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Near Bilthoven

Famous for Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest 2026 in Bilthoven

Oktoberfest in Bilthoven stays easy. The beer gardens carry the loud nights with live music, giant steins and dancing, and lederhosen were never obligatory. On the calmer ones you end up sharing a communal table with strangers, bratwurst and pretzels going round with a band in the corner. Or a good beer with friends, that's the lot. See what's on for Oktoberfest 2026 in Bilthoven, pick one that suits, and book your tickets before they're claimed.

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Next up in Bilthoven

Oktoberfest XXL

Sat, Oct 31 · 9:00 PM · Bullekerk (Westzijderkerk), Zaandam

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Every listing

Oktoberfest events in Bilthoven

On now

Sat, Oct 31Bullekerk (Westzijderkerk), Zaandam

Oktoberfest XXL

Oktoberfest XXL

9:00 PM

On now

Sat, Oct 31De Koperen Bel, Zaandam

Hairy doet de Koperen Bel Oktober 2026

Cafe Restaurant de Koperen Bel in Zaandam is een baken van rust op de Dam. Tussen al het geflikker van lampen, herrie en de laatste trends bewijst de Koperen Bel dat een goede sfeer, goed voedsel en goed bier tegen een goede prijs alle trends overleeft. D

9:00 PM

Sat, Nov 7Flint Amersfoort

Oktoberfest Amersfoort 2026

Vorig jaar schreven jullie samen met ons geschiedenis in Theater Flint.🍻 Een uitverkochte zaal, tafels vol bierpullen, meezingers van begin tot eind en een sfeer waar nog steeds over nagepraat wordt. Kortom: een legendarische editie van Oktoberfest Amersf

5:00 PM

Get the look

Dress up, raise a stein, throw your own

Outfits, steins and party kit for the season. Check delivery dates before you order.

Links go to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, AllEvents earns from qualifying purchases.

Nearby

More Oktoberfest events around Bilthoven

Worth the trip from Bilthoven, soonest first.

Before you go

Know before you go in Bilthoven

Tickets, timing, what to wear, and whether the kids can come.

Tickets and money

Every organiser sets its own prices, and entry, food and drink are often sold separately. Check what a ticket covers before you buy.

When to go

Bilthoven starts between 5:00 PM and 9:00 PM.

Weekend afternoons fill up first. Go early if you want a table.

In Bilthoven: Saturday is the big day, with 3 of 3 dates.

What to wear

Dirndl or Lederhosen are welcome, never required. In Bavaria they are everyday clothes, not a costume.

Bow tied leftsingle
Bow tied righttaken

Traditionally said, from the wearer's side. A custom, not a rule.

With kids

Festivals in parks and streets are usually all ages; events in bars are often 21+. The listing says which.

Eat and drink

What to order at Oktoberfest

Same word, two beers: Munich pours a pale lager, North America an amber one.

What Munich pours

Festbier

Colour
Pale gold
Malt
Lighter, bready
Finish
Smooth and easy-drinking
Strength
Around 6%

What North America calls Oktoberfest

Märzen

Colour
Amber
Malt
Rich, toasty, bready
Finish
Fuller, with a dry finish
Strength
Varies by brewer
A horse-drawn brewery wagon carrying six barrels

Ask for these on tap

Only these six Munich breweries may pour at the Wiesn. Their festival beers are the real thing.

  1. Augustiner
  2. Hacker-Pschorr
  3. Hofbräu
  4. Löwenbräu
  5. Paulaner
  6. Spaten
A one-litre MaĂź beside a US pint glass and a 330 ml bottle

Pace yourself

1 litre

A Maß is more than two US pints of 6% lager. Eat something with it. In Munich in 2026 one costs about €15.61.

Three glasses: lager with lemonade, wheat beer with lemonade, and cola with orange soda

Driving? Ask for these

  • Radler Beer and lemonade, about half the strength.
  • Russ Wheat beer and lemonade.
  • Spezi Cola and orange soda. No alcohol.

On the plate

  • Most eaten

    Hendl

    Spit-roasted half chicken

  • Schweinshaxe

    Crackling roast pork knuckle

  • Brezn

    The giant salted pretzel

  • Bratwurst

    Grilled sausage in a roll

  • Weisswurst

    Veal sausage, eaten before noon

  • Obatzda

    Beer-garden cheese spread

  • Steckerlfisch

    Whole fish grilled on a stick

  • Vegetarian

    Käsespätzle

    Cheesy egg noodles

  • Kartoffelpuffer

    Crisp potato pancakes

  • Radi

    Spiral-cut salted radish

For afters

  • Kaiserschmarrn

    Torn pancake with plum compote

  • Gebrannte Mandeln

    Warm candied almonds

  • Dampfnudel

    Steamed dumpling in vanilla sauce

  • Apfelstrudel

    Apple strudel

  • Lebkuchenherz

    Gingerbread heart, worn not eaten

At the party

What happens at an Oktoberfest

So you know what to do when the band stops playing and the whole room stands up.

Every 15 minutes or so

Ein Prosit der GemĂĽtlichkeit

Ein Prosit, ein Prosit
der GemĂĽtlichkeit.
Ein Prosit, ein Prosit
der GemĂĽtlichkeit.
Oans, zwoa, drei — g'suffa!

“A toast to good company.” Stand up, raise your glass, sing it twice, count to three, clink and drink.

The songs everyone sings

Most bands play these, loudly, more than once.

  1. Take Me Home, Country RoadsJohn Denver
  2. Sweet CarolineNeil Diamond
  3. FliegerliedThe arm-flapping one
  4. Skandal im SperrbezirkSpider Murphy Gang
  5. HulapaluAndreas Gabalier

How the games work

  • Masskrugstemmen

    Stein hoisting

    Hold a full litre at arm's length, elbow locked. Last arm up wins.

  • Keg bowling

    Kegs for balls, pins at the end of the lane, against the clock.

  • Stein race

    Carry full steins to the line. Fastest run with least beer spilled wins.

  • Bratwurst eating

    Ten brats, no buns, one clock.

  • Dachshund racing

    America's own: sausage dogs sprinting for their owners.

  • Costume contest

    Best dirndl, best lederhosen, judged by applause.

Words you will hear

Prost!prohst
Cheers. Look the other person in the eye when you clink.
O'zapft is!oh-TSAPFT iss
“It's tapped!” Shouted as the first keg is opened.
MaĂźmahss
The one-litre stein. Order one and you are holding two pints.
GemĂĽtlichkeitge-MYOOT-lish-kite
Warmth and good company. The toast song is named after it.
Die Wiesndee VEE-zn
What Munich calls Oktoberfest, after its meadow.
Trachttrakht
Traditional dress: dirndl and lederhosen together.
BreznBRAY-tsn
The giant soft pretzel.
RadlerRAHD-ler
Beer and lemonade, for a lighter glass.

Since 1810

Why it is called Oktoberfest when it happens in September

A horse race on a Munich meadow in 1810, watched by a royal couple and a cheering crowd

It began with a royal wedding and a horse race. When Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria married Princess Therese in 1810, Munich invited the public to celebrate on a field outside the city, and the race on 17 October drew around 40,000 people. The field became the Theresienwiese, the party became annual, and the start date slid into September for the better weather.

Munich's 2026 Wiesn ran from September 19 to October 4.

Asked and answered

Oktoberfest in Bilthoven: the basics

When is Oktoberfest in Bilthoven in 2026?

Oktoberfest events in Bilthoven run from Oct 31 to Nov 7, 2026: 3 events. The busiest weekend is Oct 30 – Nov 1, with 2 events.

Is there an Oktoberfest event in Bilthoven this weekend?

Yes: 2 events are on for Oct 31 – Nov 1, including Oktoberfest XXL at Bullekerk (Westzijderkerk) and Hairy doet de Koperen Bel Oktober 2026. Another 4 events are on nearby.

Is there an Oktoberfest near Bilthoven?

Yes: 6 more events are listed within reach of Bilthoven, in 's-heerenberg, Tilburg, Beek and Utrecht and more. The soonest is Oostenrijkse avond in 's-heerenberg, on Sat, Oct 31.

Where is Oktoberfest held in Bilthoven?

At 3 venues, including Bullekerk (Westzijderkerk), De Koperen Bel and Flint Amersfoort.

What are the best Oktoberfest events in Bilthoven?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are Oktoberfest Amersfoort 2026 at Flint Amersfoort (Sat, Nov 7), Oktoberfest XXL at Bullekerk (Westzijderkerk) (Sat, Oct 31) and Hairy doet de Koperen Bel Oktober 2026 (Sat, Oct 31).

When is Oktoberfest in Munich in 2026?

Munich's 2026 Oktoberfest ran from September 19 to October 4, 2026, 16 days on the Theresienwiese.

What is Oktoberfest, and why is it in September?

A Bavarian folk festival that began in Munich as a royal wedding party: Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese on 12 October 1810, and the celebrations ended with a horse race on 17 October. Munich later moved the start forward into September, when the weather is warmer, and the festival usually ends on the first Sunday in October.

What do you wear to Oktoberfest?

Traditional dress, a Dirndl or Lederhosen, is welcome but never required, and ordinary clothes are completely normal. In Bavaria, Tracht is everyday clothing for family occasions rather than a costume.

What is Oktoberfest beer?

In Munich it is Festbier: a pale, smooth lager of around 6% brewed for the festival by six Munich breweries. In North America, "Oktoberfest" almost always means Märzen, which is darker, amber and maltier. Same word, two different beers.

Worth the trip

Cities famous for Oktoberfest

Where the season is the whole city's business, from Munich's meadow to a Bavarian village in the Cascades.

Keep exploring

More to do around Bilthoven

Cities near Bilthoven