Where to celebrate Oktoberfest in Berlin

Pull on your leathers and party until dawn. Most Berliners call this ‘Friday night’, but in Bavaria, it’s known as Oktoberfest. And as we reach the end of brat summer, Berlin kicks off brat(wurst) autumn with the return of the over-200-year-old festival. Along with the mountains of meat, Oktoberfest – or ‘Wiesn’, as the locals call it – is all about beer, traditional costumes, and loud Volksmusik. In popular imagination, the tradition is generally epitomised by the drinking of copious amounts of Fest- and Märzen beers while boisterously dancing on tables.

Nowadays, it’s not only celebrated in Munich but enjoyed by the masses – with Maßen – across the world, with each city finding a unique way to celebrate what is the most stereotypically German event ever. In true Berlin fashion, the Hauptstadt has found creative ways to carry out the Southern German tradition. From Saturday, September 21 through October 6, don your Dirndls and slap on your Lederhosen for our city’s version of Oktober – and a little bit of September – fest. Here are a handful of the best for you to make merry at.

Hofbräu Berlin

There’s no better place to get that authentic Oktoberfest feel than the Bavarian Hofbräu Berlin Bierhalle just off Alexanderplatz. In Munich, only six breweries are allowed to sell their beers at the festival, and Hofbräu is one of them. With extremely classic Oktoberfest shenanigans kicking off on September 21, the centrally-located Berlin Hofbräu Haus will keep tapping the barrels all throughout the festival.

Hofbräu Berlin, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 30, 20 Sep. – 11 Oct., Mitte, details.

Gaywiesn

With plenty of dancing the night away in all forms of colourful Tracht, Gaywiesn is officially Berlin’s queerest Oktoberfest party. Taking place every Monday of Spreewiesn Oktoberfest, this carnival promises to mix up traditional live music with hits-playing DJs and drag performers, all while still managing to offer up meaty platters and heaps of beer.

Spreewiesn Berlin, Straße der Pariser Kommune 2, Friedrichshain, Sep. 14 – Nov. 2, details.

Oktoberfest Fischerhütte

With one of the most picturesque settings in Berlin, situated just next to Schlachtensee, Oktober- fest Fischerhütte brings classic charm and decorum – or lack thereof – to the annual beer festival. With events taking place every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the lakeside establishment promises to bring the Wiesn vibes with their live band, the Edelweiß Express, and Oktoberfest’s very special Augustiner Festbier on tap.

Fischerhütte am Schlachtensee, Fischerhüttenstr. 136, Zehlendorf, 26 Sep. – 18 Oct., details.

Oktoberfest an der Zitadelle Spandau

This promises to be one of the biggest Oktoberfest events in the city, with 2,000 seats set beneath a giant marquee on the fairground next to the citadel. Oktoberfest an der Zitadelle Spandau delivers an authentic outdoor atmosphere every Friday and Saturday, with plenty of Hax’n, white sausages, cheesy Obatzter and other Southern delights. Lose your inhibitions and gain a belt size, all in the same night.

Zitadelle Spandau, Am Juliusturm 64, Spandau, Sep. 12 – Oct. 25, details.

Oktoberfest am Café am Neuen See

The Café am Neuen See has gone full Bavarian in the heart of Tiergarten, where lederhosen clash magnificently with the autumn foliage and nobody’s allowed through the door without wearing a traditional dirndl or lederhosen. Expect authentic Maß beers and hearty Bavarian grub alongside some alcohol-free options every Friday and Saturday until October 18.