“Best working day ever” – bitter aftertaste before Adele show

In the summer of 2024, numerous world stars came to Munich, thousands listened to the concerts in the Olympic Park. The European Championships also caused a stir – a review.

Munich – It was a summer like no other. The fan festival, the European Football Championship with six games in the Allianz Arena and a jam-packed July and August with several concert highlights. Taylor Swift, Adele and Coldplay have all already turned their backs on Munich. What remains are memories of a crazy summer, an overcrowded Olympic mountain that even made international headlines – but also of a stir surrounding a show in August.

Fan Fest at Theresienwiese: Ed Sheeran heats up fans before the start of the European Championship

As someone who, like me, is a concert enthusiast and loves live music, the summer of 2024 in Munich was probably one that will be unparalleled for a long time. A highlight – and certainly not just for me – was Ed Sheeran. On June 12th he will be performing as part of the Fan Fest on the Theresienwiese. In addition to the superstar from England, Nelly Furtado (including special guest Rea Garvey), Mark Forster, Tim Bendzko and Dylan also performed there. Around 60,000 people celebrated peacefully together on the Theresienwiese. The weather held, it was not too hot, not too cold and above all: no rain like so often this summer.

Admittedly, Ed Sheeran was the clear highlight of this open air event. The other artists were nice extras, but – for me – no reason to buy a ticket. Definitely not a highlight: the long queues at the food stalls and my expensive, soggy fries. Still, a successful event – and a good way to get in the mood for my next highlight: the opening game of the European Football Championship.

European Championship opening match in June 2024: Scots delight Munich

Somehow I managed to get a ticket. The journey on the U3 was a bit tedious at first. The announcement: “We are at the end of a very long traffic jam to Fröttmaning” and that it might take a while gave me no hope of reaching the stadium any time soon. In the end it took me almost twice as long as planned, but I have rarely enjoyed being stuck in a traffic jam as much as I did that day. The Scots sang and danced and spread such a positive atmosphere that the whole subway – even those who weren't going to the stadium – couldn't help but grin or even laugh.

When I finally arrived, I soon found myself in the next “traffic jam”: the entrance line. Scots around me were surprised at the somewhat chaotic entrance, as they thought that in Germany everything was well organized at all times. When they found out that trains in Germany are not known for their punctuality, they were completely astonished. In the stadium, it was the Scots who put a smile on the fans' faces – in addition to the five goals scored by Nagelsmann's eleven. The same thing happened on the way home: the Scots took the defeat in good spirits – and once again filled the subways with songs from their homeland.

Munich Concert Summer: Olivia Rodrigo brings “GUTS World Tour” to the Olympiahalle

Ed Sheeran and the opening match of the European Championships were not my first events this summer. It all started on Friday, June 7th, in the Olympiahalle. Olivia Rodrigo performed there as part of her “GUTS world tour”. A concert that attracted a very young audience – and (perhaps inevitably) their parents. “What wouldn't you do for your daughter?” a mother told me shortly before the concert began. The 21-year-old American delivered a rousing show and the fans also gave their best. Everyone sang along at an indescribable volume. When Rodrigo then started a competition (Who can scream louder? The spectators in the stands or inside?) the volume rose to decibel levels that were almost unbearable. My mistake: no earplugs. I had problems with my ears for almost two weeks.

Taylor Swift delights Munich with “Eras Tour”: Olympiapark probably more crowded than ever

I only had to wait a good six weeks for the next highlight: Taylor Swift brought her “Eras Tour” to Munich and I was able to go there for work. The Olympic Park was bursting at the seams hours before the concert began. The Swifties in particular had to show stamina, as they had been queuing since dawn to secure good seats. After all, the sun burned mercilessly from the sky all day, and in the evening the temperature was almost 32 degrees. Eventually tarpaulins and water were handed out, but some fans still collapsed due to the temperatures. A young girl was carried away from one of the front rows on a stretcher by paramedics shortly before the concert began – the poor girl missed at least the beginning, maybe even the whole concert.

The Olympic Park was probably more crowded than ever for Taylor Swift. I too struggled through the crowds and could hardly believe the sight of the Olympic Hill: There was not a blade of green grass to be seen, crowds of people as far as the eye could see. By now there was no way forward or backward. Thousands pushed through the Olympic Park in search of a place to listen – they met people who were standing in endless lines at the entrance. But the effort was worth it: the 34-year-old American powered through over 3 hours and 45 songs – including impressive stage sets, outfit changes and choreographies. Afterwards, I enthusiastically shared my impressions of the day on Instagram, both of the hours before in the Olympic Park and of the concert itself: “Best day at work ever,” I wrote alongside several photos on the portal.

The musician is also the first star – at least I've never heard it before – to mention the fans in front of the stadium. “Munich, welcome to the Eras Tour!” she said at the beginning, addressing the 74,000 in the stadium, before she went on to express her joy at the 40,000 who were in the Olympic Park – both on Saturday and Sunday.

Coldplay bring the “Music of the Spheres” tour to Munich’s Olympic Stadium

Less than three weeks later, the next superstars, Coldplay, came to Munich. On August 15, the Brits, led by frontman Chris Martin, played the first of three concerts in the Olympic Stadium. There was a surprise for fans on day 1. Because their “friend” was in town, the band covered “Someone like you” by Adele – a treat that probably very few Coldplay fans have had the pleasure of experiencing so far.

The band put on a superlative show. Glowing bracelets bathed the sold-out Olympic Stadium in all colors, confetti and fireworks did the rest – nobody can beat Coldplay when it comes to putting on a thrilling show. Once again, tens of thousands took the opportunity to listen from the Olympic Park – something that did not go unnoticed by Chris Martin. There was a big surprise for the fans in the stadium shortly before the end: the Brits brought Canadian pop star Shawn Mendes on stage for “Fix you”.

Concert summer in Munich ends with Adele: Mega-event with a bitter aftertaste

Finally, I wanted to attend one of the ten Adele concerts. However, my excitement was dampened by the hassle surrounding the tickets. Like many others, I threw myself into the hellish advance booking process in February. Long virtual queues, no more tickets available and a lot of frustration. After several attempts, I finally had two tickets in my shopping cart – worth a short vacation. Fearing that I would come away empty-handed if I tried, and because Adele rarely tours (she was last in Europe as part of her 2016-17 world tour), I jumped at the chance – and was initially happy about my seats at the back, despite the price.

The first disappointment came when I realized that I had bought platinum tickets. According to Ticketmaster, these are tickets that are “provided directly by the artist and management based on demand.” But that doesn't mean you get a better category. They are usually “not special tickets in a better category.” Instead of normal seats being sold at a higher price,” I later read in a ZDF article after a quick Google search. It's also quite possible that there were people sitting next to me who only paid half or a third of what I paid. When I then realized weeks and months later that I could still have bought tickets – cheaper AND further up the stage – my frustration grew even more. When Lucky Dip tickets finally went on sale for 35 euros, I swore to myself: No matter how much I want to see an artist, THAT won't happen to me again.

Adele reconciles with impressive show: anger about ticket purchase evaporates

When the time finally came after months of waiting and I entered the concert area, my anticipation grew immediately. The scale was gigantic! There were numerous drinks stands, food stalls and toilets (each with a long line that moved quickly – almost unusual for a concert of this size). When I finally reached my seat, all the frustration about buying the ticket disappeared. I was in a block at the very back, but the view was still impressive. A superlative scale, endless people and a screen that is second to none.

Adele gave a two-hour performance without changing clothes or taking breaks. Her voice and the impressive stage were enough. She captivated the fans with her charm, the highlight of which was definitely “Someone like you”. 80,000 people followed the Brit's call (“Show off!”) with all the lyrics and sang along loudly. The show – and thus my last concert in 2024 – ended with fireworks. I wouldn't have wanted to miss a single one. (came)