https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Germany's famed Oktoberfest was briefly shut Wednesday after threats against it by a man who appeared to have torched his parents' home with family inside, and was later found with an explosives-laden backpack. https://www.thelocal.de/20251001/police-mobilise-as-blasts-heard-in-burning-house-in-munich Wed, 01 Oct 2025 11:38:31 +0200 police-mobilise-as-blasts-heard-in-burning-house-in-munich From the 'Lederhosen' or 'Dirndl' to beers served in an oversized 'Maß' to the unforgettable song and dance, everyone loves a little bit of Oktoberfest. Here’s where to celebrate the season even if you can’t make it to Munich this year. https://www.thelocal.de/20250923/where-to-celebrate-oktoberfest-if-youre-not-in-munich Tue, 23 Sep 2025 17:37:42 +0200 where-to-celebrate-oktoberfest-if-youre-not-in-munich The world's largest folk festival kicks off on Saturday, and is expected to lure around six million thirsty visitors to Munich over the course of two weeks. Here are the most important things to do (and not to do) if you plan to join the festivities. https://www.thelocal.de/20250918/the-dos-and-donts-you-need-to-know-for-a-first-visit-to-oktoberfest Thu, 18 Sep 2025 17:19:33 +0200 the-dos-and-donts-you-need-to-know-for-a-first-visit-to-oktoberfest Munich's Oktoberfest, the world's biggest beer festival, opened Saturday under heightened security following a string of attacks in Germany attributed to jihadists. https://www.thelocal.de/20240921/germanys-oktoberfest-opens-under-tight-security-after-attacks Sat, 21 Sep 2024 15:16:54 +0200 germanys-oktoberfest-opens-under-tight-security-after-attacks The 189th edition of the world's biggest folk festival kicks off two weeks of beer-drinking, rousing oompah music and partying this Saturday. Want to do it properly? From knowing your limits to learning songs, here's how to Oktoberfest like a German. https://www.thelocal.de/20240919/dirndls-tents-and-radler-how-to-do-oktoberfest-like-a-german Thu, 19 Sep 2024 17:24:21 +0200 dirndls-tents-and-radler-how-to-do-oktoberfest-like-a-german Germany's biggest folk festival, Oktoberfest, starts next month. But following the tragic knife attack in Solingen, visitors have been warned to expect more bag checks and tighter security controls. https://www.thelocal.de/20240827/oktoberfest-visitors-to-face-tighter-security-checks-after-solingen-terror-attack Tue, 27 Aug 2024 13:47:48 +0200 oktoberfest-visitors-to-face-tighter-security-checks-after-solingen-terror-attack Germany's Oktoberfest pulled in a record-breaking 7.2 million visitors this year, despite far less beer consumption than previous years, ending a successful three-week run on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.de/20231004/less-beer-and-record-visitor-numbers-munichs-2023-oktoberfest-in-stats Wed, 04 Oct 2023 12:20:13 +0200 less-beer-and-record-visitor-numbers-munichs-2023-oktoberfest-in-stats Around 700,000 people braved the wet and cold weather to attend the first weekend of the Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich, according to estimates by festival management. https://www.thelocal.de/20220918/in-pictures-first-weekend-of-munichs-oktoberfest-sees-around-700000-visitors Sun, 18 Sep 2022 19:29:18 +0200 in-pictures-first-weekend-of-munichs-oktoberfest-sees-around-700000-visitors Oktoberfest, Germany's famed beer festival which draws millions of visitors from around the world, opened Saturday in Munich after a two-year pause due to the coronavirus pandemic. https://www.thelocal.de/20220917/germanys-famed-oktoberfest-opens-after-two-year-pandemic-hiatus Sat, 17 Sep 2022 16:10:46 +0200 germanys-famed-oktoberfest-opens-after-two-year-pandemic-hiatus Germany's iconic Oktoberfest beer festival will once again take place in Munich in 2022 after being cancelled two years running due to the coronavirus pandemic, the city's mayor said Friday. https://www.thelocal.de/20220429/germanys-oktoberfest-to-return-in-2022-after-pandemic-pause Fri, 29 Apr 2022 16:53:30 +0200 germanys-oktoberfest-to-return-in-2022-after-pandemic-pause Germany's iconic Oktoberfest beer festival will be cancelled this year for the second year running due to the pandemic, Bavarian state premier Markus Söder said Monday. https://www.thelocal.de/20210503/munichs-oktoberfest-cancelled-again-over-covid Mon, 03 May 2021 18:13:37 +0200 munichs-oktoberfest-cancelled-again-over-covid Last year Germany's famous Oktoberfest was cancelled. And this year? We're still not sure if it will happen yet in Munich due to Covid - but it looks like it could be heading to the desert... https://www.thelocal.de/20210429/is-germanys-oktoberfest-heading-to-dubai-this-year Thu, 29 Apr 2021 20:15:33 +0200 is-germanys-oktoberfest-heading-to-dubai-this-year Oktoberfest, the world's largest festival held annually in Munich, is looking increasingly unlikely to take place for the second year in a row, according to local politicians and organisers. https://www.thelocal.de/20210427/oktoberfest-very-unlikely-to-take-place-in-2021-says-munichs-mayor Tue, 27 Apr 2021 12:59:18 +0200 oktoberfest-very-unlikely-to-take-place-in-2021-says-munichs-mayor For the first time since the war, there will be no Oktoberfest in Munich. https://www.thelocal.de/20200918/how-munich-fears-coronavirus-surge-in-parties-planned-to-replace-oktoberfest Fri, 18 Sep 2020 14:42:03 +0200 how-munich-fears-coronavirus-surge-in-parties-planned-to-replace-oktoberfest A Bavarian brewery has been granted official Munich brewery status for the first time in a century, guaranteeing a place with greats like Löwenbräu at the famous Oktoberfest beer festival. https://www.thelocal.de/20200807/german-brewery-wins-coveted-munich-status-for-first-time-in-a-century Fri, 07 Aug 2020 12:53:25 +0200 german-brewery-wins-coveted-munich-status-for-first-time-in-a-century The bombing at the 1980 Oktoberfest in Munich that killed 13 people is now officially classed as a "far-right act of terror", German media reported Tuesday, after federal prosecutors ended their years-long probe. https://www.thelocal.de/20200708/germanys-1980-oktoberfest-bombing-was-far-right-terror-attack Wed, 08 Jul 2020 11:39:12 +0200 germanys-1980-oktoberfest-bombing-was-far-right-terror-attack Bavaria on Tuesday cancelled the iconic Oktoberfest for the first time since World War II dealing a fresh blow to Germany's beer industry already hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. https://www.thelocal.de/20200421/we-risk-a-beer-shortage-oktoberfest-cancellation-deals-fresh-blow-to-german-beer-industry Tue, 21 Apr 2020 14:19:45 +0200 we-risk-a-beer-shortage-oktoberfest-cancellation-deals-fresh-blow-to-german-beer-industry Germany's Oktoberfest beer festival will be cancelled this year as "risks are too high" from the novel coronavirus, Bavarian state premier Markus Söder said Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.de/20200421/germanys-oktoberfest-2020-cancelled-due-to-coronavirus-pandemic Tue, 21 Apr 2020 11:09:08 +0200 germanys-oktoberfest-2020-cancelled-due-to-coronavirus-pandemic Germany’s beloved Oktoberfest has come to a close. How did it compare to previous years? https://www.thelocal.de/20191007/oktoberfest-less-beer-fewer-crimes-and-96912-stolen-mugs Mon, 07 Oct 2019 12:04:34 +0200 oktoberfest-less-beer-fewer-crimes-and-96912-stolen-mugs Whether harvest festivals, historical exhibits, or book (and beer) bonanzas, there is something for everyone this month. https://www.thelocal.de/20191004/seven-events-you-cant-miss-in-october-2019-in-germany Fri, 04 Oct 2019 17:58:58 +0200 seven-events-you-cant-miss-in-october-2019-in-germany