Munich is a major performing arts center and has a lively nightlife as well. The city is home to no fewer than four major orchestras plus a world-class opera company and a ballet company. Many theaters are scattered throughout the city, offering everything from classic to modern German drama.
Munich's nightlife varies with the weather. When the weather is fair and the night air balmy, the Biergartens and Biersteins are brimming with cheer. During the winter months, patrons of the beer gardens turn to Munich's beer halls, such as the illustrious Hofbräuhaus, to quaff brews and share in the typical Bavarian songfest. Beer gardens and beer halls usually empty around midnight; then the club scene cranks up. Munich's club scene is quite eclectic. It is possible to find almost any type of club, from country-and-western bars to ultratechno dance halls. Many clubs rave until the wee hours of the morning. Haidhausen and Schwabing vie with each other as the place to go, with the trendiest clubs and nightlife.
To find out what's happening in the Bavarian capital, go to the tourist office just outside the Hauptbahnhof and request a copy of Monatsprogramm (a monthly program guide), costing 1.50€ ($1.80). It contains a complete cultural guide, telling you not only what's being presented -- from concerts to opera, from special exhibits to museum hours -- but also how to purchase tickets. (The Monatsprogramm is in German, but it's a simple German, with lots of emphasis on addresses, dates, and listings; and as such, even people without a firm grasp of German can get a lot of information from it.)
Gay & Lesbian Clubs -- Much of Munich's gay and lesbian scene takes place in the blocks between the Viktualienmarkt and Gärtnerplatz, particularly on Hans-Sachs-Strasse.
