The History of Oktoberfest

The first Oktoberfest was in 1810 during a Royal Wedding in October of that year.

​

Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I of Bavaria, was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on October 12, 1810. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the royal event. The fields were named ‘Theresienwiese’ (Therese’s field) in honor of the crown princess, though the locals simply call it the ‘Wies’n’.

​

Horse races, in the presence of the Royal family, marked the end of the event, which was celebrated as a festival for the entire Kingdom of Bavaria. The decision to repeat the horse races the following year gave rise to the tradition of Oktoberfest.

​

In 1811, the first Agricultural Show was added to the horse races to boost Bavarian agriculture. The horse races, once the most popular event, are no longer held today. However, the Agricultural Show continues to be held every three years during the Oktoberfest on the southern part of the festival grounds.

​

In the first decades, amusements were limited. The first carousel and two swings were introduced in 1818, but visitors quenched their thirst at small beer stands. In 1896, these stands were replaced by the first beer tents, set up by enterprising landlords with the support of local breweries. Naturally, hungry guests also requested traditional Bavarian food. The tents soon became giant restaurants serving large quantities of beer and food.

​

The rest of the festival grounds were taken over by a fun-fair. By the 1870s, the range of carousels and amusements grew as the fairground trade developed in Germany. Today, Oktoberfest is the largest festival in the world, attracting an international crowd.

​

Each year, around 7 million visitors from all over the world converge on Oktoberfest in Munich.

​