Oktoberfest is more than just beer, music, and merriment, it is a living piece of Bavarian culture that has grown into the world’s largest folk festival. Every year, millions of people from across the globe travel to Munich to take part in the celebration. In 2025, Oktoberfest will once again transform the Bavarian capital into a sea of festivity from September 20 to October 5, marking the 190th edition of the festival.
But before looking at this year’s program, it’s worth remembering where it all began, with a royal wedding, a horse race, and an idea that turned into a tradition loved worldwide.
The roots of Oktoberfest stretch back to October 12, 1810, when Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, later King Ludwig I, married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Andreas Michael Dall’Armi, a member of the Bavarian National Guard, suggested that the wedding be celebrated in a special way: with a horse race for the people.
King Max I Joseph of Bavaria approved, and the celebrations lasted five days, ending with the race on a meadow just outside Munich’s gates. Children in traditional costumes greeted the royal family with poems and flowers, while locals cheered the spectacle. The meadow was named Theresens-Wiese in honor of the bride, a name that evolved into Theresienwiese, or simply the Wiesn, as locals still call the Oktoberfest grounds today.
Although there were no beer tents or carnival rides in 1810, this gathering is considered the very first Oktoberfest. For his idea, Dall’Armi was later awarded the city of Munich’s first gold citizens’ medal in 1824, and his legacy remains a key part of Oktoberfest history.
As the decades passed, Oktoberfest began to grow. In the late 19th century, booths with electric lighting, carousels, and entertainers appeared. Breweries replaced small beer stalls with large festival tents, adding music and atmosphere. What started as a local wedding celebration evolved into a cultural phenomenon.
Today, Oktoberfest draws around six million visitors every year, making it the largest folk festival in the world. From the sheer amount of beer consumed to the endless rows of roast chicken enjoyed, Oktoberfest continues to break records while preserving traditions that date back more than 200 years.
The 190th Oktoberfest takes place from Saturday, September 20 to Sunday, October 5, 2025, at the historic Theresienwiese grounds in Munich. Over the course of more than two weeks, the festival will host parades, concerts, ceremonies, and, of course, endless celebrations inside the massive beer tents.
When the breweries and festival hosts symbolically bring beer to the Theresienwiese, everyone in Munich knows: Oktoberfest has arrived! Festively decorated carriages and brewery teams will travel from Josephspitalstraße to the festival grounds, marking the opening of the festivities on Saturday, September 20, 2025, at 10:35 a.m.. This colorful procession signals the start of the Wiesn, celebrated by locals and visitors alike.
At 12 noon, all eyes turn to the Schottenhamel Festhalle. Here, Munich’s Lord Mayor, Dieter Reiter, will tap the first barrel of beer with the traditional cry of “Ozapft is!”. This marks the official opening of Oktoberfest. The very first stein of beer is handed to the Bavarian state premier, continuing a long-standing tradition.
Once the barrel is tapped, twelve gunshots are fired in front of the Bavaria statue. This signals to all other tents that they may begin serving beer. Though the tents open earlier in the day, the first mugs of Oktoberfest beer can only be poured after these ceremonial shots.
The first Sunday of Oktoberfest is dedicated to one of the festival’s most colorful traditions. On Sunday, September 21, 2025, at 10 am, the Trachten- und Schützenzug (traditional costume and marksmen parade) will make its way through Munich.
Since 1950, this parade has featured thousands of participants from around the world. Around 9,000 people in 60 groups take part, including costume clubs, hunters, mountain troops, marching bands, and musicians. Dressed in traditional Bavarian attire and colorful regional costumes, the participants create a spectacle that celebrates both local and international culture.
Not all moments at Oktoberfest are celebratory. On Friday, September 26, 2025, Munich’s mayor will hold a memorial and wreath-laying ceremony to remember the victims of the 1980 right-wing extremist bomb attack at the Oktoberfest. An ecumenical church service in the Marstall Festzelt also brings workers and guests together to pray for a safe and peaceful Wiesn.
On the second Sunday of Oktoberfest, September 28, 2025, at 11 am, visitors can enjoy the grand concert of the Wiesn landlords and bands at the foot of the Bavaria statue. About 300 musicians from the festival tents come together to perform popular Bavarian and Alpine marches. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Bavaria monument, this free open-air concert is a highlight for many visitors.
The festival traditionally ends with noise, music, and smoke. On the last day, Sunday, October 5, at 12 noon, around 60 male and female gunners in traditional costume gather at the Bavaria statue. With brass bands playing, they fire black powder salutes into the air, filling the Wiesn with thunderous sound and clouds of smoke. The ceremony concludes with the Bavarian anthem, marking the official close of Oktoberfest.
Oktoberfest is far more than beer and merriment. It is a celebration of Bavarian heritage, music, and tradition. From the lively parades to the solemn moments of remembrance, the Wiesn is both a cultural event and a community gathering.
This year, the 190th Oktoberfest promises to honor this long history while once again welcoming millions of guests to Munich. Whether it’s your first time or your tenth, one thing is certain: Oktoberfest is an experience unlike any other.
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