09/23/2026
A group of b**r maids dressed in costume at the 1928 Munich Oktoberfest Oktoberfest events are now held around the world, but the original—and most famous—festival is in Munich. Each year, over 6 million people gather in the German city to attend, consuming around 6.5 million liters of b**r combined as they celebrate Bavarian culture.
The festival begins in September, which begs the question: Why is it called Oktoberfest?
When was the first Oktoberfest?
Oktoberfest began as a five-day wedding celebration that started on October 12, 1810. The festivities honored the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, the future King Ludwig I, and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The wedding reception ended with a horse race held in an open area that became known as Theresienwiese, the site of Munich’s modern-day Oktoberfest. The celebration was so popular that it became an annual festival, retaining the name associated with its original October celebration.
In 1811, the horse race was held in conjunction with an agricultural show organized by the Bavarian Agricultural Association. By 1818, booths served food and drink, and the late 20th century saw temporary b**r halls built from plywood.
B**r was a particular focus of Oktoberfest thanks to a 1553 decree that banned b**r production in the warm summer months for safety and quality reasons. Before Bavarians could begin making b**r in the fall, they needed to empty their reserves. Brewers produced stronger b**r in March that could be stored in cool cellars through the summer. This Märzen-style b**r later became closely associated with Oktoberfest and the festival offered a time to drink the remaining b**r to ready the kegs for the October grain harvest.
As the festival continued to grow into a longer, larger celebration, its date changed.
Why did the festival move from October to September?
Oktoberfest was held in October until 1871. The next year, the festival moved to September to take advantage of the month’s longer days and warmer weather. The event has begun in September ever since, though it traditionally ends on the first Sunday in October.
When is Oktoberfest 2026?
In 2026, the Munich Oktoberfest begins Saturday, September 19, and continues through Sunday, October 4. Opening day of the festival, which is typically 16 days long, begins on the Saturday on or after September 15, and the event lasts through the first Sunday in October.
