kultURKNALL Festival Murnau

Benefit Festival Since 1994

The kultURKNALL Festival was founded in 1994 as a benefit event by the association Menschen Helfen e.V. in Murnau am Staffelsee. Since then, it has taken place annually on the last school holiday weekend in July. Unlike traditional festivals, the artists do not receive a fee; all proceeds go directly to the association's aid projects, which support, among other things, a child care center in the Republic of Moldova – one of the poorest countries in Europe. In 2025, the festival's net proceeds exceeded €46,000.

Program Profile: Concerts, Theater, Circus, Culinary Delights

The program is intentionally diverse and consistently avoids any genre definition. Bands from folk, jazz, rock, and classical music alternate on stage – in 2025, artists like Willy Michl, Danger Ank, and several jazz ensembles performed. Additionally, there are readings, poetry contributions, circus productions (e.g., Zirkus Jaloschum), folk dance, and spoken word formats. In the middle of the festival, there is a separate 'Kraemergasse' (market lane) with a market and culinary character.

Children's Program – kultURKNALL for Kids

The 'kultURKNALL for Children' is a distinct program strand: its own stages, its own theater and fairy tale formats (e.g., Bauer Sepps Märchenbühne), craft activities, and children's cultural workshops. This positions the festival as a truly intergenerational event – not an adult festival with a children's corner.

Reading Hall, Staffelsee, and Rotating Venues

The venue is a rotating festival site in the Murnau / Seehausen am Staffelsee area. In 2025, the historic Lesehalle (reading hall) was the focal point, featuring readings, book corners, and a reading lounge. Murnau/Seehausen is again the venue for 2026.

Murnau am Staffelsee

Murnau am Staffelsee is located in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Upper Bavaria, on the southern edge of the Staffelsee lake between the Murnauer Moos and the Alps. The town became known through the artist group Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) around Wassily Kandinsky and Gabriele Münter. kultURKNALL builds on this cultural tradition – with a program that combines regional artist scenes and the association's international aid orientation.