Change city

Where are you raising a stein?

Near Vancouver

Famous for Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest 2026 in Vancouver

Oktoberfest in Vancouver goes on for weeks. Afternoons run to beer festivals and Bavarian nights, giant steins and live music, and evenings tip into dancing, lederhosen strictly your own business. The food holds the whole length of it, bratwurst and pretzels on nearly every menu and long tables across the neighbourhoods between the water and the mountains. Or is a good beer with friends nearer the point? Look through Oktoberfest 2026 events and parties across Vancouver and book your tickets before they're claimed.

See all events

Fresh listingsupdated

Next up in Vancouver

WestTrek's Oktoberfest Party

Sep 24–25 · 9:00 PM · GRETA Bar YVR

CA$11.98 – CA$27.96

Starts in

See the event

Every listing

Oktoberfest events in Vancouver

Best on a budget

Sep 24–252 days

WestTrek's Oktoberfest Party

Join us at Greta Bar for West Trek's Oktoberfest Party. Discounts on BEER, Beer Pong tournament, Prizes, and an epic dancefloor! Wear your lederhosen </stro

9:00 PMGRETA Bar YVR

CA$11.98 – CA$27.96

Most popular

Fri, Sep 25

OktoBROfest - (Oktoberfest)

An Oktoberfest party with great brews, tasty eats, and epic vibes. OktoBROfest @ Container Brewing Get Ready for OktoBROfest! Join us for an epic time at <stron

4:00 PMContainer Brewing Ltd.

CA$28.07

Best for groups

Fri, Oct 2

UBC Beta : 90th Anniversary Celebration

UBC Beta since 1936. Celebrating our network of brotherhood and building new connections across 90 years. UBC BETA 90TH CELEBRATION Our 90th Celebration will be a VIP event within a

5:00 PMHarvest Haus @ PNE Forum

CA$134.46 – CA$158.95VIP & tables

Thu, Oct 15

Rotary Club Oktoberfest in Partnership with GCBA

Join us for an evening of great company, food, and cheer as we celebrate Oktoberfest together! 📍 Tap & Barrel, Convention Centre (Coal Harbour) - private room with a stunning waterfront

5:00 PMTap & Barrel • Convention Centre

CA$65.23

Best with kids

Sat, Oct 24

Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest Celebration – Free Admission! A day of German, Austrian & Swiss culture with traditional Schuhplattler dance and brass band Oktoberfest Join us as St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran

10:00 AM1573 E 18th Ave

FreeLive musicFamily-friendly

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 Vancouver

Worth the trip from Vancouver, soonest first.

Sat, Oct 17

3rd Annual Oktoberfest

4:00 PMLangley Lions Society West Langley Hall, Langley Township

Free – CA$27.84Live music

Before you go

Know before you go in Vancouver

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

What a ticket costs in Vancouver

Every listing with a price, cheapest first.

  1. OktoberfestFree
  2. WestTrek's Oktoberfest PartyCA$11.98 – CA$27.96
  3. OktoBROfest - (Oktoberfest)CA$28.07
  4. Rotary Club Oktoberfest in Partnership with GCBACA$65.23
  5. UBC Beta : 90th Anniversary CelebrationCA$134.46 – CA$158.95

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 Vancouver: 1 of 5 free to get in; paid tickets from CA$11.98 to CA$158.95.

When to go

Vancouver starts between 10:00 AM and 9:00 PM.

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

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.

In Vancouver: 1 family-friendly event.

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

Oktoberfest is named after a month it barely touches. It started with the October 1810 wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese, celebrated with a horse race that around 40,000 people came to watch. As the festival grew, Munich moved it forward to begin in September, trading a few October days for warmer weather.

Munich's 2026 Wiesn is on now: day 5 of 16, until October 4.

Asked and answered

Oktoberfest in Vancouver: the basics

When is Oktoberfest in Vancouver in 2026?

Oktoberfest events in Vancouver run from Sep 24 to Oct 24, 2026: 5 events. The busiest weekend is Sep 25 – Sep 27, with 2 events.

Is there an Oktoberfest event in Vancouver this weekend?

Yes: 2 events are on for Sep 25 – Sep 27, including WestTrek's Oktoberfest Party at GRETA Bar YVR and OktoBROfest - (Oktoberfest) at Container Brewing Ltd.. Another 4 events are on nearby.

Are there free Oktoberfest events in Vancouver?

Yes: 1 of the 5 listed is free to get into, including Oktoberfest. Paid tickets for the rest run from CA$11.98 to CA$158.95. Food and drink are usually paid for on the day.

Is there an Oktoberfest near Vancouver?

Yes: 9 more events are listed within reach of Vancouver, in Burnaby, Langley, Richmond and Gibsons and more. The soonest is 🍻💃 **OKTOBERFEST SALSA PARTY!** 🕺🍻 in Burnaby, on Fri, Sep 25.

Where is Oktoberfest held in Vancouver?

At 5 venues, including GRETA Bar YVR, Container Brewing Ltd., Harvest Haus @ PNE Forum and Tap & Barrel • Convention Centre.

What are the best Oktoberfest events in Vancouver?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are WestTrek's Oktoberfest Party at GRETA Bar YVR (Sep 24–25), OktoBROfest - (Oktoberfest) at Container Brewing Ltd. (Fri, Sep 25) and UBC Beta : 90th Anniversary Celebration at Harvest Haus @ PNE Forum (Fri, Oct 2).

Can you take kids to Oktoberfest in Vancouver?

1 listing says it is family-friendly: Oktoberfest. For the rest, check the listing before you go: many events held in bars are 21+.

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 5.

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.

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 Vancouver

Cities near Vancouver