Events and festivals in Bavaria on the weekend of September 19-20, 2026: Oktoberfest opens in Munich with the ceremonial keg tapping at noon, while international street artists take over the old town of Landshut.
A hammer strike, a stage in the middle of the old town, cowbells in the mountains. Munich, Landshut and the Allgäu Alps share the spotlight on September 19 and 20, 2026. Oktoberfest opens in Munich with the ceremonial keg tapping at noon, while international street artists take over the old town of Landshut.
Oktoberfest in Munich
Oktoberfest opens on Saturday, September 19, 2026, with the traditional keg tapping at noon on the Theresienwiese. Locals simply call it the "Wiesn". For the following days until October 4, the fairground in the Bavarian capital turns into the largest folk festival in the world and the ultimate symbol of Bavarian festival culture.
Large beer tents line up next to historic inns, between rides and carnival stalls. The Theresienwiese has stood for generations as a symbol of Bavarian festival culture, known well outside the state. More than six million visitors typically come to the grounds in an ordinary year.
On 19.9.26, alongside dozens of smaller festivals across the Free State, the best-known date on the Bavarian autumn calendar gets underway. Anyone in Munich that Saturday witnesses the start of a festival that shapes the city's rhythm for two weeks.
For sixteen days, the Wiesn sets the pace of the city, from the opening tap to the last ride on October 4. No other festival in Bavaria draws a comparable international crowd.
The rest of the weekend
Landshut belongs to street artists this weekend. The Spektakel Landshut brings more than 120 street artists from around 20 countries to the old town, the Ländtorplatz, the town hall's ceremonial hall and the Salzstadel granary from September 18 to 20. Regensburg makes theatre history on September 19. The Regensburg theatre marks its launch as Bavaria's sixth state theatre with its opening festival, staged under the season motto "Freiheiten" (Freedoms), a gala and 24 premieres under artistic director Sebastian Ritschel. Erlangen also marks September 19. It sees its queer political highlight of the year with Christopher Street Day, organised by the association Make Your Town Queer e.V. and combining a demonstration, a rally and a street festival on Schlossplatz.
Bad Kissingen has its own castle ruin. At Botenlauben, the Botenlauben festival, staged by the Heimatverein Reiterswiesen, reaches its 33rd edition from September 18 to 20, with open-air theatre, knight's games, minnesang performances, a craft market and camp life. Nuremberg has its own castle moat. In the moat of the Kaiserburg, homemade, motorless soapbox cars race on September 19 for the 16th edition of the soapbox derby, between the Tiergärtner Tor and the Hallertor, accompanied by a stage programme and street food.
The Allgäu marks the end of summer. Between 8:45 and 12:30 on September 19, more than 1,300 head of cattle return to the valley from eleven alpine pastures at the Viehscheid Obermaiselstein, spread across several separate sorting points. Missen-Wilhams follows the same custom. On the same day, around 350 decorated cows from four alpine pastures parade through its streets to the sorting square at Viehscheid Missen, accompanied by alphorn players and a bell-shaped raffle. Middle Franconia looks to the cabbage patch. The Heglauer Krautfest in Merkendorf, a fixture since 2001 on the third Sunday of September, turns on September 20 around sauerkraut, a farmers market, culinary cabbage specialities and a children's programme, with up to 10,000 visitors expected.
The Wiesn keeps running until October 4. The Viehscheid in the Allgäu marks the end of the alpine summer and the start of autumn at the same time.