Tollwood Hippie Fest

I finally caught up with the three week celebration that has become a mainstay for 20 years in Munich’s Summer culture, that is the Tollwood festival taking place at the Olympic Village. And while it may have some respectable acts like Billy Idol, The Neville Brothers, Simply Red, Lorenna McKennitt, and the Bangles; in the end it was a bit of a hippie fest. I rode all over the Olympic park before finding it below the Olympic hill, a space I believe reserved for the weekly flea market. There was certainly a mix of crafts in the “Market of Ideas” area, but the bulk of the stands were a mix of rasta hats, flowery clothes, and garden chairs. And attending the event were a lot of shirtless, hairy, and sweaty people - many of which did not think highly about deodorant. In what has become known as a “Tent Spectacle” or a township of tents and stages, the event only sells certified organic food – despite the wide offering of French fries, sausages, and beer. Like many things in Munich, it was a bit of a contrast – half entertainment and half beer fest, half people watching and half spectacle (as the photo shows) , and half corporate and half hippie fest.