Oktoberfest
The world's largest beer festival celebrating Bavarian culture with traditional music, food, and millions of liters of beer.
Oktoberfest is the world's largest Volksfest (beer festival and traveling funfair), attracting over six million visitors annually to Munich's Theresienwiese fairgrounds. This 16-to-18-day festival, running from mid-September through the first weekend of October, is a beloved celebration of Bavarian culture, tradition, and the art of brewing.
The festival originated on October 12, 1810, to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) to Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities, and the tradition has continued nearly every year since, interrupted only by wars and pandemics.
Today, massive beer tents operated by Munich's six major breweries—Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner, and Spaten—dominate the grounds. Each tent has its own character, from the family-friendly atmosphere of Augustiner to the international party scene at Hofbräu. Traditional brass bands play classic Bavarian songs, prompting guests to stand on benches, link arms, and sway together.
Servers in traditional dirndls and lederhosen carry seemingly impossible numbers of one-liter beer steins (Mass) through crowds. The specially brewed Oktoberfest beer (Märzen) is slightly stronger than regular lagers. Traditional foods—pretzels the size of your face, roast chicken (Hendl), pork knuckle (Schweinshaxe), and white sausage (Weisswurst)—provide sustenance for the marathon of merriment.
Beyond the beer tents, fairground rides, games, and attractions create a carnival atmosphere that appeals to all ages.
