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Near Dresden

Famous for Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest 2026 in Dresden

Oktoberfest opens up in Dresden as autumn lands. Afternoons go to beer festivals and Bavarian nights, giant steins and live music, and nights go to dancing, with lederhosen entirely up to you. The food never drops out, bratwurst and pretzels on nearly every menu and long tables through the centre where you end up talking to the whole bench. Or is one good beer with friends the point of it? See what's on for Oktoberfest 2026 in Dresden and book your tickets before they're gone.

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Fresh listingsupdated

Next up in Dresden

"Das 4. Moritzburger Bierfest" am 10.10.26 im Lindengarten Moritzburg by Burki*Events

Oct 10–11 · 6:00 PM · Lindengarten Moritzburg

Starts in

See the event

Every listing

Oktoberfest events in Dresden

Something different

Oct 16–17Felix Rooftop Bar Dresden2 days

Rooftop Wiesn im Felix

Dirndl, Lederhose oder einfach gute Laune - Freut euch auf einen Abend mit Wiesn-Hits und bester Partystimmung über den Dächern der Stadt. O'zapft. Aufgedreht. Abgefeiert. <

7:00 PM

€10Keg tapping

Sat, Oct 17Sächsische Schweiz , Pirna, Germany

3. Oktoberfest Reinhardtsdorf 17.10.2026

🍺 Das große Oktoberfest in Reinhardtsdorf steht vor der Tür! 🍺 Zieht euer schönstes Dirndl oder eure beste Lederhose an und feiert mit uns einen unvergesslichen Oktoberfest-Abend voller Stimmung, Musik und guter Laune! 🥨🍻 🍺 Mitsingen, Schunkeln und Feie

6:00 PM

Sat, Oct 24Rathausplatz, 01900 Großröhrsdorf, Deutschland

OKTOBERFEST Großröhrsdorf / Olaf Henning / Nicci Schubert / Andreas Gabalier (Double)

🎉🍺 OKTOBERFEST GROßRÖHRSDORF 2026 🍺🎉 📍 Rathausparkplatz Großröhrsdorf 📅 Samstag, 24. Oktober 2026 🕓 ab 16:00 Uhr O’zapft is! 🥨🍻 Der Förderverein der Stadtteilfeuerwehr Großröhrsdorf lädt euch ein zum großen Oktoberfest 2026 – mit bester Stimmung, zünftig

4:00 PM

Keg tapping

Oct 24–25Gutshof 1, 01705 Freital, Deutschland2 days

3. Pesterwitzer Oktoberfest

O’zapft wird in Pesterwitz! 🍻🥨 Am 24.10.2026 heißt es wieder: Dirndl raus, Lederhose an und ab zur Gutshofbühne Pesterwitz! Freut euch auf einen stimmungsvollen Oktoberfest-Abend mit kühlen Maßkrügen, Brezeln, Musik und bester Festzeltlaune. Für die pas

7:00 PM

Keg tapping

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 Dresden

Worth the trip from Dresden, soonest first.

Sat, Oct 17Buffalo-Ranch 1, 04575 Neukieritzsch, Deutschland, Neukieritzsch, Markkleeberg

Oktoberfest

5:00 PM

Before you go

Know before you go in Dresden

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.

In Dresden: Paid tickets from €10.

When to go

Dresden starts between 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM.

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

In Dresden: Saturday is the big day, with 4 of 5 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 Maß 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 Gemütlichkeit

Ein Prosit, ein Prosit
der Gemütlichkeit.
Ein Prosit, ein Prosit
der Gemütlichkeit.
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.
Maßmahss
The one-litre stein. Order one and you are holding two pints.
Gemütlichkeitge-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

Long before Dresden had an Oktoberfest, Munich threw one for a royal wedding. Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese on 12 October 1810, and some 40,000 people turned out for the horse race that closed the celebrations. It went so well the city did it again, and eventually moved it forward into September, when Bavarian evenings are still warm enough to sit outside.

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

Asked and answered

Oktoberfest in Dresden: the basics

When is Oktoberfest in Dresden in 2026?

Oktoberfest events in Dresden run from Oct 10 to Oct 24, 2026: 5 events. The busiest weekend is Oct 16 – Oct 18, with 2 events.

Is there an Oktoberfest event in Dresden this weekend?

Yes: one event is on for Oct 9 – Oct 11, including "Das 4. Moritzburger Bierfest" am 10.10.26 im Lindengarten Moritzburg by Burki*Events.

How much are Oktoberfest tickets in Dresden?

Tickets run from €10, set by each organiser, so check what yours includes before you book. None of the 5 events listed right now is free to get into.

Is there an Oktoberfest near Dresden?

Yes: 2 more events are listed within reach of Dresden, in Markkleeberg. The soonest is LaRi Wiesngaudi - Oktoberfest am Hainer See in Markkleeberg, on Fri, Oct 16.

Where is Oktoberfest held in Dresden?

At 5 venues, including Lindengarten Moritzburg, Felix Rooftop Bar Dresden, Sächsische Schweiz , Pirna, Germany and Rathausplatz, 01900 Großröhrsdorf, Deutschland.

What are the best Oktoberfest events in Dresden?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are "Das 4. Moritzburger Bierfest" am 10.10.26 im Lindengarten Moritzburg by Burki*Events (Oct 10–11), Rooftop Wiesn im Felix at Felix Rooftop Bar Dresden (Oct 16–17) and OKTOBERFEST Großröhrsdorf / Olaf Henning / Nicci Schubert / Andreas Gabalier (Double) at Rathausplatz, 01900 Großröhrsdorf, Deutschland (Sat, Oct 24).

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 Dresden

Cities near Dresden