Next dates
2027 dates not yet announced — typically around September. We're watching and will update this page when they land.
Future dates
- 2027Sep 2–6, 2027
Quick answer
Gillamoos Abensberg 2026 runs 3–7 September on the Gillamooswiese — one of Bavaria's oldest fairs, with seven Festzelte and a strong Tracht tradition. A pilgrimage chapel on the site traces to a 1313 charter, but the fair itself is first attested later, in the late 15th or 16th century.
Bavaria's oldest Jahrmarkt on the Gillamooswiese — seven beer tents, Tracht, and political Gillamoosrede, 3–7 September 2026.
Gillamoos in Abensberg grew up around a 1313-documented pilgrimage chapel — the fair itself is first attested later, in the late 15th or 16th century (sources split between 1491 and 1583), with the name 'Gillamoos' appearing from 1637. Either way, it ranks among Bavaria's oldest fairs. The 2026 edition runs 3–7 September on the Gillamooswiese with seven Festzelte (Hofbräu, Holledauer, Kuchlbauer, Ottenbräu, Oida Gillamoos, the Weinzelt, and the Weissbierstadl), the nationally-covered political tradition on Gillamoos Monday (Politischer Gillamoos, running since 1957/1976), Hoheitentreffen, and the Gillamoos parade. Tracht is the norm at this Lower Bavarian Volksfest.
History
Gillamoos began as a market that grew up around a pilgrimage to a small chapel, 'St. Gilgen in dem Moos,' first documented in a 1313 charter — that date belongs to the chapel, not the fair. The commercial fair itself is first attested in administrative accounts later: 1491 in one official account, 1583 in an academic lexicon — those two dates still conflict. The name 'Gillamoos' itself first appears in 1637. By the 19th century it had become a major regional livestock market tied to the Hallertau hop economy; the modern political tradition — top-tier Bavarian and national politicians speaking on Gillamoos Monday — began with Franz Josef Strauß's 1957 speech and became a fixed annual fixture from 1976.
On Tap
- Local focus
- Lower Bavarian Festbier across seven Gillamooswiese tents, including a dedicated Gillamoos Festbier brewed by Kuchlbauer (on Abensberg's town square since 1499) and served only in its own tent.
- What to try
- Festbier by the Maß in Tracht; look for roasted chicken, Schweinshaxe, and classic Volksfest stalls between the Gillamoosrede and parade.
- Food pairing
- Half a Hendl with a Maß — the standard Gillamoos plate-and-pint rhythm.
- Best for
- Travelers who want a major Bavarian Volksfest with real Tracht culture and almost no international tour groups.
- Bavaria On Tap take
- Gillamoos is political speech and parade by day, tent Maß by night — arrive for the Hoheitentreffen if you care about Bavarian pageantry.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Gillamoos 2026?
- 3–7 September 2026.
- Where is Gillamoos held?
- Gillamooswiese, Abensberg.
- When is Gillamoos 2027?
- 2–6 September 2027.
- What makes Gillamoos distinctive?
- A pilgrimage chapel on the site traces to a 1313 charter, but the fair itself is first attested later (1491 or 1583 — historians haven't settled which) — still one of Bavaria's oldest. Tracht is standard, and the Gillamoosrede — a nationally-covered political speech tradition running annually since 1976 — is one of the best-known events of its kind in Bavaria.
- Is Gillamoos really 700+ years old?
- The site is — a pilgrimage chapel there traces to a 1313 charter. The fair itself is younger and its exact start is genuinely disputed by historians (1491 or 1583), but by either count it's still one of Bavaria's oldest Jahrmarkts.
- Free entry
- Indoor / rain-friendly
- Reservation recommended