Planning a trip to Oktoberfest starts with one simple question: when is it, exactly? This guide gives you all the key dates, daily opening times and major events for Oktoberfest 2026, so you can plan your visit around the moments that matter – from the famous opening ceremony to the family days and the grand finale.
When is Oktoberfest 2026?
Oktoberfest 2026 runs from Saturday 19 September to Sunday 4 October 2026 – sixteen days in total, on the Theresienwiese in Munich. Despite its name, the festival is mostly held in September, finishing in early October. The 2026 edition includes 3 October, German Unity Day, a national public holiday that falls within the festival and draws especially large crowds.
Daily opening times
The grounds and the funfair are open daily, but the tent serving hours are what most visitors plan around. On weekdays, the tents generally open at 10am, while on weekends and public holidays they open earlier, around 9am. Beer service typically runs until 10:30pm, with the tents closing around 11:30pm – though a couple of late tents, such as Käfer and the Weinzelt, serve until 1am. The funfair rides usually run until around midnight.
The opening ceremony
The festival begins at noon on the first Saturday (19 September 2026), when the Mayor of Munich taps the first keg in the Schottenhamel tent and cries “O’zapft is!”. No tent may serve beer until this moment. The morning beforehand features the grand entry of the tent landlords and breweries, a colourful parade through the city to the grounds.
Key events to plan around
Several highlights are worth building into your visit. The costume and riflemen’s parade on the first Sunday (20 September) is a spectacular procession of around 9,000 participants in traditional dress. Tuesdays are family days, with reduced prices on many rides and stalls. The middle Sunday often features a traditional open-air concert of the festival bands. And the festival traditionally closes on the final Sunday evening with candles and sparklers lit in the tents, followed by a gun salute.
How long does it last and when is it busiest?
The festival runs for sixteen days across three weekends. The busiest days are the opening Saturday, both other weekends, and 3 October; the quietest and easiest are weekdays, especially Mondays to Thursdays. If you want a relaxed visit, target a weekday; if you want the biggest party and do not mind crowds, come at the weekend – just plan to arrive early.
Frequently asked questions
What are the exact Oktoberfest 2026 dates? Saturday 19 September to Sunday 4 October 2026.
What time do the tents open? Around 10am on weekdays and 9am on weekends, with beer served until about 10:30pm.
When is the opening ceremony? At noon on the first Saturday, 19 September 2026, in the Schottenhamel tent.
Which day is family day? Tuesdays, with discounted rides and a calmer atmosphere.
Why the dates fall when they do
Oktoberfest traditionally ends on the first Sunday in October, and counts back sixteen or seventeen days from there to set its start – which is why it always begins in mid-to-late September. When German Unity Day on 3 October falls just after that first Sunday, the festival is sometimes extended by a couple of days to include the holiday, as is the case in 2026. The early-September timing is itself a legacy of the nineteenth century, when the dates were shifted forward to take advantage of warmer, longer days for the outdoor celebrations.
Planning around the busy and quiet days
Knowing the rhythm of the festival helps enormously. The opening Saturday, both weekends and 3 October are the peak days, when tents fill early and close their doors – great for atmosphere, tough for walking in. Mondays to Thursdays are far calmer and easier, with Tuesday’s family day the gentlest of all. If you want a relaxed visit, build your trip around a weekday; if you want the biggest party, take a weekend but arrive early and ideally with a reservation.
Does Oktoberfest always include early October? Yes – it traditionally ends on the first October Sunday, sometimes extended to include German Unity Day on 3 October.
Which days are quietest? Weekdays, especially Monday to Thursday, with Tuesday’s family day the calmest.
Key 2026 dates at a glance
To help you plan, here are the dates to mark. The festival opens at noon on Saturday 19 September with the keg tapping; the costume and riflemen’s parade is on Sunday 20 September; Tuesdays (22 and 29 September) are family days with discounted rides; 3 October is German Unity Day and the busiest weekday; and the festival closes on Sunday 4 October with candles and a gun salute. Weekends throughout are the liveliest and most crowded, while Mondays to Thursdays are the calmest.
How long to plan for
Most visitors find that two to three days is the ideal length for an Oktoberfest trip – enough for a full festival day or two plus some time to see Munich, without paying for more peak-priced nights than you need. If you want to take in the opening ceremony or a parade as well as relaxed tent time, build your dates around those specific events, and remember to book accommodation and any reservations well in advance, as both sell out early.
What day does Oktoberfest 2026 start and end? It starts on Saturday 19 September and ends on Sunday 4 October 2026.
How many days should I spend there? Two to three is ideal for the festival plus a taste of Munich.
Booking around the calendar
Once you know the key dates, the next step is to align your booking with them, because timing affects far more than just the atmosphere. Accommodation in Munich is priced by demand, so the nights around the busy opening weekend and 3 October cost considerably more and sell out earliest, while a midweek stay later in the run is both cheaper and easier to secure. The same is true of table reservations, where weekend evenings on the popular dates disappear months ahead while weekday slots remain available much longer. If your dates are flexible, simply shifting your visit to the middle of a week can save money and spare you the worst of the crowds without changing the experience in any meaningful way.
For visitors travelling specifically for a particular event – the noon tapping on the opening Saturday, the costume parade on the first Sunday, or a family Tuesday – build your trip around that fixed point and work the rest of your plans around it. Knowing the festival’s daily rhythm and its standout dates well in advance is the single best way to make sure you are in the right place at the right time, with a bed booked and, if you want one, a table reserved.
Plan your visit around these dates with our trip planner, see the best days to visit, and check all the 2026 events.