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Famous for Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest 2026 in Munich

Munich wears Oktoberfest well, obviously. Beer festivals and Bavarian nights start the run with live music and giant steins, then the dancing takes over, and skipping the lederhosen is a reasonable choice. By then the food is the point anyway, bratwurst and pretzels on nearly every menu, long tables through the centre where you sit down once and stay all night. Or is one good beer with friends closer to the plan? Browse Oktoberfest 2026 events and parties across Munich and book your tickets before they sell out.

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Oktoberfest

Sep 23 – Oct 3 · 8:00 PM · Oktoberfest

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Oktoberfest events in Munich

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Sep 23 – Oct 3Oktoberfest11 days

Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest (German pronunciation: [ɔkˈtoːbɐˌfɛst] ⓘ; Bavarian: Oktobafest/d'Wiesn) is the world's largest Volksfest. It combines a beer festival with a fun fair and is held annually in Munich

8:00 PM

On now

Oct 1–5Munich, Germany5 days

OKTOBERFEST 2026

Oktoberfest 2026 in Munich will take place from September 19 to October 4, 2026, on the Theresienwiese fairgrounds. This 16-day event features opening ceremonies, parades, traditional concerts, and other special events. Planning is essential, as hotels, f

9:00 AM

Sat, Oct 3Oktoberfest

🇭🇺 III. Magyar Nap az Oktoberfesten 🍻

Harmadik alkalommal is együtt visszük a magyar színeket az Oktoberfestre! ❤️🤍💚 Az elmúlt két évben fantasztikus társaság gyűlt össze, így idén sem maradhat el a Magyar Nap: találkozunk, együtt vonulunk be a Wiesnre, keresünk magunknak helyet valamelyik s

9:30 AM

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 Munich

Worth the trip from Munich, soonest first.

Where to go

Munich's beer halls and gardens

The Wiesn runs for sixteen days. These have been pouring the same six breweries' beer for centuries, and they are open the other three hundred and forty-nine.

Every link goes to the venue's own site. Hours change — check before you travel.

Before you go

Know before you go in Munich

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

Munich starts between 9:00 AM and 8:00 PM.

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

In Munich: Saturday 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.

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

Munich locals rarely say Oktoberfest. They say die Wiesn, short for the Theresienwiese, the meadow named after Princess Therese, whose 1810 wedding to Crown Prince Ludwig started it all with a horse race. The festival later moved forward into September to make the most of the warmer weather, which is why a festival called Oktoberfest is mostly over by October.

Munich's 2026 Wiesn is on now: day 13 of 16, until October 4.

Asked and answered

Oktoberfest in Munich: the basics

When is Oktoberfest in Munich in 2026?

Oktoberfest events in Munich run from Sep 23 to Oct 3, 2026: 4 events. The busiest weekend is Oct 2 – Oct 4, with 3 events.

Is there an Oktoberfest event in Munich this weekend?

Yes: 4 events are on for Oct 2 – Oct 4, including Oktoberfest, OKTOBERFEST 2026 at Munich, Germany and 🇭🇺 III. Magyar Nap az Oktoberfesten 🍻. Another 6 events are on nearby.

Is there an Oktoberfest near Munich?

Yes: 9 more events are listed within reach of Munich, in München, Landsberg Am Lech and Augsburg. The soonest is Minor meets Wiesn in München, on Thu, Oct 1.

Where is Oktoberfest held in Munich?

At 3 venues, including Oktoberfest (2 dates), Munich, Germany and you LOFT.

What are the best Oktoberfest events in Munich?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are OKTOBERFEST 2026 at Munich, Germany (Oct 1–5), Oktoberfest (Sep 23 – Oct 3) and ELECTRIC DELICATE × EARLY RAVE! × SOUND EXPRESSION | After-Wiesn bis 05:30 Uhr at you LOFT (Oct 3–4).

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 13.

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 Munich

Cities near Munich