One Wedding, Six Breweries, Six Million Visitors: The Story of the Wiesn

From a royal wedding in 1810 to the world’s largest beer festival, Oktoberfest has grown into far more than a celebration of beer. It is a temporary city, a living Bavarian tradition and an experience that transforms Munich every autumn. Having watched the Wiesn rise from an empty field outside my office window, I discovered its history, rituals and the unmistakable magic behind the words: “O’zapft is!”

Author: Judit Szilos-Zongor

When I started my first job in Munich in May 2023, I had no idea that one of the most fascinating things about my new workplace would be what was happening just outside my office window. I love beer, I particularly love Bavarian beer. So having an office overlooking the Theresienwiese was, quite honestly, a dream. Every day, on my way to and from work, I walked past the Theresienwiese and watched it slowly appear from nothing. In May, there was almost nothing there. Then, week by week, an entire temporary city began to rise.

And the beer wagons were part of the spectacle. Every day, the horse-drawn wagons carrying beer passed right beside my office, their bells jingling as they moved around the Theresienwiese. I watched the festival being supplied almost as closely as I watched it being built. It was one of those small details that made the whole thing feel surreal. I could sit at my desk and hear the bells outside while the biggest beer festival in the world was literally being assembled in front of me.

And then came another surprise. One Thursday morning, people started arriving at work in Dirndl and Lederhosen, like a costume party. It was 10 a.m.,” We’re going to the Wiesn.” A few hours later, I was sitting in the Hacker-Pschorr Festzelt, eating Bavarian food, drinking Munich beer and watching thousands of people around me do exactly the same thing. For someone new to Munich, this was slightly surreal. But it also taught me something important. Oktoberfest is not simply a festival that happens to be in Munich. It is part of Munich.

From One Wedding to the Wiesn

The first Oktoberfest took place in 1810; it was not a beer festival. It was a celebration of the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The wedding took place on 12 October 1810. To celebrate the royal wedding, the people of Munich were invited to a large public horse race on 17 October on a meadow outside the city gates. The celebrations were such a success that the horse race was repeated the following year. And that is where the story of Oktoberfest really begins. 

In 1811, the organisers added an agricultural festival, the Zentral-Landwirtschaftsfest, alongside the horse races. It was intended to promote Bavarian agriculture and became an important part of the early festival. The meadow was named Theresienwiese, after the new Crown Princess Therese. At first, the festival looked nothing like today’s Wiesn. There were horse races, agricultural exhibitions and increasingly more entertainment. Food and drink became part of the experience, and beer gradually became one of its defining attractions.

Fairground entertainment also arrived. In 1818, the first carousel and swings were installed, giving visitors something else to do besides watching horses and agricultural displays. The festival continued to grow. In 1819, the annual celebration became an established tradition, with Oktoberfest taking place every year unless extraordinary circumstances prevented it. As the 19th century progressed, beer became increasingly central to the festival. What had started as a royal wedding celebration and agricultural event was turning into something much closer to the Oktoberfest we recognise today.

Then technology changed the Wiesn again. Electricity arrived at Oktoberfest in 1886. Suddenly, the festival could be illuminated after dark on a completely different scale. Electricity transformed the atmosphere and made increasingly elaborate rides, attractions and illuminated festival halls possible.

By the end of the 19th century, the Wiesn was no longer simply a horse race with some food and drink around it. It had become a huge public festival. And beer was now at its heart.

In 1895, the first large beer tent with an orchestra appeared, marking another major step towards the enormous Festzelte that define the modern Wiesn. The transformation was gradual. A royal wedding created the occasion. Horse racing created the tradition. Agriculture gave it a purpose. Fairground rides brought entertainment. Electricity transformed the experience after dark. And beer eventually became its defining symbol. The Oktoberfest we know today was not invented in one moment. It grew layer by layer over more than a century.

Why Oktoberfest Happens in September

The name is slightly misleading. In 2026, Oktoberfest runs from 19 September to 4 October. That means the festival lasts 16 days this year, even though most of those days fall in September. But 16 days are not a rule that applies to every year. The traditional rule is that Oktoberfest starts on the first Saturday after 15 September and ends on the first Sunday in October. The earlier start was introduced because late September generally offers better weather and longer daylight than October. So, although we call it Oktoberfest, most of the festival actually takes place in September. And because the end is traditionally tied to the first Sunday in October, the exact dates change from year to year.

A Temporary City

The scale of the Wiesn is difficult to understand until you see it being built. The Theresienwiese covers around 42 hectares, roughly 60 football fields. The festival grounds are approximately 1.2 kilometres long and around 350 metres wide at their widest point. For several months, this enormous open space is transformed into a temporary city.

You can find everything here, from huge beer tents and restaurants to fairground rides, kitchens, temporary roads, electricity, water infrastructure and security facilities. Around 3,000 people are involved in building the Wiesn, with the construction taking roughly 10 to 12 weeks. And then, after the festival, the whole temporary city disappears again. The dismantling takes roughly half the time of the construction. That is one of the things that fascinated me when I watched it being built from my office window. In May, there was an empty field. A few months later, there was the magical Wiesn.

What Munich Calls It

If you live in Munich, you will quickly notice that people often do not call it Oktoberfest. They call it the Wiesn. The name comes from Theresienwiese, the meadow where the festival takes place. So you might hear:“Gehen wir auf die Wiesn?” For visitors, it is Oktoberfest. For many Munich residents, it is simply the Wiesn. That small difference in language says something about the relationship between the festival and the city.

Why Blue and White?

The blue and white everywhere are not actually the colors of Oktoberfest. They are the colours of Bavaria. The blue-and-white diamond pattern is strongly associated with Bavarian identity and the Wittelsbach dynasty. That is why the colours appear throughout the Wiesn, from decorations and flags to clothing and traditional motifs. The festival may now be a global phenomenon, but visually it remains unmistakably Bavarian.

Tracht: Dirndl, Lederhosen and the Wiesn Dress Code

One of the things that surprises newcomers is how many people suddenly appear in traditional Bavarian clothing. The German word is Tracht, meaning traditional dress or costume. For women, that usually means a Dirndl. For men, Lederhosen. But there is no dress code at Oktoberfest. You can absolutely go in jeans and a T-shirt.

In fact, the enormous popularity of Dirndl and Lederhosen as the unofficial Wiesn uniform is largely a modern phenomenon. I have now been to Oktoberfest several times without wearing Tracht. But I am beginning to think that perhaps it is time to try a Dirndl.

From 18 Beer Vendors to Six Breweries

One of the most interesting things about Oktoberfest is that there are only six breweries allowed to serve official Oktoberfestbier. But this was not always the case.

In the early days of the festival, many different Munich breweries supplied beer. In 1825, there were 18 beer vendors at Oktoberfest. These small beer stands were part of the early festival landscape. But as Oktoberfest grew, everything changed. The number of visitors increased. The amount of beer required increased. Small wooden booths could no longer cope with the scale of the festival. The beer stands became larger.

The breweries that could supply the enormous quantities required by the growing Wiesn became increasingly important. Over time, the system became more concentrated. The small beer booths gradually developed into large beer halls, and eventually into the enormous Festzelte we know today.

The six traditional Munich breweries serving official Oktoberfestbier today are Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner and Spaten. So why these six? The answer is not that these six breweries won a modern competition. Their position is the result of more than a century of development, changing capacity, ownership, competition and the transformation of Oktoberfest itself. In other words, the six breweries are not simply six companies that were selected for the festival. They are the survivors of a much larger Munich brewing tradition.

What Makes a Munich Beer?

This is where things can become confusing for visitors. Münchner Bier and Oktoberfestbier are not exactly the same thing. Munich has a very old brewing tradition. The city’s brewing regulations date back to 1487, while the better-known Bavarian Reinheitsgebot dates from 1516. The traditional basic ingredients of beer are remarkably simple: water, malt, hops and yeast. Different beer styles can of course have different characteristics, but the classic Bavarian brewing tradition is based on these basic ingredients.

Oktoberfestbier is more specific. It is the beer brewed for Oktoberfest by the authorised Munich breweries and must meet the requirements for official Oktoberfest beer. A normal Munich beer might be a Helles, Dunkel, Weißbier or another style. Oktoberfestbier is the special festival beer. It is also stronger than a typical Munich Helles, generally around 6% alcohol. The Oktoberfest beer of the past was different again. It was darker and closer to the traditional Märzen style. The lighter golden beer associated with the modern Wiesn developed later. Even the beer at a 200-year-old tradition has evolved.

The Festzelte

If there are only six breweries, why are there so many beer tents? Because six breweries do not mean six tents. The enormous beer tents at Oktoberfest are called Festzelte. They are not simply large tents with a few tables. They are enormous temporary halls with kitchens, stages, decorations, seating areas, beer-serving systems and their own distinctive atmosphere. The development was gradual. In the early days, there were small wooden beer booths. As the festival grew, they became larger.

By the end of the 19th century, the first enormous temporary beer halls began to appear. In 1898, Georg Lang built the famous “Bavarian Giant Hall”, replacing several smaller booth spaces with one enormous structure.

By 1907, the old landscape of many small stalls had largely been replaced by the large festival halls associated with Munich’s major breweries. The modern Festzelte are the result of that transformation. Each has its own name, personality, architecture, food and music. You are not simply choosing a beer tent. You are choosing which Festzelt you want to experience. Among the best-known names are the Hacker-Festzelt, Augustiner-Festhalle, Hofbräu-Festzelt, Löwenbräu-Festhalle, Armbrustschützenzelt, Schottenhamel, Winzerer Fähndl, Ochsenbraterei, Fischer-Vroni and Käfer’s Wiesn-Schänke.

Some are closely associated with one of the six Munich breweries, while others have their own long-standing identity and specialties. That is part of what makes the Wiesn interesting: the beer may come from one of six Munich breweries, but the experience depends very much on which Festzelt you choose.

My choice: Welcome to the heaven of Bavaria: Hacker-Pschorr

The Hacker-Festzelt is one of the most visually spectacular places on the Wiesn. Its theme is “Himmel der Bayern”, the “Heaven of the Bavarians “, a famous ceiling that creates the illusion of a blue-and-white Bavarian sky, complete with clouds and stars. The effect is remarkable. You are technically sitting inside a temporary building on a meadow. But it feels as if you have stepped into a giant illustrated version of Bavaria.

The history of Hacker-Pschorr goes much further than the modern Oktoberfest. A Hacker brewery is documented as early as 1417. In the 18th century, Joseph Pschorr married Maria-Theresia Hacker, bringing two brewing families together. Today, Hacker-Pschorr beer is brewed at the Paulaner brewery, but the historic brand remains one of the six official Oktoberfest breweries.

Joseph Pschorr also understood one of the fundamental problems of brewing before modern refrigeration: beer needs to be kept cold. He built enormous underground beer cellars on Landsberger Straße. By 1813, the complex covered around 4000 square meters and could store more than 35000 hectoliters of beer.

“Eine Maß, bitte!”

The Maß is not a type of beer, it is a measure. One Maß is one litre. So, when you order a Maß, you are ordering one liter of beer. And because Oktoberfestbier is around 6% alcohol, that litre deserves some respect. In 2026, a Maß costs around €15.60 on average. A full Maß also weighs roughly two kilograms. Which brings us to one of the great spectacles of the Wiesn: the waiters.

They move through packed crowds carrying several one litre Maß at once, sometimes balancing an astonishing number of glasses in their hands. They also carry enormous trays and wooden boards loaded with food. If you see one coming towards you, move. Seriously.

What You Eat at the Wiesn

Oktoberfest food goes far beyond beer and pretzels. You can expect classic Bavarian dishes such as roast chicken, Hendl, roast pork knuckle or Schweinshaxe, sausages and Bratwurst, Schnitzel and Steckerlfisch, fish grilled on a stick. There are also vegetarian choices, including Käsespätzle, mushrooms and other Bavarian-style dishes. One of the best-known specialties is Obatzda, a seasoned Bavarian cheese spread usually served with a large pretzel.

And then there is the sweet side of the Wiesn, including Kaiserschmarrn, Apfelstrudel, roasted almonds and the famous decorated Lebkuchenherzen.

Can You Just Walk into a Beer Tent?

Jein. Yes and no. There is no entrance fee for Oktoberfest itself, and you do not need a reservation simply to enter a Festzelt. You can come to the Wiesn simply to walk around, look at the rides, watch the people, listen to the music and soak up the atmosphere without buying anything. If you manage to get inside a tent, you can even stand without a table reservation, order a beer and enjoy the atmosphere.

The problem is getting inside when the tent is full. At busy times, especially on weekends and in the evening, entrances can close completely. So, you may be standing outside with your friends, looking at the enormous tent, while knowing that there is no way in. If you want a guaranteed table, you need to reserve directly with the individual Festzelt.

There is no single central Oktoberfest reservation system. Each tent handles its own reservations, and booking generally opens in spring for that year’s festival. So, you do not need to plan your Oktoberfest years in advance. But if you have a group and want a particular tent at a popular time, you should definitely plan ahead.

Let’s turn back the clock of time, The Oide Wiesn

The Oide Wiesn, literally the “Old Wiesn”, is a separate, fenced-off part of the festival. It was created in 2010 for the 200th anniversary of Oktoberfest and became a permanent part of the festival in 2011.

For me, this is the part of Oktoberfest that feels most special. It is the nostalgic, tradition-focused side of the Wiesn, and it is perfect if you like your festival experience to be a little quieter and a little more traditional. Here, they try to preserve the atmosphere of an older Oktoberfest.

You can find marionette theatre, old-fashioned barrel organs, traditional brass bands in smaller beer tents, historic steam-powered machines and beautifully restored fairground rides. One of my favorites is the Fahrt ins Paradies, the “Ride to Paradise”, a beautifully old-fashioned roller-coaster-style attraction accompanied by music from another era. There are also the Toboggan, historic carousels, old fairground attractions and other rides that look almost like they have travelled through time. One of my favourite photos from the Wiesn was taken here, inside the Weißbierkarussell, where I found a beautifully simple wooden bowling alley. The rides are generally considerably cheaper than on the main Wiesn.

In 2026, admission to the Oide Wiesn costs €4, and many of the historic rides cost just €1.50. For someone who does not love crowds, this is probably the part of Oktoberfest I would recommend first. It is still the Wiesn, just a different one.

Family Days

Oktoberfest is not exclusively an adult drinking event. There are two official Family Days during the 2026 festival, both on Tuesdays, 22 September and 29 September. Until 7 p.m., many rides, attractions and stalls offer reduced prices. Schools and kindergartens also organize visits, so do not be surprised if you see groups of children arriving at the Wiesn. There are roller coasters, carousels, ghost trains, children’s rides and countless other attractions. The festival has a very different atmosphere during a weekday afternoon with families than it does late on a Saturday night.

The Opening: When Munich Says “O’zapft is!”

Oktoberfest has its own opening rituals. On the first Saturday, the Einzug der Wiesnwirte und Brauereien brings the festival hosts and breweries into the grounds in a spectacular procession of decorated horse-drawn wagons, musicians, traditional costumes and beer barrels. The beer wagons that I had watched passing my office window for weeks suddenly became part of the official spectacle.

Then comes the moment everyone is waiting for. At noon, the Munich mayor taps the first barrel in the Schottenhamel tent. The traditional cry follows: “O’zapft is!” The Oktoberfest is officially open. The following day, Munich hosts the Trachten- und Schützenzug, the traditional costume and marksmen’s parade. The procession is led by the Münchner Kindl, the symbolic figure of Munich. The image is almost surreal: the Münchner Kindl on horseback at the head of thousands of people in traditional Tracht, surrounded by horses, decorated carriages, musicians and elaborate costumes. More than 8,000 participants take part in the parade, which stretches for around seven kilometers through Munich before reaching the Theresienwiese. This is not simply a parade for tourists. It is Munich displaying its own traditions to itself.

The Italian Weekend

Oktoberfest is international, but there is one group whose presence has become particularly famous. The Italians. Sometimes they nickname Munich the northernmost town in Italy. It is obvious that the second Wiesn weekend is traditionally known as the “Italian Weekend”, because particularly large numbers of Italian visitors cross the Brenner Pass and come to Munich for Oktoberfest. You may hear Italian around you, see Italian license plates and encounter groups who have travelled north specifically for their version of the festa della birra. For Munich residents, the Italian Weekend is almost a tradition of its own. And it is another reminder that the Wiesn may belong to Munich, but Munich’s festival has long since become international.

The unexpected Karaoke bar

One of the things that surprises first-time visitors is the music. You might expect traditional Bavarian folk music, and you will certainly hear it. Brass bands, polkas, marches and classic Bavarian songs are an essential part of the Wiesn atmosphere.

But then the band suddenly changes direction. The same musicians who have just played a traditional Bavarian tune may launch into a worldwide hit. Tina Turner, Queen, Robbie Williams and other international favorites can suddenly fill a beer tent, with thousands of people singing along. The music constantly moves between Bavarian tradition and international party culture.

And you do not need to understand every German word to know what to do when a familiar song starts. Stand up. You do not just stand up, you step up onto the bench and raise your Maß and start sing along. And sooner or later, “Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit” will come around again. And let the magic sweep you away.

The result is a rather unusual musical world where Bavarian brass music and international pop classics can exist perfectly naturally side by side. It is one of the clearest examples of what the Wiesn has become: deeply Bavarian, but never entirely local.

The Pro-Wiesn Survival Kit

There are a few things first-time visitors should know before arriving. 

You don’t have to visit the Wiesn at the weekend to get the full experience. In fact, I find that going on a weekday can be even better. It is still just as lively and atmospheric, but without the overwhelming crowds.

Do not bring a large backpack or unnecessary luggage. Security is strict, bags are checked, and there are restrictions on what can be brought onto the grounds. No big packages and rucksacks. This is not paranoia. In 1980, a bomb exploded near the main entrance to Oktoberfest, killing 12 people and injuring more than 200. Security has therefore become an important part of the modern Wiesn.

It is also worth knowing that traditional clothing is not a costume requirement. You do not have to wear a Dirndl or Lederhosen. And if you do wear Tracht, there is no single official version. You will see everything from traditional to modern, elaborate to simple.

At Oktoberfest, cash is king. You will find ATMs near the entrances.

Take some time and learn some songs, so you can sing with the crowd (A few suggestions, by no means an Exhaustive list: Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit, Fliegerlied, Sweet Caroline, I will survive, 99 Luftballons, Skandal im Sperrbezirk)

And finally, watch where you walk. There are thousands of people moving in every direction, waiters carrying multiple Maß, enormous trays of food and children moving between attractions. 

When Oktoberfest Disappeared

For something that now seems almost inevitable, Oktoberfest has been cancelled surprisingly often. Since 1810, it has been cancelled 26 times, mainly because of wars and epidemics. It was cancelled during the Napoleonic period, during the First and Second World Wars, and again during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. For two years, the Theresienwiese remained empty. Which raises an interesting question: What does it take to cancel Oktoberfest? And perhaps an even more interesting one: What does it take for a tradition to survive for more than two centuries?

From Munich to the World

Today, Oktoberfest is a global cultural phenomenon. Its imagery has travelled far beyond Bavaria. Dirndl, Lederhosen, pretzels, beer mugs, blue-and-white decorations, brass bands and the giant beer tents have become internationally recognizable symbols of Germany and Bavaria. But there is an interesting contradiction. Oktoberfest has become global, but it remains deeply local. Is the Wiesn the absolute epicenter of beer culture and beer lovers? Perhaps. But numbers tell an even more fascinating story. Out of roughly 6.5 million annual visitors, nearly 70% are actually from Munich and Bavaria. Only about 15% arrive from other parts of Germany, while around 15 to 21% come from all over the world. So while the world comes to the Wiesn, the Wiesn ultimately belongs to Munich. It is not a tourist attraction – it is where Munich goes home to celebrate.

Cover photo credit: Judit Szilos-Zongor

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