Beer festivals and celebrations have become increasingly popular around the world over the past few decades. As craft brewing has exploded in popularity, more and more festivals are being organized to showcase new brews and bring beer lovers together. But when it comes to size and scale, one beer festival stands out from the rest: Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany.
Oktoberfest is held annually in Munich over a 16-18 day period spanning late September and early October. It attracts around 6 million visitors each year, making it by far the largest beer festival in the world. The festival is a celebration of Bavarian culture, with beer playing a central role. Revelers gather in giant tents to hoist steins filled with beer while listening to traditional brass band music. It’s an experience like no other!
In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into Oktoberfest, examining what makes it so special and such a bucket list experience for beer lovers worldwide. We’ll cover key details on Oktoberfest’s history, celebrations, beer, food, and more to help you understand what sets this festival apart. Whether you’re hoping to visit someday or just want to learn about this iconic event, read on to find out what makes Oktoberfest the world’s largest and most famous beer celebration.
A Brief History of Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest has a long and storied history dating back over 200 years. The first Oktoberfest was held in 1810 in honor of the marriage between Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. The festivities took place over five days in October and included a horse race, agricultural shows, and plenty of eating, drinking, and revelry. The event was such a success that it became an annual tradition in Munich.
Over the years, Oktoberfest evolved from a wedding celebration into a festival for all the people of Munich and a major tourist attraction. The horse races were eventually removed from the schedule, while the agricultural shows were replaced by carnival rides and games. By the late 1900s, Oktoberfest had been extended to run for 16-18 days in late September through early October in order to take advantage of warmer autumn weather.
While many things have changed over 200+ years, beer has always been at the heart of Oktoberfest. The festival highlights the strong brewing traditions of Munich and the surrounding Bavaria region. Only beer brewed within the city limits of Munich can officially be served at Oktoberfest. There are just six breweries that qualify: Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner, and Spaten.
Over time, Oktoberfest has endured wars, pandemics, and dozens of global events, but somehow always emerges again each fall for another celebration. It remains a beloved tradition for Bavarians and a bucket list experience for visitors from around the world.
Key Oktoberfest Traditions
Oktoberfest is steeped in unique German and Bavarian traditions that add to its distinctive atmosphere. Here are some of the most important ones to know about:
The tapping of the first keg
Oktoberfest kicks off each year with an opening ceremony that includes the tapping of the first keg. The mayor of Munich does the honors, driving a tap into the first keg of beer with just two strikes of a hammer. They must get it right in two hits or risk bringing bad luck to the festival! The cry of “O’zapft is!” (It’s tapped!) rings out to announce the official opening of Oktoberfest.
Dirndls and Lederhosen
Visitors to Oktoberfest dress up in traditional Bavarian costumes. For women, this means dirndls – dresses with full skirts, aprons, and blouses. Men wear lederhosen – leather shorts with suspenders. Locals take pride in sporting their finest dirndls and lederhosen for the festivities. The outfits lend to the feeling of revelry and celebration.
Massive beer tents
Giant beer tents or “beer halls” dominate the Oktoberfest fairgrounds. Each tent can hold thousands of guests sitting at long communal tables. The tents are run by Munich’s major breweries and feature live brass band music. Being part of the rowdy, joyful atmosphere inside one of these tents is an essential Oktoberfest experience.
Beer steins
Beer doesn’t come in regular glasses at Oktoberfest – it gets served in towering one liter steins! Being able to hoist these heavy steins up in the air while swaying and singing along to music is a skill all visitors must master. The impressive beer steins are also popular souvenirs.
Carnival rides and games
A huge fairground adjacent to the beer tents offers carnival rides, games, and entertainment. Patrons can take a spin on classic rides like the Ferris wheel and carousel or try to win prizes at shooting galleries and carnival game stalls in between beer tent sessions.
Oompah bands
Live Oompah bands in traditional Bavarian costumes keep the beer tents rocking. The tubas, trumpets, trombones, clarinets and drums crank out classic folk songs on repeat. Groups like the Echinger, the Türken Blaskapelle, and the Isariana keep patrons dancing on the benches into the night.
What’s on Tap: The Beers of Oktoberfest
At Oktoberfest, the beer choices are just as important as the celebrations. Only the traditional German lager style beers from Munich’s six major breweries are served. Here’s a breakdown of the most common Oktoberfest beers:
Märzen
The signature beer style of Oktoberfest is Märzen, a malty, amber lager brewed special for the festival. Märzen beers typically have ABVs between 5-6%. Popular versions include Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen, Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier, and Spaten Oktoberfestbier.
Helles
Helles translates to “bright” referring to the straw-like color of this pale lager beer. It’s a refreshing, easy-drinking counterpart to heartier Märzens. Helles offers mellow, bready malt flavors. Try the refreshing Löwenbräu Oktoberfest Hell.
Dunkel
For fans of darker beers, Dunkel is a rich, smooth Bavarian-style dark lager made with roasted malts. Dunkels served at Oktoberfest include Paulaner’s Original Munich Dunkel and Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Dunkel.
Hefeweizen
This crisp, balanced wheat beer gives drinkers another lighter option beyond Helles. Look for the clove and banana aromas of Bavarian yeast. Try Hacker-Pschorr’s cloudy golden Original Oktoberfest Weisse.
Schwarzbier
Schwarzbier translates to “black beer.” It’s is a dark colored lager brewed with roasted barley that remains light bodied despite its dark hue. Try the pitch black Paulaner’s Original Munich Lagerbier Dunkel.
In the beer tents, beers are served in one liter Maß krugs (steins). Patrons can choose between the major Munich brewery tents, each with their own specialties and atmosphere. With so many excellent beers on offer, part of the fun is sampling different tents and brews.
The Food of Oktoberfest
In between beer drinking, patrons need to soak up the alcohol with classic Bavarian foods. Here are some of the tasty traditional bites to try:
Bratwurst
These seasoned pork sausages are grilled to plump, juicy perfection. They’re served up by the plateful with sauerkraut or mustard. Vegetarian options are also available.
Rotisserie chicken
Half chickens slowly roasted on rotating spits are ubiquitous at Oktoberfest. They deliver juicy meat with crispy skin, perfect to snack on.
Schnitzel
Tender, breaded, fried pork cutlets are sliced up and served with lemon wedges and lingonberry jam. It’s a hearty, stick-to-your ribs meat option.
Soft pretzels
Fresh-baked, chewy pretzels sprinkled with salt are the ideal accompaniment to Oktoberfest beers. You can never have too many of these tasty twists of dough.
Cured pork knuckles
Schweinshaxe is a Bavarian specialty – juicy, crackling pork knuckles cooked until the skin becomes ultra crispy. They make for delicious (if not exactly heart-healthy) eating.
Potato pancakes
Reibekuchen are shreds of potato combined with onion, deep fried into crispy pancake form. They’re great with apple sauce for dipping.
Apple strudel
For dessert, apple strudel with warm vanilla sauce provides the perfect sweet finish to an Oktoberfest meal. The flaky pastry and cinnamon-spiced apples pair well with malty beers.
Patrons sit at communal tables, passing around gigantic plates and family-style dishes of food to share. Beyond the beer and rides, experiencing the tastes and hospitality of Munich is what Oktoberfest is all about!
Oktoberfest By the Numbers
The massive scale and popularity of Oktoberfest is clear when you look at some key numbers:
1810
The year of the first Oktoberfest festival.
6 million
Approximate number of people who attend Oktoberfest each year.
5 km
The total area covered by Oktoberfest – about the size of 1,000 football fields.
14
Number of massive beer tents at Oktoberfest, with capacities from 5,000 to 10,000.
6
Munich breweries permitted to serve beer at Oktoberfest (Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner, and Spaten).
7.9 million
Number of 1 liter beer mugs (Maß krugs) emptied each Oktoberfest.
124,000
Pork sausages (bratwursts) consumed.
30%
Percentage of visitors to Oktoberfest who come from outside Germany.
$11.6 million
Lost and found items in the festival’s first aid stations since 2002, including 1,220 passports and 580 wallets. Apparently, losing stuff is all part of the Oktoberfest experience!
The massive scale of Oktoberfest becomes even more clear through these mind-boggling statistics. From the millions of attendees to millions of sausages to millions of lost items, Oktoberfest does everything big!
Oktoberfest Around the World
The success of Munich’s legendary festival has inspired similar Oktoberfest celebrations globally. German immigrants brought the tradition to cities worldwide. Now you can raise a stein at Oktoberfest events across six continents:
United States
Major US cities with large German immigrant populations have hosted Oktoberfests for decades. The biggest are in Cincinnati, Denver, San Francisco, St. Louis and Fredericksburg, Texas. Expect beer tents, German food, music and dancing.
Brazil
Blumenau, founded by German settlers, throws South America’s biggest Oktoberfest. It honors the Bavarian tradition with polka music and caipirinhas cocktails instead of beer. Munich even loaned Blumenau an original beer tent.
Australia
Australia’s major Oktoberfest happens in the Torquay suburb of Melbourne. It includes beer halls, German cuisine, amusement rides and a mascot race between figures like Donald Duck and Monopoly Man.
Canada
Kitchener-Waterloo in Ontario hosts Canada’s best Oktoberfest outside of Bavaria. It bills itself as North America’s greatest Bavarian festival for good reason.
China
Qingdao hosts China’s biggest Oktoberfest in the famous Tsingtao Beer Garden. It celebrates German Beer Culture in China tracing back to 1903.
Singapore
Beerfest Asia Singapore provides a popular Asian Oktoberfest experience with German music, food stalls and the required beer tents overflowing with brews.
The global reach of Oktoberfest shows just how cherished this 200+ year old Bavarian tradition remains across cultures worldwide. Though nothing quite compares to the electric atmosphere in Munich, you can still get a good taste of Oktoberfest elsewhere.
Visiting Oktoberfest: Tips and Insider Info
If visiting the original Oktoberfest in Munich is on your bucket list, here are some tips to know before you go:
Reserve accommodations early
With six million visitors descending on Munich, hotel rooms book up fast. Reserve at least six months in advance. Consider staying in nearby towns to have more affordable options.
Use public transportation
With limited parking, public transit is the best way to get to the fairgrounds. The subway stops right at the Oktoberfest entrance gates. Avoid traffic jams and taxi lines by taking the U-bahn.
Time your visit carefully
Opening weekends and evenings are the busiest and most chaotic times. For a more relaxed experience, aim for weekday afternoons. The last few days also tend to be less crowded.
Carefully choose your beer tent
Each of the 14 tents has a unique character and specialties. Research which is best for you – some are more family-friendly, some rowdier. Make reservations to ensure a seat.
Wear comfortable shoes
With long days on your feet, often standing, sturdy leather shoes or hiking boots work best. Leave the flip flops and sandals behind. Break in footwear beforehand.
Dress the part
While not required, donning traditional Bavarian dress makes for great photos and enhanced experience. Many visitors love shopping for a dirndl or lederhosen ahead of time.
Pace yourself and stay hydrated
The beers and sun take their toll. Be sure to drink water and eat plenty to soak up the alcohol. Know your limits and rest occasionally in the shade to prevent exhaustion.
Take public transit after night sessions
Ride the U-bahn at night rather than walking in uncertain condition. Taxis also wait outside the fairgrounds. Getting home safely after late nights is critical.
Attending Oktoberfest takes planning, but with these tips you can maximize the experience. Following the strategies above will help you make the most of your time at the world’s greatest beer festival.
Conclusion
Oktoberfest in Munich stands in a league of its own when compared to any other beer festival worldwide. Its giant beer tents hosting thousands, festive Bavarian music and singing, array of traditional foods, amusement rides, and revelrous party atmosphere are unmatched. For over 200 years, Oktoberfest has carried on traditional celebrations of Bavarian culture and especially beer.
While imitators have sprouted up globally, nothing can truly replicate the unique experience of joining the six million visitors enjoying the original Oktoberfest. Its scale and energy is a bucket list aspiration for travelers and beer lovers everywhere. If you appreciate beer, parties, and embracing cultural traditions, you owe it to yourself to make a pilgrimage to Oktoberfest someday. Just be prepared for the party of a lifetime featuring the very best of Bavarian hospitality.