The 2026 edition of Oktoberfest, the beer festival that each year attracts more than 6 million visitors to Munich, opens today, Saturday, September 19. For attendees, one of the main concerns is the price of the drinks—and especially the beer—that will be offered in the tents on Theresienwiese square.
Because of its scale and cultural significance in Germany, Oktoberfest can act as a barometer of the country’s economic health.
- Germany has experienced near-zero growth for three years: -0.3% in 2023, -0.2% in 2024, and +0.2% last year. The Institute for Macroeconomic Policy (IMK) anticipates growth of 1.3% this year.
- Despite the economic situation, Stephanie Spendler, who runs the Löwenbräu brewery’s tent in Munich—one of the largest and most iconic at Oktoberfest, with a capacity of around 8,500 seats—reports steady demand.
- Nearly 90,000 covers have been booked at Löwenbräu for the festival’s two weeks, which will end on October 4, indicating, according to Spendler, a certain “resilience” among visitors, 80% of whom come from Munich and its region.
Several factors affect the revenue generated during the event, such as the weather, tourist attendance, and the physical capacity of the tents… The price of the Maß, the traditional one-liter beer mug, also plays a significant role.
- This year, that price is expected to average €15.61, up 1.8% from last year, when the average price was €15.33.
- The price per liter will range from €14.80 to €15.90 depending on the tent, with a peak of €18.40 for White Beer in the Kufflers tent, adjacent to Löwenbräu.
On average, beer prices at Oktoberfest have risen at twice the rate of inflation in Germany since 2010. They have also doubled since 2006, when it stood at €7.42.
- The worry among Munich traders is that increasing the Maß price could affect consumption during the festivities.
- Last year, 67,000 hectolitres of beer were consumed at Oktoberfest, a figure down more than 15% from the peak of 79,000 hectolitres reached in 2011.
The decline in beer consumption at Oktoberfest could also reflect another trend: the growing popularity of non-alcoholic beer. Despite its higher price, demand for this option is rising: up to +10% last year, according to restaurateurs present at Oktoberfest.
- According to Nina Göllinger, spokesperson for the German Brewers Association, non-alcoholic beers “have moved from niche status to a fashionable beverage,” notably among athletes.
- Göllinger adds that “the evolution of consumption habits and lifestyle, together with increasing health awareness, are contributing to the growing popularity” of these beers.
- Although non-alcoholic beers have been served at Oktoberfest since 1986, when 400 hectolitres were sold (0.74% of the total), the quantities of non-alcoholic beer sold are not included in the city of Munich’s annual updated statistics.