Oktoberfest 2026 opens on September 19, 2026 in Munich, Germany, the world's biggest folk festival, drawing over six million visitors for two-plus weeks of beer tents, brass bands and lederhosen. This countdown ticks to opening day, when the mayor taps the first keg at noon and cries 'O'zapft is!', 'It's tapped!'
First held in 1810 to celebrate a Bavarian royal wedding, Oktoberfest, 'die Wiesn' to locals, now fills Munich's Theresienwiese with enormous beer tents run by the city's historic breweries, plus rides, roast chicken and pretzels the size of your head.
Despite the name, most of Oktoberfest happens in September: it starts on a Saturday in mid-September and runs about 16, 18 days, ending the first Sunday of October (or October 3, German Unity Day, if that falls later).