Oktoberfest
| Oktoberfest | |
|---|---|
Theresienwiese during the 2013 festival | |
| Observed by | Munich |
| Type | Cultural |
| Celebrations | Parades, music, Bavarian food and beer |
| 2024 date | 21 September |
| 2025 date | 20 September |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | Oktoberfest celebrations |
Oktoberfest (German pronunciation: [ɔkˈtoːbɐˌfɛst]; Bavarian d'Wiesn) is the world's largest Volksfest. It combines a beer festival with a funfair and is held annually in Munich on the Theresienwiese from mid-September to the first Sunday in October. If 3 October (German Unity Day) falls after that Sunday, the festival continues until the holiday.
The event draws around seven million visitors each year. In 2023, attendance reached a record 7.2 million.[1] Visitors consumed approximately 7.4 million litres of beer.[2] The festival features amusement rides, games, food stalls, and traditional Bavarian dishes.
The first Oktoberfest was held on 12 October 1810 to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen.[3] Since then, the festival has been cancelled on multiple occasions, most recently in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany.[4]
- ^ "Preliminary final report – Oktoberfest 2023". Oktoberfest.de. 3 October 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
- ^ "Germany: Oktoberfest wraps in Munich, 7 million liters later". DW. 6 October 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
- ^ "The origin of Oktoberfest". History.com. 20 July 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
- ^ "Munich cancels Oktoberfest again due to pandemic". Associated Press. 3 May 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2025.