Name: Maibockfest at Kloster Plankstetten 2026
Start: 2026-05-01T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-05-03T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Benediktinerabtei Plankstetten

Maibockfest Plankstetten

About Maibockfest Plankstetten

The Maibockfest at Kloster Plankstetten is one of the most atmospheric spring beer festivals in the Upper Palatinate. For three days around May 1st, the baroque monastery courtyard of Plankstetten Abbey near Berching transforms into an inviting beer garden: freshly tapped organic Maibock from the monastery's own brewery, hearty Bavarian brass band music, organically produced delicacies, and organic ox from the monastery's own estate. The festive opening is marked by the beer tapping ceremony by Abbot Dr. Beda Maria Sonnenberg OSB. Between the Maypole, the May service, and monastery tours, the festival combines enjoyment, tradition, and Benedictine spirituality.

Dates 01 May — 03 May 2026

Venue Berching (09373)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Maibockfest Plankstetten — edition 2026

The Maibockfest at Kloster Plankstetten 2026 runs from May 1st to 3rd, daily from 11 AM to 7 PM, in the baroque courtyard of the Benedictine Abbey. The opening is marked by the beer tapping ceremony by Abbot Dr. Beda Maria Sonnenberg OSB on May 1st at 11 AM. Featuring organic Maibock and organic delicacies, brass music (including Krüzsteinguggis Oberried, Bourbon Street Jazz Band), monastery tours, and a May service. Free admission.

The 2026 edition of the Maibockfest at Kloster Plankstetten takes place from Friday, May 1st, to Sunday, May 3rd, daily from 11 AM to 7 PM in the baroque courtyard of the Benedictine Abbey.

The opening is the beer tapping ceremony by Abbot Dr. Beda Maria Sonnenberg OSB on May 1st at 11 AM. Music is provided by, among others, the Krüzsteinguggis Oberried and the Bourbon Street Jazz Band. Enjoy organic Maibock and organic delicacies, a sale of young plants from the monastery garden, a May service, and guided tours of the church, crypt, monastery garden, and the Staudenhof estate. Admission is free.

Highlights Maibockfest Plankstetten 2026

Tapping ceremony by the Abbot on May 1st, first barrel as free beer
Freshly tapped organic Maibock from the monastery brewery
Organic barbecue specialties and ox from the monastery's own estate
Brass music: Krüzsteinguggis Oberried, Bourbon Street Jazz Band
Monastery tours, May service, children's program

Programme Maibockfest Plankstetten 2026

Friday, May 1st, 2026

11:00 AM: Beer tapping by Abbot Dr. Beda Maria Sonnenberg OSB, first barrel as free beer
12:00 PM: Midday prayer
Bavarian brass music (incl. Krüzsteinguggis Oberried)
6:00 PM: Vespers

Saturday, May 2nd, 2026

Festival open 11 AM - 7 PM, organic catering
Bourbon Street Jazz Band
Sale of young plants from the monastery garden
Guided tours of the monastery church, crypt, garden, and monastery estate

Sunday, May 3rd, 2026

May service
Festival open 11 AM - 7 PM
Children's program: bull riding, carving May whistles, crafts

Prices Maibockfest Plankstetten 2026

Free admission. The first barrel of Maibock is served as free beer during the tapping ceremony on May 1st. Food and drinks are paid for on-site.

Practical information

Practical information — Maibockfest Plankstetten

Getting There

By car via the A3 (Beilngries exit) or the B299 towards Berching/Plankstetten. Parking available at the monastery. Public transport is limited — arrival by car or carpooling is recommended.

Admission & Times

Free admission. Festival open daily from 11 AM to 7 PM. Tapping ceremony on May 1st at 11 AM, first barrel as free beer. Food and drinks are paid for on-site.

Tip

A visit can be well combined with a monastery tour and a stroll through medieval Berching — one of Bavaria's best-preserved town fortifications.

Beer Festival in the Baroque Monastery Courtyard

The Maibockfest at Kloster Plankstetten is the traditional spring beer festival of the Benedictine Abbey Plankstetten (Klosterplatz 1, 92334 Berching) in the district of Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz. Over three days, an inviting beer garden is created in the baroque monastery courtyard — a festival that puts the monastery's own organic Maibock at the center.

Tapping by the Abbot

The festive opening is marked by the beer tapping ceremony by Abbot Dr. Beda Maria Sonnenberg OSB on May 1st at 11 AM. The first barrel of Maibock is served as free beer — a traditional, convivial start to the festival.

Organic from Our Own Cultivation

Plankstetten is a nationwide pioneer in ecological monastery management. At the Maibockfest, barbecue specialties and vegetarian dishes of the finest organic quality are served, including ox from the monastery's own estate. Accompanied by freshly tapped Maibock, coffee and cake, and Maibock ice cream — all organic certified. The festival is accompanied by hearty Bavarian brass band music.

Between Enjoyment and Spirituality

The Maibockfest is more than just a beer festival: throughout all days, there are guided tours of the monastery church and crypt, the monastery garden, and the monastery estate in the Staudenhof. The spiritual life remains present — midday prayer at 12 PM, vespers at 6 PM, and a church service on Sunday. For children, there is bull riding, carving May whistles (Mai-Pfeiferl), and spring-themed crafts. The program is complemented by the sale of young plants from the monastery garden and a May service.

Plankstetten and Berching

The Benedictine Abbey Plankstetten was founded in 1129 and belongs to the town of Berching in the district of Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz in the state of Bavaria. The idyllic Altmühltal valley with the historic town walls of Berching and the Main-Danube Canal is right on the doorstep. The Maibockfest combines centuries-old Benedictine tradition with lived ecology and Upper Palatinate festival culture.