Olympiapark Munich: Sport, Concerts and Days Out

This guide is for people who have moved to Munich from abroad and want to use the Olympiapark the way locals do, whether you have children or not. You will learn which parts of the park suit a sporty weekend, a big concert night or a relaxed family afternoon, and where to check the details that change from week to week.

• What the Olympiapark means to residents
• Sport: watching and taking part
• Concerts and big events
• Guided tours worth booking
• A day out with children
• FAQ

What the Olympiapark means to residents

The Olympiapark (Munich’s Olympic Park) was built for the 1972 Olympic Games. Its tent roof has been a Munich landmark for decades, and you will see it on postcards and in the background of countless local photos. For people who live here, though, it is less a sight to tick off and more a place you keep coming back to. You might walk by the lake after work, see a band in the arena, or go and watch an athletics event. On other days you go because the children need space to run.

The first page to bookmark is the park’s own English site, olympiapark.de. It has a section called “What’s happening at the Olympic Park today?”, which lists the day’s events and visitor information. Check it before you set off. A large concert or sporting event changes the feel of the whole park, and it is better to know in advance whether you are heading into a quiet afternoon or a crowd. The site also has a page of important information and notes for visitors, so read that if this is your first visit.

Sport: watching and taking part

Sport is why the park exists, and it is still central to how the place is used. The official site describes the sports facilities as being in intensive use right up to the present day, decades after the 1972 Games.

If you enjoy watching top-level competition, the park has a strong record. Munich hosted the European Athletics Championships in 2002, and again as part of the 2022 European Championships. World Athletics has now awarded Munich the 2031 World Athletics Championships, with the Olympic Park as the venue. The park’s news page calls it the biggest international athletics event, and says it will be returning to Germany. If you have just moved here and plan to stay, that is one to put in a long-term diary.

If you would rather take part yourself, for example swimming, joining a course or simply training on site, the official pages used for this guide do not list the facilities, prices or opening hours for public use. The Olympiapark’s own website has the current details, and it is the right place to check before you pack your kit. Do not rely on older forum posts or travel blogs here, because conditions and prices change.

Concerts and big events

For many residents, the Olympiapark is first and foremost where the big concerts happen. The Olympiahalle (the park’s indoor arena) is a regular stop for international touring acts. The city’s official events calendar on muenchen.de currently lists koRn at the Olympiahalle, alongside hundreds of other events across Munich. The park’s own highlights page features upcoming tours in genres such as rap, hip-hop and R&B, and dance and electronic music.

Festivals are part of the mix as well. The park reports that around 60,000 people came to MASH 2026 over three hot days, which tells you how busy the grounds can get during a festival weekend. If you live nearby, expect more people and more noise on those days. If you are going, bring water and plan your journey home in advance.

Two practical tips. First, use the muenchen.de calendar to browse what is on across the city. Then check the Olympiapark site for details specific to the venue. Second, ticketing, entry rules and bag policies depend on the event and the organiser. Neither official page sets out general rules, so read the information for your specific event before you go. Concerts at the arena are mainly an evening activity for adults and older teenagers. If you are thinking of bringing a child, check the organiser’s age guidance first.

Guided tours worth booking

Once you have settled in, a guided tour is a good way to understand the place you keep walking through. The official site offers several.

• Architec-Tour: this tour is about the tent roof. It covers how the builders came up with the idea, how it was put up and why it is still standing. It is a good choice if you like architecture or engineering, or have visitors who do.
• Waldi Tour: this tour follows in the footsteps of Waldi, the colourful mascot of the 1972 Games, who the park says stands for the joy of life and spirit of those Olympics. A mascot is a friendly way into the history for a family group.
• Skylift Tour: this tour crosses the whole park. Guides cover the architecture, the building of the tent roof and how the sports facilities are still used today. The highlight is a ride on the Skylift to a height of 70 metres.

The official page does not list tour prices, start times, languages, or age or height limits for the Skylift. Check the Olympiapark website for current details and booking before you promise a child the ride up.

A day out with children

On an ordinary day without a big event, the park is an easy family outing. The park railway takes you through the grounds, which helps when small legs get tired. The Waldi Tour gives children a character to follow while the adults pick up some history.

The lake shore is the natural centre of a family afternoon. Along it runs MOWOS, the Munich Olympic Walk of Stars, a walkway that has recorded the famous people who have come to the park since 2003. Older children often enjoy looking for names they know, which turns a walk into a small game.

When it is time to eat, the Restaurant Olympic Lake has more than 200 seats and a sun terrace. The park describes it as suitable for a relaxed day out, a get-together after work or a meal with family and friends. That makes it a sensible meeting point if you are bringing grandparents or new friends from work. The official page does not give the restaurant’s opening hours or prices, so check its own listing before you rely on it for lunch.

Adults without children use the same spaces differently. An evening walk by the lake, a drink on the terrace before a concert or an architecture tour at the weekend are all popular ways to enjoy the park.

FAQ

Do I need to speak German to enjoy the Olympiapark?

No. The Olympiapark has an English version of its website, and the city’s muenchen.de events pages are available in English too. Some listings in the city calendar still carry their original German titles, so you will occasionally see German names for exhibitions or shows. A quick search on the venue’s site usually clears up what an event is.

Is the Olympiapark a good outing for children?

Yes, especially on days without a large event. The park railway, the Waldi Tour based on the 1972 mascot and the lakeside Walk of Stars all work well for families. The Skylift Tour goes up to 70 metres. The official page does not state age or height limits, so check the Olympiapark website before you book.

How do I find out what is on at the park?

Start with the “What’s happening at the Olympic Park today?” section on olympiapark.de for events on the day. For a wider view of concerts and events across Munich, including those at the Olympiahalle, use the official events calendar on muenchen.de. Ticket and entry rules come from each event’s organiser.

Are there major sporting events coming to the park?

Yes. World Athletics has awarded Munich the 2031 World Athletics Championships, and the Olympic Park will be the venue. The park previously hosted the European Athletics Championships in 2002 and again as part of the 2022 European Championships.

Official sources: olympiapark.de · muenchen.de

Last checked: 19 October 2026 against the pages linked above. Prices, opening hours and programmes change; the venue’s own site always has the current details.