Top 10 Secrets About Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest is one of the world’s most beloved beer festivals, with around 6 million people attending each year. It is held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany and lasts 16 days—from mid or late September to the first weekend in October. But there’s more to Oktoberfest than meets the eye! Here are 10 interesting secrets about this traditional German celebration:

1. Oktoberfest actually starts in September – Although it’s called “Oktoberfest,” the festival actually begins in mid- or late-September. This is because of Munich’s warm weather and the need for enough daylight hours to enjoy all the festivities.

2. The first Oktoberfest was a wedding – The original Oktoberfest was held in 1810 to honor the royal Bavarian couple Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen’s wedding. As an extra bonus, beer was served at the celebration and it’s been part of the festivities ever since.

3. Hosting Oktoberfest is expensive – Each year, Munich’s city council hires 14 large tents and 20 smaller ones to host all the revelers. The larger tents can seat up to 10,000 people each, so you can imagine how much it costs to rent them out!

4. Beer at Oktoberfest must be brewed in Munich – The beers served during Oktoberfest are only allowed to come from Munich’s six traditional breweries: Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner and Spaten.

5. Oktoberfest has been cancelled 24 times – There have been 24 occasions where Munich had to cancel the festival due to wars, cholera outbreaks, and other disasters. The last time was in 2020 when Oktoberfest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

6. Traditional dress is encouraged – Many visitors come to Oktoberfest wearing traditional Bavarian clothing, known as “dirndls” for women and “lederhosen” for men. This is a fun way to get into the spirit of the occasion!

7. Beer is served in liters – At Oktoberfest, beer is only served in 1 liter mugs called “mass”. This is the largest size beer you can buy at the festival and drinking it is definitely not for the faint of heart!

8. There’s no admission fee – Even though Oktoberfest is a huge event, there’s no admission fee to get in. All you need to do is find a seat in one of the beer tents and you’re good to go!

9. There are carnival rides – Oktoberfest is not just about drinking beer—it also has lots of fun fairground attractions like roller coasters and ferris wheels.

10. It’s the world’s largest Volksfest – Oktoberfest is the world’s largest “Volksfest,” which is a festival of people. With millions of visitors each year and hundreds of thousands of gallons of beer being served, you know it’s going to be a good time!

Those are just some of the secrets about Oktoberfest—it’s a beer festival like no other! If you ever get the chance to visit, make sure to take part in this amazing event. Prost!