Oktoberfest 2025 in Munich: what you need to know
Oktoberfest 2025 is going to be unlike any other! It’s going to be bigger, better, and wiser. After all, like a fine wine or the leather of your lederhosen, Oktoberfest just gets better with age, baby!
Check out Munich’s #1 Oktoberfest Packages here!
Each year between six and seven million people find this out for themselves and don’t you want to be one of them? They consume 7 million liters of beer and eat half a million half chickens. They party hard and dance harder. Oktoberfest 2025 is going to be the ultimate bucket list item you need to experience!
When is Oktoberfest 2025?
Each year Oktoberfest begins on a Saturday in September and typically ends on the first Sunday of October.
Oktoberfest 2025 will begin at noon on Saturday September 20th and end on Sunday October 5th, 2025.
Check out the full list of Oktoberfest dates and key days to attend the festival here.
Planning for the 2025 festival
It’s never too early to start planning for Oktoberfest. (We mean it – the sooner the better!) So pour yourself a beer and let’s get planning!
Join the Oktoberfest Travel group on Facebook for updates on Oktoberfest 2025. ⇣⇣⇣
When to attend Oktoberfest 2025
So when exactly should you attend Oktoberfest 2025? There are a few decisions you have to make. (This is why we drink first.) Here’s what you need to consider when choosing when to attend Oktoberfest 2025:
AT THE BEGINNING VS. AT THE END – Two specific times to consider attending Oktoberfest are the opening ceremony and the closing ceremony. Both are spectacular in their own ways and equally tough to get into (but both are worth their weight in schnitzel).
The opening ceremony in the Schottenhamel tent marks the official start of Oktoberfest when the Lord Mayor of Munich taps the first keg and shouts, “O’Zapft Is!” – the Oktoberfest equivalent of a green flag being waved on a racetrack. The festivities have begun – get to prosting or get the hell out of the way.
The Oktoberfest closing ceremony in the Hacker-Pschorr tent is another spectacle to behold. Imagine 10,000 of your new best friends in one huge sing-along. The lights go down; the sparklers are lit; it’s like New Year’s Eve, your 21st birthday, and graduation all rolled into one. Look how many beers you’ve consumed this year – you’re all grown up now! *tear*
WEEKDAYS VS. WEEKENDS – Not counting opening and closing day at Oktoberfest, Fridays and weekends are the toughest time to find space for your tush in a beer tent. But if this is in your plan for Oktoberfest 2025, be sure to arrive to the Theresienwiese with the rising sun and keep your bum planted on a bench all the livelong day.
During the week (and during the day) is going to be your best bet to easily find a seat in a beer tent. You can even sleep in if you want – but just a little bit; we don’t waste to waste precious drinking hours, now do we?
SPECIAL EVENTS – Oktoberfest 2025 will have all the signature Oktoberfest special events like the costume parade, family day, traditional Bavarian concerts, and more.
Click here for the full 2025 Oktoberfest Schedule of Events
What to budget for Oktoberfest 2025
Obviously this depends on how much you can consume. Luckily for everyone though, getting into the festival and into the beer tents is 100% free. But that’s only fun to a point and nobody attends Oktoberfest to sit in a beer tent empty-handed.
You can expect a liter of beer at Oktoberfest to cost you about 16 EUROs (without tip), give or take depending on which tent you’re in. Official Oktoberfest 2025 beer prices will be announced here in June.
A liter of water and other non-alcoholic drinks cost almost as much – the sad part being that there are people at Oktoberfest drinking non-alcoholic beverages. There isn’t a recommended amount of money to bring but however big your beer appetite, make sure you bring cash, cash, and more cash (as opposed to plastic, plastic, and more plastic).
For Oktoberfest 2025 you’ll also need to budget for:
Oktoberfest Food – Menu options and prices at each tent vary but expect to spend between 10€ – 30€ on a meal with a ½ chicken being around 17€.
Entertainment – If you’re the kind of person who can stomach carnival rides in the middle of a beer festival, this applies to you. Also, bravo! The rides will cost you a few euros per ride and possibly a little bit of dignity as well.
Souvenirs – Like it or not, someone in your group is going home with a dancing chicken hat. Souvenirs start at just a couple of euros and work their way up to “how big a feather can I get in my hat” expensive.
What to wear for Oktoberfest 2025
Traditional Bavarian clothing is where it’s at for Oktoberfest (as it should be every day, in our opinion).
For the ladies that means a traditional Bavarian dirndl—white blouse, knee-length (or longer) dress, apron, and comfortable shoes you’re not afraid to spill beer on.
For the gents that means lederhosen—white or plaid button-up shirt, knee socks or calf warmers, some comfortable loafers, and, if you really want to go all out Bavaria, an Alpine hat. Ooh-la-la, prost indeed!
There’s a bit more that goes into dressing for Oktoberfest (the unwritten rules, accessories, hair, and what do you mean it matters how I tie my apron bow?) so click that link to get the full lowdown on all things push up.
How to get to Oktoberfest in Munich
For starters, driving is out of the question. Don’t even attempt it. There is literally no parking (remember this guy?) or how would you even get home after [insert # of liters here]?
The Oktoberfest grounds (the Theresienwiese) are a short walk (10 minutes, you can do it) from the Hauptbahnhof, Munich’s central train station, and an even shorter walk from the Theresienwiese stop on the U-bahn, just one stop away from the Hauptbahnhof. If even that looks like gibberish to you, catching a taxi is always an option.
You’ll find a handy interactive map and details on in our Munich Oktoberfest guide.
What will the weather be like during Oktoberfest?
What? You don’t like surprises? We’re going to let you in on a little secret… part of the reason Oktoberfest was moved to September is because the weather is better.
However, you can never really tell. Some years it’s chilly, some it’s rainy, and some years the sky is blue and the sun is shining and we’re not just talking about the ceiling inside the Hacker-Pschorr tent.
However, this page gives you a good idea of annual temperature and precipitation averages for Munich, Germany for the months of September and October.
FAOQs – Frequently Asked Oktoberfest Questions
Do I need a reservation in the beer tents? You don’t need a reservation but obviously it never hurts (luckily, we can help you with beer tent tickets & reservations). If you attend Oktoberfest 2025 during the week, finding a table in a tent shouldn’t be a problem. Evenings and weekends are much harder but it can still be done – have no fear, beer is near!
When do they start building the beer tents? Construction of the beer tents (yes, they build and take them down each year!) usually starts about 75 days before the festival. You can view progress of the 2025 Oktoberfest beer tent construction here from July 2025.
Where are the restrooms? The large beer tents have their own restrooms with plenty of stalls and fast-moving lines. Outside the beer tents you can follow giant Cupid’s arrow to the nearest restroom.
Can I smoke in the beer tents? Absolutely not. There is a strict no smoking policy inside the beer tents but each tent typically has a designated smoking area outside the tent, usually near the rear.
Will I get fined and/or arrested and/or publicly ridiculed if I try to steal a glass mug from a beer tent? Abso-freaking-lutely.
Oktoberfest 2025 is upon us and there’s no better time to start planning for it than yesterday NOW! Munich’s Oktoberfest is the beer festival all other beer festivals wish they could be so be sure to check out our Oktoberfest 2025 tours and packages for the time of your life.
