Munich is preparing to open Oktoberfest 2026 on Saturday 19 September at the Theresienwiese. The festival runs through 4 October. On the first day the large tents open at 09:00 local time. From 10:00, non-alcoholic drinks — not beer, including non-alcoholic beer — and small dishes may be sold. Wiesn beer is served only after the official keg-tapping.

At noon precisely, Munich’s mayor, Dominik Krause, taps the first keg in the Schottenhamel tent, following a tradition that began in 1950. After the cry “O'zapft is!”, twelve cannon shots are fired in front of the Bavaria statue, signalling to the other tents that the festival is officially open.

Saturday also brings the parade of the breweries and landlords. Sunday 20 September is set for the costume and riflemen’s parade. Fairground rides start at noon on Saturday. The historic Oide Wiesn area is part of the grounds. Opening hours for tents, stalls and rides vary by day.

The official festival and city pages should not be mixed up with conflicting edition numbers that appear on some indexed pages. For visitors the facts that matter are the dates, times and place: 19 September to 4 October, Theresienwiese, noon tapping in Schottenhamel.

Oktoberfest is the City of Munich’s folk festival, not a private event. Access rules, banned items and timetables should be checked on oktoberfest.de and muenchen.de before travelling, especially on the first Saturday, when crowds are heaviest.

Image: Mattes, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 DE. Marstall tent, 2016 Wiesn, not the 19 September 2026 opening. Cropped to 16:9.

Source consulted: The Oktoberfest is opened with the tapping of the first keg (Oktoberfest.de); Opening hours of the Munich Oktoberfest from 19.9 to 4.10.2026.