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Near Irvine

Famous for Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest 2026 in Irvine

Irvine gives its weekends over to Oktoberfest. Beer festivals and Bavarian nights get it going with live music and giant steins, the dancing lands next, and the lederhosen stay optional throughout. The food carries the whole run, bratwurst and pretzels on nearly every menu and long tables outdoors between the hills and the coast. One good beer with friends is a proper night. Browse Oktoberfest 2026 events and parties across Irvine and book your tickets while there's still room.

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On now in Irvine

Relief Society Evening Meeting

Sep 10 – Dec 10 · 7:00 PM · The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Free

Happening now

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Every listing

Oktoberfest events in Irvine

On now

Sep 10 – Dec 10The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints92 days

Relief Society Evening Meeting

Relief Society Evening Meeting Octoberfest

7:00 PM

Free

Most popular

Thu, Oct 15Hanwha Innovation & Technology Experience (HITE)

Women in Security Oktoberfest 2026

Join Hanwha and ASIS for a pink Oktoberfest celebration with food, drinks, networking, and exciting raffle prizes! Join Hanwha Vision and ASIS for an afternoon of networking, connection, and celebration at

2:00 PM

Free

Best on a budget

Wed, Oct 21Hanwha Innovation & Technology Experience (HITE)

HITE OKTOBERFEST 2026

A Networking Experience Hosted by Hanwha Vision x Genetec x eConnect. Experience AI security tech, food & drinks with industry leaders. One Ecosystem. One Pane of Glass. POWER

11:00 AM

Free

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 Irvine

Worth the trip from Irvine, soonest first.

Before you go

Know before you go in Irvine

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

What a ticket costs in Irvine

Every listing with a price, cheapest first.

  1. Relief Society Evening MeetingFree
  2. Women in Security Oktoberfest 2026Free
  3. HITE OKTOBERFEST 2026Free
  4. Oktoberfest 5k at Left Coast Brewing Co | 2026 CA Brewery Running SeriesFree – $71.23

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 Irvine: 4 of 4 free to get in.

When to go

Irvine starts between 10:00 AM and 7:00 PM.

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

In Irvine: Thursday is the big day, with 2 of 4 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 Irvine 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 is on now: day 14 of 16, until October 4.

Asked and answered

Oktoberfest in Irvine: the basics

When is Oktoberfest in Irvine in 2026?

Oktoberfest events in Irvine run from Sep 10 to Oct 21, 2026: 4 events.

Is there an Oktoberfest event in Irvine this weekend?

Yes: 2 events are on for Oct 2 – Oct 4, including Relief Society Evening Meeting at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Oktoberfest 5k at Left Coast Brewing Co | 2026 CA Brewery Running Series at Left Coast Brewing Distillery Smokehouse - Irvine. Another 2 events are on nearby.

Are there free Oktoberfest events in Irvine?

Yes: 4 of the 4 listed are free to get into, including Relief Society Evening Meeting, Oktoberfest 5k at Left Coast Brewing Co | 2026 CA Brewery Running Series and Women in Security Oktoberfest 2026.

Is there an Oktoberfest near Irvine?

Yes: 8 more events are listed within reach of Irvine, in Glendale, Ontario, Pomona and Arcadia and more. The soonest is 47th Annual Montrose Oktoberfest in Glendale, on Sat, Oct 3.

Where is Oktoberfest held in Irvine?

At 3 venues, including Hanwha Innovation & Technology Experience (HITE) (2 dates), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Left Coast Brewing Distillery Smokehouse - Irvine.

What are the best Oktoberfest events in Irvine?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are Oktoberfest 5k at Left Coast Brewing Co | 2026 CA Brewery Running Series at Left Coast Brewing Distillery Smokehouse - Irvine (Sat, Oct 3), HITE OKTOBERFEST 2026 at Hanwha Innovation & Technology Experience (HITE) (Wed, Oct 21) and Women in Security Oktoberfest 2026 at Hanwha Innovation & Technology Experience (HITE) (Thu, Oct 15).

When is Oktoberfest in Munich in 2026?

Munich's Oktoberfest runs from September 19 to October 4, 2026, 16 days on the Theresienwiese. It is on now: today is day 14.

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 Irvine

Cities near Irvine