Munich, Germany

Traditional flair and lasting memories!

MK Illumination Austria aimed to tell a story about Munich and Bavaria, using cultural features and symbols to bring the uniqueness of the city and the region to life. By building on existing brand elements and a selection of Munich landmarks, we used festive lighting to emphasise the city’s strong identity, much to the delight of visitors from Munich and further afield. The result was a unique, custom-designed concept that emphasised Munich as a Christmas destination.

The central design element was the state symbol of Bavaria, the blue and white rhombus that is officially used as something akin to a "small Bavarian state coat of arms", which we incorporated into almost every motif. The motif of the Schäffler (cooper or barrel maker), an essential character in the well-established dance tradition, helped to build awareness of this feature of Bavarian culture, and the resulting Insta-Photo point attracted significant interest, with over 1,000 selfies sharing the tradition across the globe. 

Thanks to our modular approach, the resulting festive lighting installations have also provided Munich with an opportunity to highlight public spaces, like squares, throughout the year. We are currently working with the city to adapt elements of their festive lighting to provide unique settings for other events,  including the European Football Championship, Oktoberfest, the Auer Dult and many more. In doing so, Munich will be harnessing the power of light to enhance its status as a destination long after winter has passed. 

And it gos on!

After the enchanting success of our new Christmas concept in 2023, we lovingly and devotedly expanded the project in 2024. We replaced 78 toppers and artfully reused them to decorate five majestic trees. The Sendlinger Straße now shines in new splendor, adorned with additional rhombus tubes and a charming photo spot called "Das Zamperl." This photo spot has captured the hearts of many and has been shared thousands of times on social media, making "The Zamperl" famous worldwide alongside "The Schäffler."

Our expansion also included the loving design of an entirely new street in the heart of Munich. This is a wonderful example of how our concepts can make public spaces not only safer but also more attractive and beautiful.

The Mayor of Munich approached us and spoke about the challenges in the main street leading from the central station to the city center. This street was plagued by drugs and violence, deterring both locals and tourists. After intensive discussions, we decided to extend our downtown concept to this street as well. With a lot of passion and creativity, we transformed the street into an inviting place where people feel comfortable and safe. This also brought new vitality to local businesses.

For 2025, we are planning another enchanting photo spot for this street. In 2024, we once again demonstrated the wonderful potential of reusing our products. We continue to have inspiring discussions with the city of Munich to further expand the project in the coming years.