The last Oktoberfest day: a grand final with a tinge of sadness
At the Oktoberfest final, there is a very special atmosphere. When the band plays one last time after all the bars have closed on the last day, a sea of sparklers lights up the beer tents. A moving Oktoberfest finale.
One last stroll around the Oktoberfest
When the Oktoberfest ends, you can feel a touch of melancholy in the midst of the cheerful hustle and bustle on Munich's Theresienwiese. You can feel it when you set off for your last visit to the Oktoberfest. At 12 noon, the marksmen say a loud farewell. At the foot of the Bavaria, the kings of the Oktoberfest shooting competition are crowned, with a collective salute. All guns are fired and, in typical Bavarian fashion, the brass band plays the Bavarian anthem. Afterwards, the festival organisers announce their provisional final figures to the assembled media representatives, including the estimated number of visitors and, of course, the beer consumption.
Now Munich residents and tourists have their last chance to enjoy a cosy stroll around the Oktoberfest this year. The beer mugs are lifted one last time. Ticket tokens are redeemed for the last time. And the last chicken is eaten. It's hard to believe if you've experienced this cheerful folk festival before, but Munich can also be a little melancholy. The good news: after the Wiesn is always before the Wiesn!
Video: The Kehraus 2025
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The final hurrah in the beer tents
As the last evening draws to a close, there is a very special atmosphere in the festival tents. The “Kehraus” begins. The bands play the full program once again and create a great atmosphere. Shortly before closing time, sparklers are distributed. Now the waiters enjoy their well-earned pints of beer, of which they have carried so many over the past few days. You can literally see how the tension falls away from them as they celebrate the last song of the year together with the guests.
In the Hacker Festzelt, the traditional farewell song is “Sierra Madre”, in the Augustiner-Festhalle the Bavarian Defilier March can be heard and in the Hofbräu tent the sounds of Robbie Williams' “Angels” can be heard. Surrounded by a sea of sparklers, it is not uncommon for tears to flow. Hardly anyone can believe that it's really over. But unfortunately it is: “It's over and it's over and it's a shame that it's true!”
