Oktoberfest: The World’s Great Bavarian Folk Celebration

World’s largest folk festival

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 on the Theresienwiese from mid-September to the first Sunday in October.

The event draws around seven million visitors each year. In 2023, attendance reached a record of 7.2 million. Visitors consumed approximately 7.4 million litres of beer. The festival features amusement rides, games, food stalls, and traditional Bavarian dishes.

The first Oktoberfest was held on October 12 1810 to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. The festival has been cancelled on multiple occasions, most recently in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany.