Tollwood Festival, Munich Germany

Our Intrepid Reporter looking ‘thoughtful’

Know I you’re thinking why are you writing about a summer festival in February! Because this is a great family festival to get yourselves along too, and you’ll need some planning. So let us plan ahead ready for when the sun comes out to shine!

Richard (the techy half of 4 Points Leisure) was heading off to Munich on business (read holiday!!), as part of this ‘business trip’ he’d been invited to visit the Tollwood Festival in Munich. However let’s make use of this visit, so badgered by me, off he went with cries of camera, and don’t forget a thing, nestling in his ears!

The grand summer festival of Munich

As a result of his adventure, we have here, a small guide to Tollwood Festival (summer). Each year the festival is held, in June/July at the Olympic Park in Munich. This year it runs from 27th June to 22nd July 2018, and it’s a special 30th birthday celebration. The first Tollwood Festival took place in 1988, and in 1991 the winter festival followed. The aim of the festival (which is 70%, free of charge), is to reflect a multicultural society, with tolerance, internationality and openness being keystones. Culture for all is the philosophy.

Over 26 days, Tollwood Festival opens its gates to everyone, check in on the ‘Market of Ideas’, theatre, music groups or catch big artists, including last year, Steve Winwood. The concept is very similar to our music festivals with crafts, art, dance, circus, drama and music.

Our intrepid reporter, eh reports……

The atmosphere was really relaxed with a chilled vibe, we visited on a mid week evening. My workmates and I grabbed a beer and wandered around the south part of the Olympic Park, which is where the festival is staged. It wasn’t overcrowded but I could imagine the weekend being more crushed. We spent about 4 hours, from early evening, and didn’t see half of the activities or stalls. I didn’t go with an idea of what I wanted see, so it was just great to immerse myself in everything. My only aim: to find different German beers! I succeeded!

Whats inside the festival?

Food wise, the choice was massive. You could go back every night for the whole 26 days and eat from another world. French, Indian, Irish! Peruvian, Silesian, Bavarian, Hungarian and more. Most of it was the grab and go variety, but where there was beer, there was usually seating.

As for music, our visit coincided with Blues, Rock, Dance, Silent Disco and easy listening? Certainly no oompah bands! As it was all free, you could wander in and out as you pleased. The festival is a real draw to locals; it’s a summer occasion for Munich, and we were made to feel very welcome, not treated like outsiders. My work colleagues go back several times over the month, to enjoy different music, visit stalls they hadn’t seen etc. I felt the festival was good value for money, I definitely didn’t feel like the festival organisers were trying to ‘fleece’ us.

The ‘Market of Ideas’ showcased hundreds of craft and artisan stalls. Selling jewellery, unusual gifts such as bird wind chimes, handcrafted paper, handbags and hammocks! The variety was huge, and a spectacle in its own right. The sustainable, eco ethos of the festival was very much in evidence with recycling bins everywhere, and gifts wrapped in old newspaper. Waste was kept to a minimum.

How would you describe this festival? – Like a Christmas market but in the summer, with the added attraction of circus acts, street performers and music.

Would you go again? – If I was in Munich I would definitely visit again.