A trip to the Oktoberfest?
By train, of course.
Visit Oktoberfest?
By train, of course.
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Every year, the world’s largest folk festival takes place at the Theresienwiese in Munich. The Oktoberfest attracts 6 million visitors annually and offers much more than just ‘beer by the litre’. It is part of the Bavarian way of life and reflects the hospitality of the people of Munich. This tradition dates back to the 19th century and, over the years, has been adopted in various (German) cities. Even in Belgium, Oktoberfest celebrations are now organised.
From Belgium, you can reach the meadows (or ‘Wiesn’ in German), filled with numerous beer tents, in two ways: the ICE high-speed train runs several times a day to Frankfurt, where you can change to another ICE train bound for Munich. Three times a week, the Nightjet night train takes you there directly (on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings towards Vienna with stop in Munich and on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings towards Belgium).
The 191st edition of the Oktoberfest in Munich will take place from 19 September to 4 October 2026. According to tradition, the festival begins each year on the first Saturday after 15 September and continues until the first Sunday in October. On the first Saturday of the Oktoberfest, the tents open at 9.00 am. Until 12 noon, only non-alcoholic drinks are served. At 12 noon, the cry of ‘Ozapft ist’ rings out, officially marking the opening of the festival. All opening times can be found on the official Oktoberfest website (in English or German).
Good to know: the festival grounds are accessible via five entrances: via the Hackerbrücke bus station or via the underground stations Theresienwiese, Goetheplatz, Poccistraße and Schwanthalerhöhe.
Munich’s Oktoberfest takes place on the Theresienwiese in the city centre. The festival site is one and a half kilometres from Munich Hauptbahnhof. Travelling by train to the beer festival is a sensible choice, as it means you can enjoy a beer without worrying about the journey home.
Deutsche Bahn’s ICE trains provide daily direct connections between Brussels, Liège and Antwerp and numerous major German cities, including Cologne and Frankfurt. A journey from Brussels to Munich requires just one change. At Bruxelles-Midi, take the direct ICE train to Frankfurt. At this major international station, change to another ICE train bound for Munich. You’ll reach your destination in around 6 hours and 47 minutes.
Three times a week, the Nightjet night train takes you directly from Brussels to Munich-Ost station. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings, you board at Bruxelles-Midi and arrive at Munich Ostbahnhof early the next morning. You can plan your return journey to Belgium on Sunday, Tuesday or Thursday evenings. The train journey takes around 10 hours and 37 minutes and stops at Aachen, Cologne, Bonn and Koblenz before arriving in Munich. The night train then continues on to Austria.
As well as raising a glass in good company, there’s plenty more to experience at Oktoberfest. Here’s what you definitely shouldn’t miss during your visit:
This is the traditional parade that marks the official start of Oktoberfest: breweries and festival tent operators parade through Munich with decorated carriages, horses and marching bands. On Saturday 19 September 2026 at 12 noon, the Mayor of Munich will tap the first beer barrel in the Schottenhamel tent and utter the legendary words “Ozapft is!”. Once the barrel has been successfully tapped, twelve cannon shots will signal that all the festival tents may begin serving beer.
On Sunday 20 September 2026, thousands of participants in traditional costume, marching bands and historic floats will make their way through the centre of Munich to the Theresienwiese. The procession, which is nearly seven kilometres long, comprises around 9,000 participants from Bavaria and the rest of the world. The procession celebrates folk culture, traditions and shooting clubs.
On Sunday 27 September 2026, at the foot of the Bavaria, more than 300 musicians will perform traditional Bavarian and Alpine music. At the end, the Bavarian anthem will be played and hundreds of balloons will be released.
With 14 large and 20 small beer tents, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Each tent has its own unique character:
