LGBTIQ* at the Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest stands for tolerance, respect and diversity

The largest folk festival in the world stands for open-mindedness, tolerance and diversity. The City of Munich is committed to these values and expressly welcomes LGBTIQ* people to the Oktoberfest and fights against any form of discrimination. At the last Oktoberfest in 2019, the state capital Munich set an example and hoisted two rainbow flags at the entrance. "More than any other event, the Oktoberfest stands for Munich's motto 'live and let live'. Two men kissing or women holding hands are completely normal there. Tolerance is an essential unit of measurement for the peacefulness of the Oktoberfest," said Wiesn boss Clemens Baumgärtner.

Events for the community at the Wiesn: That was Gay-Sunday in the Bräurosl and Co. 2022

Oktoberfest has been a meeting place for the LGBTIQ* community for many years. Some of the events have already achieved cult status and took place again in 2022. These were the highlights:

September 18, 2022: Gay-Sunday at the Bräurosl.
The classic: More than 40 years ago, the gay Munich Lions Club (MLC) created the Gay-Sunday. Every first Sunday of the Wiesn, the gay and lesbian community meets all day in the Bräurosl tent. For the 43rd Oktoberfest meeting on September 18, 2022, the association reserved 600 tickets for the MLC balcony in the festival tent (these ticket holders get exclusive access). The rest of the tent was of course free to enter, but is predominantly visited by the LGBTIQ* community. An official after-Wiesn party went up at the NY Club starting at 10pm. More info at mlc-munich.de

September 19, 2022: RoslMontag at the Bräurosl
Since it often gets quite crowded on Gay-Sunday, there was an unofficial, free gay get-together at Bräurosl one day later - "RoslMontag". On September 19, 2022, starting at 3 p.m., gays and lesbians once again came together casually. Meeting places for all LGBTIQ* were the beer garden of the Bräurosl (to the right of the main entrance) and the back part in the beer tent (under the balcony). There was no reservation. More info at rosawiesn.de.

September 25, 2022: ProudWiesn in the Armbrustschützen tent
The ProudWiesn is a fairly new date for the community, which two LGTBIQ* groups of companies (from BMW and Diversity Tourism) have created and which already had over 300 participants* before the Corona forced break. The target group is then also mainly members of diverse LGBTIQ* business groups and their friends. Reservation tickets were required to attend on Sunday, September 25, 2022 starting at 5pm in the Crossbow Tent. More info and reservations at proudwiesn.com.

26 September 2022: Prosecco-Wiesn in the Fischer-Vroni
The "Prosecco-Wiesn" looks back on a tradition of more than 30 years. On the second Monday of the Wiesn, the LGBTIQ* community comes together in the Fischer-Vroni starting in the early afternoon. In the smallest of the large Wiesn tents, it can get quite crowded quite early on. The name of this meeting place comes from the former organizer, the owner of the Prosecco Bar.

Tip: And at the very end, the community meets (also quite unofficially) for the Kehraus on the last day of the Wiesn in the Schottenhamel tent at the kitchen counter.

LGBTIQ* hostility at the Oktoberfest - what to do?

There must be no place for homophobia and violence at the Oktoberfest. Should there be an LGBTIQ*-hostile incident, the Munich coordination office LGBTIQ* generally advises: "Defend yourself! Get support! Report it quickly!" and recommends always dialing 110 in emergencies. This also applies to the Oktoberfest. The Oktoberfest guard of the Munich police is located in the service center on the western edge of the Theresienwiese (box-shaped copper building behind the Schottenhamel tent) and can also be reached directly via the emergency number. In addition, the police officers from the Wiesn guard regularly go on patrol.

• Find more information here

Safe Oktoberfest campaign for women*
During the Oktoberfest there is a safe space especially for girls* and women* in the service center (entrance "First Aid"). If you feel threatened or have been harassed, coerced, or raped, you can go there. Experienced and trained specialists (psychologists and social workers) will give you professional advice and support and accompany you to the police station.

• Go to the website "Sicheren Wiesn" (in German)