Oktoberfest London 2026: The 9 best parties in London for a few too many beers
Time for a stein or nine
Whether it’s our strong genetic and cultural links to Germany, our shared love of beer and sausages, or just a weird lederhosen kink, Britain has taken to Oktoberfest like a pretzel to mustard.
London, in particular, seems to turn into Munich-on-Thames for a few mad weeks in early autumn.
If you’re looking for an opportunity to sink some steins, partake of copious quantities of cooked pork, and listen to a spot of live oompah music (ironically or otherwise), the UK capital has you sorted.
The first ever Oktoberfest was held in Munich on 12th October 1810 as a celebration of the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. But never mind about all that.
These days Oktoberfest is an excuse to sit on a vast communal table, glug beer from a ginormous handled glass (actually a Maß/mass, but erroneously referred to by us Brits as a stein), and generally act a bit silly.
The following venues are throwing special Oktoberfest-themed events in the capital over the next month or so, kicking off in mid September. There’s plenty in there for those seeking an authentic Oktoberfest experience, with a couple of the venues serving all six of the special Oktoberfest Festbiers.
For those who just want to enjoy a big boozy get-together as the UK nights start to grow colder and darker, well, we’ve got plenty for you too, whatever your budget.
All will be serving up classic Bavarian food, but several of the venues are accustomed to supplying such sustenance all year round. They’re probably your best bet if you’re after a proper authentic Munich-style feast.
With all that said, let’s get on with the show. Prost!
1, 2, 3. Boxpark (Shoreditch, Camden, Croydon)
The popular London street food hubs are throwing big Oktoberfest parties at all three of its outlets. Between 25th September and 10th October they’ll be putting on live oompah party bands, mass singalongs and interactive games – all served up alongside their usual diverse street food offering, making it the pick for those who don’t necessarily get on with sausages and schweinshaxe. Czech brewer Staropramen is laying on the beer, which will doubtless make the purists frown into their Augustiners, but at least it’s bottomless during select sessions. Check the website for more details.
4. Oktoberfest on the Common (Clapham)
The biggest outdoor Oktoberfest celebration in the capital – and quite possibly the country – is once again set to take place on Clapham Common in South London. With a level of efficiency that could be described as Teutonic, the festivities have been spread across nine sessions and six days between 9th and 24th October, each lasting between five and six hours. Expect all the usual frothy steins and hearty food, plus live brass bands, Bavarian games and funfair rides. General entry tickets start from £30, but the slots are already starting to sell out.
5. London Oktoberfest (Finsbury Park)
If you’re looking for more North London vibes with your Oktoberfest celebrations, head to Finsbury Park from 1st to 3rd October. Expect “long tables, Bavarian FestBeer, German food and a live band”. Yep, sounds like Oktoberfest to us. The organisers are actively encouraging the donning of Lederhosen and Dirndl, and have supplied a link to a Bavarian outfitter on their website. General admission only costs a tenner, but a special Bavarian Ticket will add one Mass (1.5 pints) of Bavarian FestBeer, a Bavarian Bratwurst roll with Sauerkraut, and a shot of Underberg for £35.
6. Bermondsey Bierkeller (Bermondsey)
Bermondsey already has a reputation as one of the best neighbourhoods in the capital for beer consumption. Between 19th September and 31st October, however, attention will shift from the district’s enviable craft beer scene to something more Germanic, as the Bermondsey Bierkeller puts on “London's wildest Oktoberfest”. How wild? The website positively encourages bench standing, while the Saturday night programme features stilt walkers and “fire acts”. Jessas na! This one’s got one of the widest ranges of ticketing options of them all, from a basic £6.60 entry fee to the gluttonous £111.30 Youtopia Oktober-Feast package.
7. Between the Bridges (South Bank)
Situated between the London Eye and the Southbank Centre, this Thameside venue seems like the ideal place to sink a few autumnal steins. It’s got two huge beerhall tents (very Bavarian), a large central courtyard lined with street food kiosks, and plenty of additional outdoors seating. For entertainment, Old Dirty Brasstards will lay on “a ten-piece tweed-clad ‘drum and brass’ band”. If you’re not all brassed out, Atomic Brass will parp through a string of pop and rock hits. Drag hostess Miss Leigh Ding will oversee proceedings.
8. Steins (Kingston on Thames)
Steins has been serving up mounds of excellent Bavarian food in leafy South West London for years now, starting at its beautiful riverside Richmond venue. It’s the mini-group’s second opening a little further down the Thames that’s going all in on Oktoberfest this year, however, with a special 7th October event. They’re promising to serve all six official Oktoberfest beers alongside their usual impeccable food, along with accompanying live music. Note that online bookings aren’t available, so you’ll need to ping them an email, give them a call, or swing by in person. How alte schule.
9. Albert’s Schloss (Soho)
This cavernous Soho venue (which also has outlets in Manchester, Liverpool, and Birmingham) offers kitschy Bavarian vibes all year round, but it’s going the extra mile for Oktoberfest. Running from 19th September to 25th October 2026, Albert’s Schloss promises “Bavarian feasting, seven days of live entertainment, and festival biers galore, available ‘til the taps run dry”. On the latter front, it’s one of few places outside of Munich to offer all six Oktoberfest beers, while it’s also a rare British venue that serves top Czech tipple Pilsner Urquell in the proper way — straight from the tank.
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