It’s the question we get asked every single year: if the festival is called Oktoberfest, why does the party always start in September in München? And why are we not doing the same in Brisbane?
The answer lies in a legendary 19th-century royal wedding. The very first Oktoberfest took place on 12 October 1810, when the citizens of Munich were invited to celebrate the marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese.
The event was a massive success, complete with feasting, drinking, and horse races on the fields that are now known as the Theresienwiese.
The locals loved the party so much that they decided to make it an annual tradition. So German.
However, as the festival expanded from a few days to over two weeks, organisers eventually decided to shift the start dates into September.
The reason was simple: the weather.
September in Bavaria offered warmer days and milder nights, allowing festival-goers to stay outdoors in the beer gardens much longer without freezing.
Out of respect for the original royal wedding, the final weekend of the festival always dips into early October—giving the perfect excuse to celebrate the best of both months!
Here in Brisbane however, the weather is perfect every month of the year, of course. So we don’t need to fiddle with the original dates and we like to celebrate just like it’s 1810!
And regardless, one thing that Brisbanites are not scared of is a bit of inclement weather.
Our festival continues ‘rain, hail, or shine’ (and in 2025 we did get all three!)