Oktoberfest
19 September 2026 · movable holiday — A pretzel in hand and a waltz under the stars – welcome to the Wiesn!
Oktoberfest is Munich's best-known folk festival and one of the largest in the world. It traces back to 12 October 1810, when Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The city held a celebration with horse races on the fields outside the city walls, named Theresienwiese (“Therese's meadow”) after the bride; locals simply call it the “Wiesn”. Over time the festival moved to the end of summer for the warmer weather, so it now starts in September and ends in early October. Today it features a parade of breweries and people in traditional costume, large tents, music, rides and Bavarian food such as the pretzel. It opens with the ceremonial tapping of the first keg. The festival follows the civil calendar and has no link to the Moon's phases, but it is a pleasant reason to look up at the autumn sky around the equinox, when day and night are nearly equal.
Flying across the sky: An ethereal, bluish-silver figure made of luminous dots and fine lines, like a constellation: a dancing couple in Bavarian dress, she in a dirndl and he in lederhosen, twirling together and holding a giant pretzel outlined in stars
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