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Near Livermore

Famous for Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest 2026 in Livermore

Oktoberfest reaches Livermore as the nights draw in. Beer festivals and Bavarian nights bring live music, giant steins and dancing, and nobody checks for lederhosen. Come with people and you're eating before you meant to, bratwurst and pretzels arriving between rounds at long tables with a band nearby. If a good beer with friends is enough, that's the night. Look through Oktoberfest 2026 events and parties across Livermore, compare what's on, and book your tickets before they're claimed.

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Next up in Livermore

OKTOBERFEST LIVERMORE - FREE ADMISSION

Fri, Sep 25 · 7:00 PM · Tap 25

Free

Starts in

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Every listing

Oktoberfest events in Livermore

On nowBest for groups

Fri, Sep 25

OKTOBERFEST LIVERMORE - FREE ADMISSION

Come and enjoy the sghts, sounds, and the adventures of a traditional Oktoberfest in downtown Livermore hosted by Tap 25 Craft Beer. Expect a party with traditional German Polka and Octoberfest music from t

7:00 PMTap 25

FreeLive music

Best on a budget

Sat, Oct 10

Oktoberfest 2026 | Livermore | Del Cielo Brewing

Get ready to raise a stein and enjoy awesome brews and good vibes at Del Cielo’s Oktoberfest bash! We’re going full Oktoberfest with a day packed with: 🍺 Festbier + DCB steins available f

12:00 PM4771 Arroyo Vista

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 Livermore

Worth the trip from Livermore, soonest first.

Before you go

Know before you go in Livermore

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

What a ticket costs in Livermore

Every listing with a price, cheapest first.

  1. OKTOBERFEST LIVERMORE - FREE ADMISSIONFree
  2. OKTOBERFEST DOWNTOWN LIVERMORE AT TAP 25 CRAFT BEER -FREE ADMISSIONFree
  3. Oktoberfest 2026 | Livermore | Del Cielo BrewingFree

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 Livermore: 3 of 3 free to get in.

When to go

Livermore starts between 12:00 PM and 7:00 PM.

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

In Livermore: Saturday is the big day, with 2 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 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 Livermore 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 7 of 16, until October 4.

Asked and answered

Oktoberfest in Livermore: the basics

When is Oktoberfest in Livermore in 2026?

Oktoberfest events in Livermore run from Sep 25 to Oct 10, 2026: 3 events. The busiest weekend is Sep 25 – Sep 27, with 2 events.

Is there an Oktoberfest event in Livermore this weekend?

Yes: 2 events are on for Sep 25 – Sep 27, including OKTOBERFEST LIVERMORE - FREE ADMISSION at Tap 25 and OKTOBERFEST DOWNTOWN LIVERMORE AT TAP 25 CRAFT BEER -FREE ADMISSION. Another 3 events are on nearby.

Are there free Oktoberfest events in Livermore?

Yes: 3 of the 3 listed are free to get into, including OKTOBERFEST LIVERMORE - FREE ADMISSION, OKTOBERFEST DOWNTOWN LIVERMORE AT TAP 25 CRAFT BEER -FREE ADMISSION and Oktoberfest 2026 | Livermore | Del Cielo Brewing.

Is there an Oktoberfest near Livermore?

Yes: 9 more events are listed within reach of Livermore, in Walnut Creek, San Jose, San Francisco and san francisco and more. The soonest is Walnut Creek Oktoberfest in Walnut Creek, on Sep 25–26.

What are the best Oktoberfest events in Livermore?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are OKTOBERFEST DOWNTOWN LIVERMORE AT TAP 25 CRAFT BEER -FREE ADMISSION (Sat, Sep 26), OKTOBERFEST LIVERMORE - FREE ADMISSION at Tap 25 (Fri, Sep 25) and Oktoberfest 2026 | Livermore | Del Cielo Brewing (Sat, Oct 10).

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 7.

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 Livermore

Cities near Livermore