Next dates
2027 dates not yet announced — typically around August. We're watching and will update this page when they land.
Quick answer
Augsburger Plärrer is a volksfest in Augsburg, Bavaria. The 2026 Herbstplärrer (autumn edition) ran August 28 – September 13, 2026, and has concluded. One of Swabia's largest Volksfeste — roughly 350,000–400,000 visitors each edition, held twice a year — with two beer tents and mostly local crowds.
- Best for
- Munich-based travelers and beer-focused visitors who want a large, genuinely local Volksfest experience without Oktoberfest's crowds, tent-reservation scramble, or pricing — a realistic day trip via a roughly 30–45 minute train ride from Munich. Best suited to visitors specifically targeting either the spring Osterplärrer or autumn Herbstplärrer window once dates are confirmed, not to travelers hoping to combine it with Oktoberfest in a single trip, since the two are scheduled not to overlap.
- Booking urgency
- No booking needed — entry to the grounds and both tents is free, and table reservations are handled directly by each tent operator rather than through a central system, typically unnecessary except on the busiest weekend evenings. The 2026 Herbstplärrer (Aug 28–Sep 13) has already concluded; the next edition's exact dates aren't set yet, so check the official calendar rather than assuming a repeat date.
Swabia's biggest Volksfest — roughly 350,000–400,000 visitors each edition, held twice a year, with multiple beer tents and mostly local crowds.
Augsburg's answer to the Oktoberfest. Two major editions per year (Easter + late summer). Local breweries (Riegele, Hasen-Bräu, Thorbräu) take over the beer tents.
The full story
The Augsburger Plärrer is Swabia's largest Volksfest, held twice a year on the same grounds — the Plärrergelände at Kleiner Exerzierplatz in Augsburg — with a spring Osterplärrer starting Easter Sunday and an autumn Herbstplärrer in late August through mid-September. The 2026 Herbstplärrer ran Friday, August 28 through Sunday, September 13, 2026, and has already concluded, drawing roughly 360,000 visitors over its 17-day run. Entry to the grounds and both beer tents is free; visitors pay only for rides, food, and drink. Unlike Munich's Oktoberfest, the Plärrer is scheduled deliberately so the two events never overlap — the 2026 Herbstplärrer closed six days before Oktoberfest opened.
The fest's history is often mistold. The Plärrer isn't tied to an 18th-century pilgrimage — it dates to 1878, when the city of Augsburg split noisy showmen's stalls off from the older, centuries-old Dult market after nearby residents complained about the din around Maximilianstraße, relocating the fairground to the Kleiner Exerzierplatz just outside the old city walls. The name itself comes from "Geplärre," German for racket or din — a nod to those noise complaints, not to wailing or prayer. Beer tents weren't added until 1926/1930, once wartime alcohol restrictions lifted, and the terms "Frühjahrsplärrer" and "Herbstplärrer" only became the event's official designation in 1976.
Today's Plärrer runs on just two beer tents, each tied to a specific local brewery: Festzelt Schaller, run by the Held family, pours Thorbräu; the larger Binswanger-Zelt, run by the Hatzelmann and Kempter families, pours Hasen-Bräu. A Riegele presence at the fest isn't confirmed for 2026 and shouldn't be assumed. Both tents ran a Maß around €12–€13 in 2026, noticeably below Oktoberfest pricing the same year, and reservations are handled directly by each tent rather than through a central system — typically unnecessary outside the busiest weekend evenings. For Munich-based travelers, it's a realistic day trip at roughly 30–45 minutes by train, and a genuinely local alternative to Oktoberfest's bigger, more international crowd — best planned around whichever edition's confirmed dates are current, not the dates of an edition that's already passed. Explore Augsburger Plärrer or explore Swabia.
History
The Plärrer as a distinct entertainment fair dates to 1878, when the city split noisy showmen's stalls off from the older Dult market and relocated them to the Kleiner Exerzierplatz after residents complained about the racket. The name comes from 'Geplärre' — German for racket or din — not from wailing or prayer. Beer tents were added in 1926/1930; 'Frühjahrsplärrer'/'Herbstplärrer' only became the fest's official designation in 1976.
On Tap
- Local focus
- Swabian Volksfest beer from just two tents — Festzelt Schaller (Thorbräu) and Binswanger-Zelt (Hasen-Bräu) — on the Plärrergelände.
- What to try
- A Thorbräu Maß in Festzelt Schaller or a Hasen-Bräu Maß in the Binswanger-Zelt; the Plärrer runs two editions per year, spring (Osterplärrer) and autumn (Herbstplärrer).
- Food pairing
- Schweinshaxe or Hendl with your tent's Festbier — standard Plärrer fare.
- Best for
- Munich day-trippers who want a large, roughly 350,000-visitor-per-edition Volksfest that still feels entirely local.
- Bavaria On Tap take
- Plärrer proves Swabia drinks as seriously as Upper Bavaria — just with two tents and two brewery names on the tap handles, not a dozen.
Frequently asked questions
- When was Augsburger Plärrer in 2026?
- The 2026 Herbstplärrer (autumn edition) ran Friday, August 28 through Sunday, September 13, 2026, and has already concluded. It's one of two annual editions held on the same grounds.
- Where is Augsburger Plärrer located?
- The Plärrergelände at Kleiner Exerzierplatz, Langenmantelstraße, 86153 Augsburg — the single site used for both the spring (Osterplärrer) and autumn (Herbstplärrer) editions. There is no separate "Kleiner Plärrer" or "Großer Plärrer" venue.
- Is Augsburger Plärrer free to attend?
- Yes. Entry to the grounds and both tents is free; visitors pay only for rides, food, and drink.
- What is the history of Augsburger Plärrer?
- The Plärrer as a distinct fair dates to 1878, when Augsburg split noisy showmen's stalls off from the older Dult market after residents complained about the din, relocating them to the Kleiner Exerzierplatz. The name comes from "Geplärre" — racket or din — not from wailing or prayer. "Frühjahrsplärrer"/"Herbstplärrer" only became the event's official designation in 1976.
- Does the Plärrer have a Riegele beer tent?
- Only two tents are confirmed for 2026 — Festzelt Schaller, pouring Thorbräu, and Binswanger-Zelt, pouring Hasen-Bräu. A Riegele presence at the Plärrer is not confirmed for 2026; treat any claim of a current Riegele tent as unverified.
- How many editions of the Plärrer happen each year?
- Two — a spring Osterplärrer, beginning Easter Sunday, and the autumn Herbstplärrer, held in late August through mid-September. Both run on the same Plärrergelände site and are deliberately scheduled so neither overlaps Munich's Oktoberfest.
- When is the next Plärrer?
- Specific dates for the edition following the concluded 2026 Herbstplärrer aren't confirmed yet. Check closer to your travel dates rather than assuming a repeat of the 2026 window.
- Free entry