Step Into the Marienplatz Crowd
You come up out of the U-Bahn at Marienplatz and the first thing you notice is the cold—the kind that settles into your hands and makes you think about the steam rising off a cup of Glühwein. The second thing is the light: the facade of the Neues Rathaus, the towers of the Frauenkirche and Alter Peter, all of it lit and looming over a square that has been the setting for this market since it settled here permanently in 1972. The Christkindlmarkt's roots go back to the 14th-century St. Nicholas markets; the first documented "Nikolaidult" was held in 1642 on Kaufingerstraße near the Schöner Turm, and the market was renamed "Christmarkt" in 1806. A 25-metre Christmas tree with 3,000 candles stands at the centre of it all. The stalls are piled with handicrafts, and somewhere a choir or a wind ensemble is playing. This is the Munich Christmas market in its full form, and if you're in town for Boxing Day you'll want to understand one thing before you plan: the city's Christmas markets, this one included, close on 24 December. Boxing Day in Munich is not a market day. It's something quieter and, in its own way, better—a city with its rituals still running and its crowds gone home.
Follow the Krampus Route Through the Old Town
The Krampus run is the set-piece of Munich's December, and it comes with a date: 13 December 2026, 15:00–17:00. Roughly 25 groups and more than 300 participants in Krampus, Perchten and Klause costume move through the inner city, with up to 50,000 spectators lining the way. The route runs from Augustinerstraße into the pedestrian zone, then via Färbergraben, Rosental, Sendlinger Straße, Dultstraße, Oberanger, Rindermarkt, Petersplatz and the Viktualienmarkt to the Altes Rathaus. It's organised by the City of Munich's Department for Labour and Economic Development (RAW) together with the "Sparifankerl-Pass" group, and the tradition is about 500 years old in the Alpine region. If you're in Munich on the 13th, claim a spot early on the Sendlinger Straße stretch and stay put. The Perchtenläufe continue through the Rauhnächte—the "rough nights"—which run to Epiphany on 6 January, so the figures aren't entirely packed away by Boxing Day.
Hear the Music the City Does All Winter
Munich's concert life doesn't pause for the holiday. The Herkulessaal in the Residenz—rebuilt in 1953, seating around 1,400, and the city's main classical hall until the Gasteig opened in 1988—hosts Christmas concerts through the season. The Olympiahalle's December programme in 2026 includes BAP on 3 December, PUR on 16 December and Night of the Proms on 18–20 December. For something rooted in the season, the puppet Nativity play performed in Munich dialect in the crypt of St. Theresia in Neuhausen has Sunday performances on 6, 13, 20 and 27 December 2026, plus 3 and 6 January 2027; it's suitable for ages 4 and up, and a nativity scene exhibition is on display outside performance times. Tickets for the city's events go through München Ticket, and further concert listings are collected under "Munich – City of Music."
Spend a Cold Day Indoors, Then Find the Fireworks of the Season
Two exhibitions give you a reason to stay inside when the temperature drops. The Formula 1 Exhibition at Pineapple Park, Arnulfstraße 195–199 (Paketposthalle), runs until 10 January 2027 across roughly 3,000 square metres, with original cars and simulators. The Stonehenge exhibition at the Archäologische Staatssammlung runs 18 September 2026 – 29 August 2027. For seasonal food, the markets are your guide—mulled wine, punch, and cinnamon- and clove-spiced foods, with vegan, diabetic, gluten-free and lactose-free options—but remember they close on 24 December, so plan your market eating before Boxing Day rather than on it. The Kripperlmarkt at St. Peter's, described as Germany's largest nativity market, has been held since 1757 and runs from the first Advent to Epiphany, which means it is still standing on 26 December. Ten stalls sell nativity scenes, figurines from Val Gardena carvers and "Marolin" papier-mâché figures from Thuringia, plus accessories and natural decorations, with repairs, restorations and advice offered in several languages.
Take the Canal and the Neighbourhoods at Winter Pace
When the Nymphenburg Canal freezes, Munich goes curling—Eisstockschießen—on roughly 40 lanes, with stick hire available and beginners genuinely welcome. It's the most Bavarian thing you can do on a cold Boxing Day, and it depends entirely on the weather, so check conditions before you set out. For a neighbourhood worth knowing, head to the Glockenbachviertel, where Pink Christmas at Stephansplatz ran 20 November – 20 December 2026 with pop music, a prosecco bar and travesty shows, proceeds going to AIDS relief and local social projects; the market is closed by Boxing Day, but the quarter's streets are worth walking. In Prinz-Eugen-Park, the Herzlmarkt / Neue Ziegelei winter market at Ruth-Drexel-Strasse 34 ran for a single day, 6 December 2026. And if you want the full market experience, the Christkindlmarkt at Marienplatz runs 20 November – 24 December 2026, open Mon–Sat 10:00–21:00 and Sun 10:00–20:00, with Advent music from the Town Hall balcony Sun–Thu from 17:15 for about 30 minutes. The Grünwalder Turmbläser traditionally play at market close on 24 December at 12:00. Plan your Boxing Day around what stays open—the Kripperlmarkt, the concerts, the exhibitions, the canal—and let the market crowds be a memory from earlier in the week. Tourist information sits in the Neues Rathaus on Marienplatz (tel. +49 89 233-96500, Mon–Fri); the market is barrier-free, and there's no parking around Marienplatz, so use public transport.
Munich in late December rewards the visitor who reads the calendar carefully. Book your concert tickets through München Ticket, check the Kripperlmarkt's Epiphany run, watch the forecast for the Nymphenburg Canal, and give the 13 December Krampus run a place in your plans if your trip stretches that far. The city is at its most itself when the stalls come down and the rituals carry on.