The Munich Oktoberfest (beer festival) is set to run from from September 22 to October 7, 2018. Attracting thousands of people from around the world to Munich, Oktoberfest’s historic folk celebration of Bavarian culture and the beers of the region has jumped to the top of most people’s bucket lists.
It all started with a horse race which the national guard staged for the people on August 17, 1810 to mark the wedding of the Ludwig Crown Prince of Bavaria (later King Ludwig I) to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The race was such a success that it was staged again the following year on the Theresienwiese – the meadow named in honour of the Princess. From 1870 onwards, the number of stalls began to increase and in 1896 the very first beer tents were erected which sold only beer brewed in Munich – a tradition which has remained to the present day. Due to lack of space the horse races with which it all began were staged for the last time in 1936.
Alongside the beer tents – with capacities ranging from less than 100 to well over 8000, there is live music, traditional costumes, parades, and a vast variety of German cuisine making it one of the world’s biggest parties.