Highlights and Festive Program at the Oktoberfest

Grand entry of the Oktoberfest landlords and breweries

Opening Saturday: 11:00 am

Route: Sonnenstraße-Schwanthalerstraße to the Oktoberfest grounds; lasts about 45 minutes.

This is the official prelude to the opening of the Oktoberfest. It involves about 1000 participants, including the magnificent horse-drawn teams of the Munich breweries, the waitresses on decorated parade floats, all the beer tent bands and the landlords' families in decorated carriages.

Oktoberfest Costume Parade 

First Sunday of the Oktoberfest: 10 am; lasts 2 - 2 1/2 hours, 7 km distance and about 7000 performers.

The world-famous procession on the first Sunday of the Oktoberfest is one of the highlights you should not miss!  A varied succession of regional costume groups, "troops" in historical uniforms, marching bands, marksmen, thoroughbred horses, oxen, cows, goats, decorated teams of the Munich breweries, floats displaying typical local traditions and historic carriages all pass by in a 7-kilometer-long procession through the streets of the city center.

Ribboned trees, harvest garlands, craftsmen's tools from bygone days, harvest produce, dancers decorated with flowers, stars and crowns, trumpeters on horseback, flag-throwers and a host of other performers transform this traditional Munich procession into a brilliant highlight on the first Sunday of the Oktoberfest.

The Costume Parade gives you an impressive insight into the fascinating diversity of customs rooted in the heart of Bavaria, in Franconia, Swabia, the states of Germany and in neighboring European countries.

Route of the parade:

Max II. Denkmal (Max II.Monument), Maximilianstraße, Residenzstraße, Odeonsplatz, Kardinal-Faulhaber-Strasse, Pacellistrasse, Maximiliansplatz, Karlsplatz-Stachus, Sonnenstraße, Schwanthalerstraße, Paul-Heyse-Straße, Georg-Hirth-Platz, Kaiser-Ludwig-Platz, Oktberfest

Oecumenic Church Service

Date: normally 1st Thursday, 10am in the Hippodrom tent

Open-Air Oktoberfest Music

Date: Second Oktoberfest Sunday (If the weather is bad, the concert will be postponed to the last Sunday)

Venue: on the steps of the Bavaria statue

A bigband open-air concert of all Oktoberfest bands with some 400 musicians takes place on the second Sunday of the festival. 

Canon Salutes

Last (3rd) Oktoberfest Sunday on the steps of the Bavaria statue, 12am.