where heat hits hardest across the city and how green spaces and air corridors can help. The city council adopted it on July 29.

The maps model several scenarios: the current situation, a 3°C warming scenario, and a green city version where 30% tree coverage significantly lowers temperatures. The analysis also factors in Munich's natural advantage when cool air flows down from the Alps at night, giving the city a built-in cooling system that needs protection.

The goal is a 3-30-300 city: three trees visible from every home, 30% tree shade in public spaces, and a green space within 300m of everyone. The analysis now gives planners the data to make it happen.

Find more information here (in German).

Back to school doesn't have to be expensive

Munich's city libraries in Moosach and Schwabing are running a school supplies exchange ahead of the new school year. Drop off pencil cases, pens, rulers, backpacks, or unused workbooks – anything still in good condition and another family gets to use them for FREE.

Donations are accepted at both libraries until September 11. Distribution in Schwabing runs September 8 to 18, and in Moosach from September 15. No registration, no cost – just drop off or pick up as needed.

Good timing if you're clearing out a school bag before term starts.

Find more information here (in German).

Bonus: 

• August 2026: 9 changes affecting expats in Germany

• Where public transport prices are increasing in Germany 

• MVG: 2027 Timetable

• Parent survey: High satisfaction with Munich’s daycare

• Using electronic ankle monitors to combat domestic violence

We’d like to thank our first sponsor. If you’re free on 15th August, do join them.

Nobody Told You Germany Could Make You Rich. We Will.

Most expats here are overpaying tax, investing wrong, and ignoring wealth-building tools that are sitting right in front of them. Not because they're lazy. Because nobody showed them how the German system actually works in their favour.

That changes on 15th August.

A hands-on morning at WeWork (Oskar-von-Miller Ring 20). No jargon, no boring slides. Just how to keep more of what you earn and make it grow.

We're covering real estate as a wealth tool, smarter investing in the German market, tax savings most people never get told about, protecting what you've built, and walking out with a financial roadmap that fits your situation right now.

Run by people who've lived the expat experience and built careers helping others navigate it. Not a sales pitch. A real session with a real plan.

Spots are limited.

Register here

2 upcoming events

Padel courts are coming to Munich Airport

Munich Airport's MAC Forum is hosting Padel Days from August 15 to September 6 – three padel courts set up inside the terminal area, open to anyone who wants to play. Monday to Friday, courts can be booked from 8am to 10pm for €25 to €30 per court depending on the time slot.

Weekends bring tournaments: the Munich City Championships on August 23, the One Point Challenge on August 29, and the Bavarian Padel Championships on September 5 and 6. The opening ceremony on August 15 is FREE, with exhibition matches featuring professional players.

Rackets can be rented for €4 each via the Playtomic app, which is also used for court bookings. The first hour of parking in P20 is FREE on weekdays.

Find more information here (in English).

General information:

📍 MAC Forum, Terminalstraße Mitte 18, 85356 München
⏰ Saturday, August 15–Sunday, September 6
🎟️ From €20 – opening ceremony FREE

Classical concerts in the Residenz courtyard this month

The Münchner Open Air Sommer runs from August 7 to 23 in the Brunnenhof of the Residenz in Altstadt-Lehel – one of Munich's most beautiful outdoor settings. Seventeen nights of concerts cover everything from Vivaldi and Carmina Burana to Beatles Night, Michael Jackson Forever, and an ABBA Night. 

Doors open at 7pm, concerts start at 8pm and run two hours. Tickets are available via Fever. Children aged 6 and up are welcome.

Find more information here (in German).

General information:

📍 Brunnenhof der Residenz, Residenzstraße 1, 80333 München
⏰​​ Friday, August 7–Sunday, August 23
🎟️ Ticket prices vary per show 

Bonus: 

• Mini Munich - Aug 3–21

• Big Bang Comedy - Aug 7

• Community Dachgarten - Aug 9

• Partial solar eclipse - Aug 12

• Bluesfest at Rotkreuzplatz - Aug 16

Wed’ like to thank our second sponsor.

Renting as the risky

Everyone tells you renting is the safe choice in Munich. It's the expensive one.

You've heard the logic. Prices are too high, you might move in a few years, buying ties you down, just rent and stay flexible. It sounds cautious. In practice it's a decade of payments with nothing on the other side, in one of Europe's tightest housing markets.

The reason people stop there is that they never run the financing. And in Germany the financing is where it gets interesting. How much equity you actually need, how repayment is structured, what a fixed-rate period does to your risk, the KfW programmes most internationals never look into. Model it properly and "just keep renting" stops being the obvious answer.

finbird's free webinar covers exactly that. 45 minutes, plain English. Founder Daniela Kögel walks through the full buying process, how German mortgages actually work, and real case studies so you see the numbers, not the theory. Live Q&A at the end. Can't make it live? Register and we'll send you the recording.

Next session: 18th August. Online, free, no obligation.

Register here

1 new restaurant/café to try

Spicy Temptation 

Spicy Temptation is a Sichuan hotpot restaurant on Ungererstraße in Schwabing – one of Munich's few spots dedicated entirely to the format. You pick a soup base, order your ingredients, and cook everything at the table in a bubbling pot. The Mala beef fat broth is the classic choice if you want heat; the mushroom or tomato bases work well for something milder.

The menu is extensive with beef, lamb, seafood, tofu, a long list of mushrooms, and vegetables – all ordered à la carte and priced individually. It's the kind of meal that works best with a group.

Reservations are recommended. Also available on Uber Eats if the weather makes hotpot more of a sofa situation.

General information:

📍 Ungererstraße 56, 80805 München
🥘 Hotpot
⏰ Everyday, 11am–3pm and 5pm–11pm   

Visit Spicy Temptation

Meme of the week 😂

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