Münchener Biennale

The Münchener Biennale is a festival for new music theatre that brings together various international cooperation partners, institutions, and festivals in Munich, creating opportunities for encounters between artists and audiences. In line with the festival’s international orientation, regular travel is required.

We are committed to encouraging our employees, our partners, and all artistic, technical, and administrative production teams to actively contribute to a culture of resource conservation.

The following guidelines represent a voluntary commitment and apply to all travel arranged by us.

1. Use of transportation for arrival and departure

Bus and train travel

Rail travel is the preferred method of transportation. Bus or train travel from abroad to Germany is considered acceptable when the travel time does not exceed eight hours.

Flights

Domestic flights within Germany are generally avoided, and flight costs will typically not be reimbursed for reasons of climate protection. This also applies to flights to neighboring countries (particularly to well-connected major cities).In general, travel duration, distance, and length of stay must be reasonably proportionate. As a result, only the following types of flights may be taken:
Flights covering less than 800 km are permitted only when bus or train travel would take longer than eight hours.
Flights covering 800 km to 3,800 km require a minimum stay of five days.
Flights over 3,800 km require a minimum stay of ten days. The length of stay includes travel time. Direct flights are preferred over connections with stopovers.

Car travel

When traveling by car, the overall proportionality and the availability of more ecological alternatives are carefully considered. If car travel is needed for transportation or for reasons such as safety or accessibility, carpooling and electric vehicles are prioritized. Alternatives such as cargo bikes or bicycle courier services are used when the load makes this possible. In case of doubt, carrying out transport ourselves using a low-emission vehicle is preferred over outsourcing transport with high CO2 emissions. Additional time and staffing demands are considered reasonable in this context.

2. Local transportation

Within cities, public transportation or bicycles are used as the primary option. E-bikes, e-scooters, or electric scooters may be considered secondarily. The acquisition of rental bicycles for guests, artists, and staff will be explored.

3. Accommodation

The choice of accommodation influences the environmental impact of business travel. For overnight stays, we therefore select hotels that operate in environmentally responsible ways, including conscientious use of energy and water, sustainable purchasing practices, and effective waste management.

We select accommodations with the following considerations:
- All hotels should be located such that important destinations can be reached on foot, by bicycle, or by public transportation.
- Environmental certifications are considered when booking, or the hotel’s sustainability strategy is researched to verify concrete environmental measures. While larger hotels are more likely to have certifications, smaller hotels without amenities such as swimming pools often have a lower CO2 footprint per guest.
- Where possible, staying with private hosts or using sharing accommodations are climate-friendly alternatives.

4. Outlook

The implementation and ongoing development of the Münchener Biennale travel policy is part of a broader shift toward climate-responsible artistic production and presentation. The criteria described here represent a concrete starting point for the further necessary changes ahead.