Munich, May 16, 2026 – Munich’s large city festival, the Zamanand Festival, is entering a new era with a new main partner, the Sparda-Bank Munich, and will henceforth be known as the Sparda-Bank Zamanand Festival. On June 20 and 21, 2026, Ludwigstrasse, between Odeonsplatz and Siegestor, will once again be transformed into a car-free festival zone for sustainability, diversity, science, culture, and social engagement. The festival is organized in cooperation with the Department for Climate and Environmental Protection of the State Capital Munich, with Dominik Krause as its patron.
New Partnership, Enduring Vision: Sparda-Bank Zamanand Festival
The new main partnership with Sparda-Bank Munich emphasizes two core guiding principles: collective action and responsibility for a liveable city. “With Sparda-Bank Munich, we are gaining a main partner that fits our festival perfectly. Zamanand means together and with each other. We want to make Ludwigstrasse a place for two days where urban society, initiatives, culture, science, and visitors can experience and shape the future together,” says Manuel Schaumann, managing director of the non-profit Zamanand gUG and festival director.
Sparda-Bank Munich, as a common good bank, stands for sustainable business practices, regional responsibility, and cooperative action. This partnership connects two actors committed to participation, sustainability, and a strong sense of community in Munich and the region. “The Zamanand Festival shows what is possible when people come together: open, lively, and right in the heart of Munich. As a common good bank, it is our aspiration to support precisely these initiatives that promote exchange, make socially relevant topics visible, and enrich our city. That is why we are very pleased to accompany the Zamanand Festival as a main sponsor,” says Peter Berger, Chairman of the Board, Sparda-Bank Munich.
Ludwigstrasse Reimagined: A Car-Free Zone for Community Engagement
Ludwigstrasse will once again become a symbol for a Munich that rethinks public space. Where traffic usually dominates, an open urban space will be created for two days with stages, workshops, discussions, hands-on activities, music, performance, sports, art, and encounters. The festival continues the tradition of the car-free day on Ludwigstrasse, which was initially shaped by the Streetlife Festival and lives on today in the Zamanand Festival.
In 2026, the festival will also celebrate a special anniversary: 25 years of car-free day on Ludwigstrasse. The idea of temporarily opening the street for people instead of cars has become a major platform for urban culture, sustainability, participation, and social engagement.
Focus on Climate Protection, Diversity, and Science
A key thematic focus remains climate and environmental protection. The Department for Climate and Environmental Protection will bring central future topics to the street under the motto “Re:think Munich” with interactive formats, information offerings, and experience spaces. Visitors can inform themselves, participate, discuss, and experience what sustainable urban living can look like in everyday life.
“The festival makes visible how public space can become a learning, meeting, and experimentation space. Zamanand makes it possible to experience, right in the middle of Ludwigstrasse, that climate and environmental protection do not have to remain abstract, but can take place right in the city – openly, accessibly, and together with the people,” says Christine Kugler, Department for Climate and Environmental Protection.
Among the new highlights of the June festival is the MORGEN stage of MORGEN e.V. With a multicultural program of music, dance, performance, and encounters, MORGEN e.V. brings Munich’s cultural diversity to Ludwigstrasse. The stage will become a place of exchange, visibility, and shared celebration – open to different communities, generations, and forms of expression.
Science will also be directly experienced again: the AHA Super Science Club of the AHA Science Communication Hub brings research, experiments, and future questions directly to the festival grounds. Interactive actions, creative formats, and hands-on offerings will make topics around sustainability, diversity, participation, and social transformation tangible.
Zamanand in Europe and Extensive NGO Participation
Another focus is Zamanand in Europe. This thematic area creates space for European diversity, dialogue, and joint shaping. With stage programs, discussions, workshops, and artistic formats, Europe as a cultural, social, and political meeting place will be experienced right in Munich.
In addition, around 50 NGOs, associations, initiatives, and organizations from the fields of sustainability, education, social engagement, environmental, and climate protection will present themselves. They will show how diverse Munich’s urban society is already working on solutions for tomorrow – accessibly, free of charge, and right in public space.
The Sparda-Bank Zamanand Festival sees itself as a platform for all generations: families, children and young people, culture enthusiasts, committed individuals, neighbors, science enthusiasts, and everyone who wants to experience Munich from a new perspective for two days. Admission is free. There are still places available for exhibitors!
Event Details:
- Event: Sparda-Bank Zamanand Festival
- Date: Saturday, June 20, and Sunday, June 21, 2026
- Location: Ludwigstrasse Munich, between Odeonsplatz and Siegestor
- Admission: Free
- Opening hours:
- Saturday: 4 PM to 2 AM (loud program ends at 11 PM)
- Sunday: 11 AM to 9 PM (loud program ends at 8 PM)
Public transport is recommended for arrival. The festival is easily accessible via the Odeonsplatz and Universität subway stations. Visitor parking is not available. Traffic restrictions are to be expected around Ludwigstrasse during the festival.
Source: https://www.nachrichten-muenchen.com/zamanand-festival-muenchens-grosses-stadtfestival-am-20-und-21-juni-2026/225269/
