Everything Important About the Oktoberfest 2026

Anyone who has ever visited the Oktoberfest knows that it is a massive event. That's why we like to give our readers the best things to know this year before you head to Munich's part-time paradise. We are happy to answer questions on Reddit and Facebook.

Many New Things in 2026

The list of new things at the Oktoberfest 2026 is long again. Just among the tents alone, there are four major changes: The Münchner Stubn has been replaced by the Flößerstadl, the Bodos café tent is becoming the Wiesn’s “cocktail cathedral” with a new 14-meter-tall wooden structure, and the Schützenlisl and the Winzerer Fähndl (Paulaner Festzelt) have new hosts.

With the Shake & Roll and the Chaos Pendel, two well-known types of rides are returning to the Oktoberfest. We were able to get a sneak peek at some of the new attractions.

Music Schedules

Normally, the nearly uniform music schedules aren’t worth mentioning. However, since the city has moved up the permitted start time for music this year, the performance times in the individual tents vary greatly this year. We’ve therefore put together an overview of the 2026 music times.

Beer and Food Prices

The beer price in 2026 ranges between €14.80 and €15.90. As has been the case in recent years, the Augustiner tent is the most affordable of the large tents. This year, a Maß costs €14.90 there, while the other large tents are at the upper end of the scale. The Schützenlisl, however, is keeping prices unchanged despite the switch from the generally affordable Augustiner brewery to Hacker.

This year’s price trends for food are highly unusual. Numerous tents have completely frozen their prices, and some are even making headlines with price cuts. We’ve put together an overview featuring all the menus, a brief price comparison, and a review. However, there is an inconsistent picture when it comes to the development of food prices. Everything from no increase to massive price hikes is included. We have created an overview with all the menus, a small price comparison and a review. We have also compiled the special offers for children and the vegetarian and vegan food options in the large tents.

Special Events

To kick things off on September 19, the tent hosts and breweries will move in a parade onto the fairgrounds. Afterwards, at noon, Lord Mayor Dominik Krause taps the beer for the first time. The main festival Sunday, September 20, begins with the traditional costume and marksmen parade, which is why it is considered by many to be the most beautiful day of the Wiesn. The following Sunday, you can attend the big open-air concert at the foot of the Bavaria at 11 am. On the last day, October 5, the gun salute as part of the marksmen's award ceremony marks the premature end of the festivities.

Luggage and Bags

A lifting of the ban on bags over three liters in volume is not in sight. Locker capacity at the main train station is still reduced due to the renovation work. However, the luggage drop-off points near the Oktoberfest entrances have been sufficient in previous years.

Crowds

If you have the opportunity, you should avoid Saturdays due to the large crowds, or at least prepare yourself for the admission situation in the morning. Our beer tent forecast can help you to avoid the biggest crowds. Depending on the weather, October 3 could be the busiest day. If it gets so crowded that even the beer gardens are closed, it’s especially important to avoid lining up in front of their main entrances. These will be the last to reopen. In the worst-case scenario, ignoring this advice could lead to overcrowding, as happened last year.

Last-Minute Reservations

The majority of Oktoberfest visits do not involve reservations. Thanks to the many places that cannot be reserved, we therefore recommend a reservation-free visit to the Oktoberfest. Finding seats is much easier during the week than on Saturdays. However, there are actually still three ways to get reservations: last-minute reservations, which are allocated less than 24 hours before the start of reservations, our reservation group on Facebook, and the hosts' resale portals. Most hosts use Oktoberfest Booking for this. However, the offering of relevant reservation slots is very limited, and you need to be subscribed to a paid reservation alarm now to even have a chance to get a reservation.

Getting There

All stations close to the Oktoberfest are being serviced as usual. On top of that, S-Bahn München provides a 20-minute frequency on all lines between 10 p.m. and the end of service. However, that's not true for the end stations. Therefore, refer to our directions page for more information. Getting tickets got easier with the new MVV Swipe option.

New Mayor, New Münchner Kindl

There are two prominent new appointments to report this year. In 2026, the newly elected Mayor of Munich, Dominik Krause, will tap the first keg. The parades will be led by a new Münchner Kindl, namely Sina Hochreiter, the daughter of a tavern owner.