Next dates
2027 dates not yet announced — typically around September. We're watching and will update this page when they land.
Quick answer
The Costume and Riflemen's Parade (Trachten- und Schützenzug) is Oktoberfest's free civic procession on the first Wiesn Sunday, organized by Festring München e.V. The 2026 edition took place as scheduled on Sunday, September 20, 2026, departing Maximilianstraße near the Max-II-Denkmal around 10:00 a.m. and arriving at Theresienwiese roughly two hours later after covering about 7km past Odeonsplatz, Ludwigstraße, and Karlsplatz/Stachus. Roughly 8,267–9,000 costumed Trachten and Schützen marchers, brass bands, horse teams, and brewery floats from Bavaria, other German states, and abroad drew an estimated 180,000–250,000 spectators along the free standing-room route; paid grandstand seats ran about €40. Organizers and Munich press describe it as one of the largest folk-costume parades in the world.
- Best for
- Travelers already committed to Oktoberfest's opening weekend who want a free, high-production-value Bavarian cultural spectacle before the tents open — families, photographers, and first-timers who want a non-alcoholic, distinctly local morning centerpiece. Less suited to visitors attending Oktoberfest outside opening weekend, since the parade doesn't run on other dates, or to travelers unwilling to navigate standing crowds without a grandstand ticket.
- Booking urgency
- No booking needed for standing-room viewing along the route — it's free and unticketed. Grandstand seats (around €40 for the Sunday parade, €60 combined with Saturday's Einzug der Wiesnwirte in 2026) go on presale each spring through München Ticket and sell out; seats are unnumbered within their section, so arrive close to the roughly one-hour-before gate opening even with a ticket in hand.
Roughly 8,267–9,000 marchers in traditional dress and shooting-club regalia parade 7km through Munich past an estimated 180,000–250,000 spectators on the first Wiesn Sunday.
Thousands of participants — Bavaria's own Tracht and Schützen clubs alongside folk groups from other German states and abroad — march in historical costume, on horseback, and aboard decorated brewery floats from the Maximilianeum area to Theresienwiese. Munich's own tourism portal and press describe it as one of the largest folk-costume parades in the world, and a rare chance to see regional Trachten, marksmen's guilds, and brass bands from across the Alpine world in one procession. Free standing-room viewing lines the full 7km route; paid grandstand seats sell out fast. The 2026 edition ran as scheduled on September 20 under near-perfect weather, led for the first time by new Münchner Kindl Sina Hochreiter on horseback, with Bavaria's Minister-President Markus Söder riding along.
The full story
Munich's Costume and Riflemen's Parade (Trachten- und Schützenzug) is the free civic procession that opens the cultural heart of Oktoberfest each year on the first Wiesn Sunday, organized by the folk-culture association Festring München e.V. The 2026 edition ran exactly as scheduled on Sunday, September 20, departing Maximilianstraße near the Max-II-Denkmal around 10:00 a.m. under near-perfect, clear-sky conditions and winding roughly 7km past Odeonsplatz and the Feldherrnhalle, Ludwigstraße, and Karlsplatz/Stachus before arriving at Theresienwiese about two hours later. Sina Hochreiter, the new Münchner Kindl, led the procession on horseback for the first time in the role, and Bavaria's Minister-President Markus Söder rode along in a ceremonial carriage with Munich's Lord Mayor and the Wiesn-Chef — a reminder that this is treated as a genuine civic occasion, not only a tourist spectacle.
The parade blends two distinct Bavarian traditions rarely combined at this scale: Tracht (regional folk costume) culture and Schützen (marksmen's guild) culture, with sport and mountain rifle clubs marching alongside costume associations from Bavaria, other German states, and — in 2026 — six other European countries. Six Munich breweries contribute decorated horse-drawn floats, though the parade itself is essentially non-alcoholic in character, a morning event centered on costume, music, and marksmanship rather than beer. Its roots trace to 1835, when it marked the silver wedding anniversary of King Ludwig I and Queen Therese; it recurred only for select anniversaries over the following century before becoming the fixed annual fixture it is today, commonly dated to around 1950. Organizers and Munich press describe it as one of the largest folk-costume parades in the world — a real distinction worth getting right, since the parade is genuinely major by any measure without needing an unqualified superlative to make the case.
Standing-room viewing is free along the entire route; paid grandstand seats (about €40 for 2026, or €60 combined with Saturday's separate Einzug der Wiesnwirte innkeepers' parade) sell out each spring and are worth arriving early for even with a ticket, since seating is unnumbered within each section. Expect significant tram and bus rerouting across central Munich from early morning to mid-afternoon on parade day — U-Bahn and S-Bahn are the reliable options. The parade concludes at Theresienwiese around midday, making an afternoon in the Oktoberfest tents the natural next stop once the roughly two-hour procession disperses the crowd. See more Munich civic parades or browse all Upper Bavaria.
History
First held in 1835 to mark the silver wedding anniversary of King Ludwig I and Queen Therese — the same year Oktoberfest turned 25 — with 86 decorated floats and more than 1,000 participants staging living tableaux of Kingdom-of-Bavaria life. It recurred only for select royal and civic anniversaries over the following century (1842, 1895, 1910, 1935) before becoming the fixed annual first-Sunday-of-Oktoberfest fixture it is today, commonly dated to around 1950, organized ever since by the Bavarian folk-culture association Festring München e.V.
On Tap
- Local focus
- Festbier waits at Theresienwiese — the parade ends at the grounds where every Big Six tent is already pouring.
- What to try
- A Maß in whichever tent still has midday tables after the Trachten parade arrives; many marchers celebrate inside in full costume.
- Food pairing
- Hendl and Brezen from the tent menu — you've earned a sit-down after standing along the 7 km route.
- Best for
- Tracht enthusiasts who want one of the world's largest folk-costume parades and a full Wiesn session the same day.
- Bavaria On Tap take
- Watch the parade for free, then walk straight into the tents — this is the best single day to see Bavaria dressed up and drinking together.
Frequently asked questions
- Was the 2026 Costume and Riflemen's Parade actually held?
- Yes — it ran as scheduled on Sunday, September 20, 2026, under near-perfect, clear conditions. New Münchner Kindl Sina Hochreiter led the procession on horseback for the first time in the role, and Bavaria's Minister-President Markus Söder rode along in a ceremonial carriage alongside Munich's Lord Mayor and the Wiesn-Chef.
- Is this really the world's largest folk-costume parade?
- Munich's own tourism portal and press consistently describe it as one of the largest folk-costume parades in the world, not the single largest — a distinction worth keeping straight, since it's still a genuinely major event by any measure (participant count, route length, spectator turnout).
- How many people took part and watched in 2026?
- Official post-event tallies put participants at roughly 8,267–9,000 across around 148 groups; police-estimated spectator turnout along the route ran roughly 180,000–250,000, depending on the source and timing of the count.
- Is the parade free to watch?
- Yes, standing-room viewing is free along the entire route. Paid grandstand seating is optional, not required, and ran about €40 for 2026.
- How is this different from Saturday's Einzug der Wiesnwirte?
- They're separate events with different routes and character. The innkeepers'/brewers' parade runs the Saturday before, while the Costume and Riflemen's Parade is the Sunday folk-costume and marksmen's procession — the two are easy to confuse but shouldn't be treated as the same event.
- When did the parade become an annual tradition?
- It's commonly dated to around 1950, after being staged only occasionally for royal and civic anniversaries in the century following its 1835 debut.
- What happens after the parade ends?
- It arrives at Theresienwiese around midday, feeding directly into an afternoon in the Oktoberfest tents — a natural next stop once the roughly two-hour morning procession disperses.
More in Munich
Other festivals and markets in Munich — or see the full Munich guide.
- Free entry