Oktoberfest 2027
Sixteen days, seven million litres, one tent.
Countdown to Oktoberfest 2027
Dates
When is Oktoberfest?
Oktoberfest 2027 falls from Saturday, 18 September 2027 to Sunday, 3 October 2027.
Opens Saturday 18 September and ends on German Unity Day, Sunday 3 October, by the city's standing rule.
Date checked against oktoberfest.de
| Year | Dates | Length | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 19 September – 4 October 2026Sat – Sun | 16 days | Past |
| 2027 | 18 September – 3 October 2027Sat – Sun | 16 days | Confirmed |
See every festival by date in the 2026 festival calendar and 2027 festival calendar.
The story
What it is, and why it matters
- Type
- Food & Harvest
- Tradition
- Secular & Civic
- Where
- Munich, Bavaria
- Crowd
- 6 million visitors
- UNESCO
- Not inscribed
Seventeen large tents and twenty-one small ones on 42 hectares of the Theresienwiese. Six Munich breweries hold the licence, and the beer is stronger than you think.
It began as a public wedding party. Crown Prince Ludwig married Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen in October 1810 and the horse races ran so well that they were repeated annually, and then outgrew their own reason for existing.
Almost all of it now happens in September, because September weather is better. The festival opens with the mayor tapping the first barrel and shouting 'O'zapft is!', after which roughly 12,000 people can be served before lunch.
Culture
Traditions, food and music of Oktoberfest
Traditions
What actually happens
- O'zapft is! — the mayor's tap at noon on the opening Saturday.
- Trachtenzug — the costume parade, 8,000 participants in historic dress.
- Ein Prosit — the band's 20-second oompah loop that resets the whole tent.
- Schützen- und Trachtenfest — rifle clubs and guilds marching on the second Sunday.
Food
The table, widened
- Hendl, Ochsenbraterei, Steckerlfisch and Schweinshaxe in the big tents.
- Brezn, Radi, Obatzda and Kaiserschmarrn in the smaller ones and the Oide Wiesn.
Music
Sound of the crowd
Brass band repertoire is functionally a tempo control system. Kapellen hold 8,000 drinkers at roughly 112 bpm, dropping to a waltz whenever the tent needs to recover.
Religion
Why this date
None, in any active sense. Oktoberfest is a civic festival that kept a royal wedding's anniversary as its founding myth and quietly dropped everything else — a good example of ritual surviving its theology.
History
How it survived
Cancelled 26 times, for war, cholera and hyperinflation. The 1980 bombing killed 13 and remains the reason the main entrance is so heavily policed. Since 2010 the 'Oide Wiesn' has reintroduced the historic Septemberwiesen, complete with a museum of the festival's own past.
History
How it got here
Cancelled 26 times, for war, cholera and hyperinflation. The 1980 bombing killed 13 and remains the reason the main entrance is so heavily policed. Since 2010 the 'Oide Wiesn' has reintroduced the historic Septemberwiesen, complete with a museum of the festival's own past.
1810
The wedding
Ludwig and Therese's public celebration on the fields outside Munich.
1892
Glass mugs
Stoneware is replaced by glass Steins, which are still the standard measure.
1980
The bombing
An attack at the main entrance kills 13 and permanently changes festival security.
Today
Six million
Around six million visitors consume 7 million litres over 16–18 days.
Travel & practical
Visiting Munich for Oktoberfest
Getting there
MUC airport, then S-Bahn S1/S8 to Hackerbrücke — a 40-minute run straight to the gates.
Tent reservations
Book by April. Without one, arrive at 8am on weekdays and sit at a communal table.
Practical notes
A Mass is one litre, not two. Cash is still king in most tents.
Plan the trip with free AltFTool tools
FAQ
Oktoberfest: common questions
Straight answers to what people ask most about Oktoberfest.
Can I attend in Tracht without owning one?
Yes — Lederhosen and Dirndl are worn by locals and visitors alike, and rental shops open all over the city.
Is there anything for children?
The Oide Wiesn has a family-friendly historic area with lower prices and earlier closing times.
Why is it called Oktoberfest if it's in September?
The date drifted earlier to take advantage of better September weather.
Also in September 2027
You might also like
Other food & harvest and secular & civic festivals.
Run a festival site or travel blog?
Find places to list your event and earn links in our free backlinks directory.