Munich Oktoberfest opens with seven million visitors expected
Saturday 19th September 2026 on 06:30 in
Bavaria
Munich’s Oktoberfest opens on Saturday, with around seven million visitors expected over the 16-day festival, BR reports. The event, known locally as the Wiesn, runs until October 4 in the city centre, with about one-fifth of visitors expected to come from abroad.
The festival grounds open at 9 a.m., followed later in the morning by the traditional procession of landlords and breweries. Mayor Dominik Krause, who has been in office since May, is due to stop at the memorial for the victims of the 1980 Oktoberfest attack before opening the festival in the Schottenhamel tent.
Krause will tap the first barrel at noon and declare, “O’zapft is.” He has trained for the task and is aiming to open it with two or three strikes. The first litre of beer traditionally goes to Bavaria’s Minister-President Markus Söder. A litre now costs up to 15.90 euros, while drinking water is available free of charge at 10 outdoor taps. Admission to the festival grounds is also free.
The grounds include 14 large festival halls, numerous smaller tents, around 180 stalls and stands, and almost 250 amusement businesses. New high-tech rides will operate alongside three large traditional tents and rides from earlier eras in the Oidn Wiesn, a specially designated nostalgic section where a ride ticket costs 1.50 euros.
About 600 police officers will be deployed on the grounds. Police describe the threat situation as “abstractly high” and have prepared a system to counter drones, although they have not disclosed details. Security staff in the tents and up to 1,600 city stewards will also help protect the event.
Visitors will be checked at the entrances to the fenced-off grounds, including with handheld scanners. Knives, glass bottles and large bags are among the items prohibited.
The city has revised its security plan after overcrowding problems last year. Cameras have been installed across the grounds in addition to police cameras. Images will be fed into a new security centre, where artificial intelligence will create heat maps showing areas where crowds are building. Crowdspotters will also assist with assessing the situation.