How Is Oktoberfest Built? A Behind-the-Scenes Look of Munich's Biggest Festival!
The iconic Oktoberfest Entrance Sign (still under construction)
Every year, millions of people visit Munich for one of the biggest celebrations in the world: Oktoberfest. For just over two weeks, the Theresienwiese transforms into a huge festival filled with enormous beer tents, roller coasters, traditional food stalls, live music and millions of visitors from around the world.
But have you ever wondered how this entire festival is built?
The answer might surprise you: the construction of Oktoberfest begins almost
three months before the first
“O'zapft is!”
When Does the Construction of Oktoberfest Begin?
For Oktoberfest 2026, construction officially begins on June 29, 2026 - exactly 82 days before the festival opens on September 19, 2026.
For around twelve weeks, the Theresienwiese becomes one of the largest construction sites in Munich. Every day, workers, construction crews, tent builders, electricians, plumbers, ride operators and many other specialists work to transform the empty festival grounds into the Oktoberfest we know.
And this is not a small operation. Trucks and forklifts are constantly moving across the site, while huge tent structures slowly begin to take shape.
The beer tents already look almost finished, while the area where the "Oide Wiesn" (the “Old Oktoberfest”) takes place is still completely empty.
The Large Oktoberfest Beer Tents Come First
The large beer tents are among the first major structures to be built. These enormous tents are not temporary pop-up structures that can simply be put together in a few days.
They are complex buildings with large wooden interiors, elaborate decorations, kitchens, bars, storage areas, electrical systems, water connections and much more.
The large tents are traditionally built first along the main festival street, the famous Wirtsbudenstraße.
For each large tent, an estimated 70 to 100 truckloads of materials are delivered to the Theresienwiese. For the large festival tents supplied from the warehouses of one major tent construction company alone, the deliveries can add up to more than 1,000 truckloads.
Inside the tents, thousands of square metres of flooring are installed, along with kilometres of cables and hundreds of metres of gas and water pipes.
It is a massive logistical operation.
An Oktoberfest Tent Is More Like a Building Than a Tent
When most people hear the word “tent”, they probably imagine something relatively simple. Oktoberfest tents are a completely different story.
The large beer tents are designed to accommodate thousands of people and must be safe, functional and ready to handle huge numbers of guests every day.
That means everything has to be carefully planned and installed:
- Large wooden structures and walls
- Thousands of square metres of flooring
- Electrical systems and lighting
- Water and gas connections
- Professional kitchens
- Bars and serving areas
- Emergency exits
- Fire safety systems
- Decorations and interior design
In fact, the interiors of the tents are often just as impressive as the exteriors. Many of the famous tents have their own unique design, traditions and atmosphere. The colourful decorations and iconic details that visitors see during Oktoberfest are added during the final stages of construction.
Want to learn more about the different Oktoberfest tents and find out which one might be the perfect fit for your visit? Check out our
Oktoberfest Tent Guide for an inside look at the atmosphere, traditions and specialties of each tent.
When Do the Oktoberfest Rides Arrive?
While the beer tents are being constructed, the rest of the festival slowly begins to take shape.
The large amusement rides usually arrive later in the construction process.
For Oktoberfest 2026, the biggest attractions - including roller coasters, Ferris wheels and water rides - are scheduled to begin construction from August 26.
Other rides, including bumper cars, haunted houses, carousels and other attractions, follow from
September 2.
The remaining carnival rides, attractions and stalls arrive from September 7 onwards.
This means that the final weeks before Oktoberfest are incredibly busy. Large sections of the Theresienwiese can change dramatically from one day to the next.
One day, there might be an empty space. A few days later, a huge roller coaster could be standing in exactly the same spot.
Can You Visit Oktoberfest During the Construction?
During the construction period, access to the Theresienwiese is restricted for safety reasons.
However, official guided construction site tours offer visitors a unique opportunity to see how Oktoberfest is built from the inside.
These tours can provide fascinating insights into the construction schedule, the logistics behind the festival and the work required to build the famous beer tents and attractions.
For anyone who has ever visited Oktoberfest, seeing the Theresienwiese before it transforms can be a completely different experience.
You want to experience the Oktoberfest with table reservations in one of the main tents?
For the Oktoberfest 2026 we are offering all-inclusive Oktoberfest Tours that include table reservations inside the main Oktoberfest tents!
- Reserved tables
- Food and beer included
- Inside the Hofbräu tent at Oktoberfest
- Oktoberfest history and facts
- Festive atmosphere
- Local guides
See you at the Oktoberfest.
Prost!
