All the latest news from Oktoberfest 2025

The new rides

Guests can enjoy views of the city from a height of 71 meters in the four gondolas of the Sky Lift. A special highlight are the panoramic windows embedded in the floor of the cabins, which allow a view of the festival grounds below. While two gondolas rotate at the top of the tower, the other two remain at the bottom. Each gondola can hold 20 people. Barrier-free access to the gondolas is guaranteed (Straße 3 Ost, No. 5).

The Happy Sailor is a classic roundabout. With its striking octagonal design and 20 rotating gondolas, it can accommodate up to 40 people and provides maritime fun with its rapid ups and downs (Schaustellerstraße 10).

The children's ride “Die Montgolfiere” is a high carousel that exudes nostalgic flair with its hot air balloon design. The gondolas move gently up and down on a mast to a flying height of 8.5 meters (Street 3, No. 18).

The Geisterhöhle (Ghost Cave) at the Oidn Wiesn is a classic ghost train for the whole family, dating from 1965. It offers an exciting mix of horror and adventure and provides thrills with elaborately designed scenery and spooky effects (Oide Wiesn 13).

This is how the music competition will continue

The Department of Labor and Economic Development is hosting the official music competition “A Liad für d'Wiesn” for the first time this year. Musicians from Bavaria and neighboring regions had until the end of May to submit their songs. A panel of experts (Wolfgang Köbele (bandleader of Münchner Zwietracht/Fischer Vroni), Manfred Leopold (director of the Platzl Oktoberfestkapelle/Armbrustschützenzelt), Gary Hohlweg (Oktoberfestkapelle Gerry & Gary/Käfer Wiesn-Schänke), Benni Kostal (director of entertainment and deputy program director at Antenne Bayern), Alexander Wolff (organizer of Brass Wiesn), Maximilian Kronseder (front man of DeSchoWieda and management Oimara), Andreas Maisberger (managing director of the Munich Brewers Association) and Peter Inselkammer (spokesperson for the Wiesn landlords) evaluated the entries for their feasibility in the festival tent. Eight of the 115 songs submitted made it to the online voting stage, where the public could vote until July 16.

Winners also play at the Oktoberfest 

The top three songs will be presented live at the Brass Wiesn festival on August 2, followed by a second round of voting until mid-September. The prize was 20 x 4 seats in a festival tent at the Wiesn, including two beer vouchers and a chicken voucher from the Munich Brewers' Association. The performer of the winning song will receive, among other things, a live performance and promotion for their song during the traditional press tour of the Wiesn. The official ambassador of the competition is Oimara.

Progress in accessibility

Following the introduction of individual maps of the large festival tents on the “Accessibility” subpage of oktoberfest.de last year, maps of the small festival tents will follow in 2025, provided they offer accessible facilities. The maps show the location of accessible entrances, wheelchair-accessible seating, and accessible toilets. In addition, the most important entrances are located using what3words. This location system is already used by security forces such as the police, fire department, and emergency services for location and positioning.

What3words divides the world into 3 x 3 meter squares and assigns each square its own address consisting of a unique combination of three words. This makes it easy to find, share, and save precise locations.

And this is what it looks like: ///geld.abkühlen.schaffen ///haar.niemand.nadel ///absagen.günstige.riechen

On September 22, a group from Pfennigparade will visit Oktoberfest as part of the “Schichtwechsel” campaign, after already getting to know the Department of Labor and Economic Development. They will take a closer look at the barrier-free offerings at the Wiesn during a press tour.

“Schichtwechsel” allows people with and without disabilities to swap jobs for a day in order to get to know each other's working environments. This change of perspective is intended to break down prejudices and promote mutual understanding. The format also helps to highlight the diversity and quality of the work done by people with disabilities and to strengthen inclusion in working life.

The organizer, the Department of Labor and Economic Affairs, is also constantly working to make the existing festival streets barrier-free. Last year, Street 1 was made barrier-free, and this year, Streets 2 and 3 were made barrier-free and the infrastructure was renewed at the same time.

At the end of Schaustellerstraße (towards Paulskirche), a large toilet facility, including a disabled-accessible toilet, will be built this year.

Web2Wallet – the easiest public transport ticket to Oktoberfest

The Münchner Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund (Munich Transport and Tariff Association) (MVV) has chosen the Oktoberfest period for its test phase of the “Web2Wallet” system, as it offers ideal conditions due to the high number of visitors and the large number of occasional passengers. Here, the Oktoberfest is playing a pioneering role as a test environment for innovative digital offerings.

The system offers passengers easy, multilingual access to tickets for public transportation.

During Oktoberfest 2025, a dedicated MVV web shop will go live with a special offer for guests who want to visit Oktoberfest. This includes day tickets and Airport City Day tickets. Tickets can be purchased directly online and stored in the smartphone wallet without downloading an app or registering. Payment is made contactlessly using pre-registered payment methods; a paper ticket is no longer necessary. The offer will be advertised at tourist hubs such as airports, hotels, campsites, P+R car parks, tourist information offices, and online at oktoberfest.de, einfach-muenchen.de, and muenchen.de with a QR code that leads to the corresponding offer page.

If the market research results are positive, “Web2Wallet” will be offered on a permanent basis.

Anniversary: 100 years of the Russenrad (Russian wheel)

The small Ferris wheel, also known as the “Russian wheel,” with its old concert organ made by Wilhelm Bruder from Waldkirch in Breisgau, is a regular feature at the Wiesn. In 1925, Josef Esterl commissioned the construction of a “Russian swing” and put it into operation in June of the same year. It is as much a part of Oktoberfest (and Auer Dult) as the large Ferris wheel, the roller coaster, or the chain flyer (Schaustellerstraße 44).

New in the catering sector

The Munich quota without minimum purchase has been expanded. On Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, 10 percent of all seats in the festival tents can now be reserved for locals.

The Isarschänke wheat beer garden is a traditional pub with Bavarian charm. In the center of the garden is a fountain, which contributes to the relaxed atmosphere. A special treat for young and old alike is the monk who cycles back and forth on a rope stretched across the beer garden (Straße 2 Ost, 4).

The pretzels are baked fresh on site in the pretzel bakery. In addition to classic pretzels, the menu also includes filled and baked variations (Straße 4 Ost, No. 4).

Ten wells with free drinking water

There are now ten fountains with free drinking water on the grounds. These are located at the Oidn Wiesn, at the toilet facilities, at the entrance to the Familienplatzl, and at the entrance to Esperantoplatz, among other places. There is also a fountain at the Fahrenschon family's wheat beer carousel (Matthias-Pschorr-Straße 6). New drinking water fountains were also opened in April 2025 at St.-Pauls-Platz and at the new toilet facilities at the Theresienwiese subway station.

Wider range of cashless payment options

Every year, the number of businesses and rides where guests can pay cashless is growing. Now, a good half of all stands and attractions offer card payment. This year, for the first time, cashless payment will also be possible in the crossbow shooting tent. However, not all staff will be equipped with a mobile device yet.
In the Münchner Stubn, it will even be possible to pay exclusively by smartphone or card in 2025. Accepted payment methods are Girocard, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.

What's happening at this year's Oidn Wiesn

The new exhibition in the museum tent at the Oidn Wiesn highlights the development of fairground photography from its beginnings in the 19th century to the digital present. Visitors can experience artifacts from fairground booths, equipment and their images, as well as interactive elements, including joke photographs taken on site by showman Chris Doherty and an immersive installation by artist Romain Mader. The exhibition shows how photography once emerged as an attraction and souvenir at fairgrounds and how it has evolved with technology. Today, photography has merged with the smartphone and is available to everyone at any time. As a result, photography booths have become a nostalgic pleasure that lives on at the Oktoberfest. Romain Mader is a fellow in the Artist in Residence Munich / Ebenböckhaus program from July to September 2025. The exhibition is a collaboration between the Munich City Museum and the Historical Society of Bavarian Showmen. The Kohlndorfer Foundation supports the project.

Additional official information stand

This year, for the first time, there will be an official information stand at the Oidn Wiesn opposite the entrance. The other information stands at the Oktoberfest are located at the main entrance, on Schaustellerstraße opposite the Bayern Tower, and at the Esperantoplatz entrance. Official souvenirs, such as the new Oktoberfest collector's mug, themed posters, and a variety of other high-quality mementos, can also be purchased there. Those who want to stock up before their visit can find the products online in the official Oktoberfest Shop at shop.oktoberfest.de. In addition, as in the previous year, there will be a Wiesn pop-up store in the Tourist Info office on Marienplatz. This will open on September 1.

New brand partnerships

Around 80 license partners from various industries now cooperate with a broad portfolio of products that reflect the core brand values: tradition and quality, originality, regionality, culture and customs, as well as modernity and joie de vivre. The State Capital of Munich's licensing partners include renowned brands such as Meindl Fashion, the traditional Munich-based company LODENFREY, Angermaier Manufaktur, FC Bayern Munich, CODELLO, Bavarian Caps, and many more.
A special highlight this year is the partnership between Oktoberfest and Münchner Bank eG. Under the motto “Tradition connects,” the two traditional Munich brands are presenting themselves as “partners at heart” in a joint image campaign, among other things, and are committed to local charitable projects.
With the limited edition Almdudler x Oktoberfest Trachtenedition, the Austrian cult lemonade is also launching its first licensed product in collaboration with Oktoberfest – designed by Marina Hoermanseder as a colorful homage to traditional costume culture and Munich's festival grounds.
Another example of creative product development within the licensing portfolio is the new beer mug “A scheene Wiesn,” a salt-glazed collector's item from the traditional Schilz company. It was created in collaboration with Kulturgut AG and the Bavarian Administration of State-owned Palaces, Gardens, and Lakes, and combines craftsmanship, design, and Bavarian identity in a unique way.

Discounted family days again this year

The two family days, which take place on both Tuesdays, are a great opportunity to visit. There are reduced travel, admission, and sales prices on these days.