Next dates
2027 dates not yet announced — typically around September. We're watching and will update this page when they land.
Quick answer
Volksfest Freising is a volksfest in Freising, Bavaria, running 4–13 September 2026 in the Luitpoldanlage. The 95th Freisinger Volksfest shares one Festzelt between two hometown breweries — Hofbräuhaus Freising pours through 8 September, then Weihenstephan takes over through closing — with free entry to the grounds. The 2026 edition set a new visitor record: 179,126 guests over the ten days, up 31.8% on 2025.
- Best for
- Visitors who want a classic, compact Upper Bavarian Volksfest without Oktoberfest's scale — free grounds entry, a roughly seven-minute walk from Freising's train station, and a two-brewery tradition unique to this festival. A good fit for families, thanks to Thursday's Kindernachmittag and a dedicated family area in the tent, and for beer travelers curious about tasting both Hofbräuhaus Freising and Weihenstephan festbier across a return visit. Less suited to visitors chasing late-night club nightlife beyond the separate 18+ Weinhalle/Nachtcafé.
- Booking urgency
- Grounds entry is free and unticketed. Festzelt tables can be reserved in advance through the tent operator's own online booking page — worth doing for peak evenings, especially the second Saturday, which has historically been the festival's busiest day. No reservation is needed for general fairground access.
Ten days in Freising's Luitpoldanlage — Hofbrauhaus & Weihenstephan festbier, 55+ rides, fireworks, and a family Thursday.
The 95th Freisinger Volksfest (4–13 Sept 2026) turns the Luitpoldanlage into a classic Upper Bavarian Wiesn. The big tent serves Gräfliches Hofbrauhaus Freising then Weihenstephan festbier; more than 55 rides and food stands fill over 20,000 m². Highlights include the opening parade, Wednesday fireworks, and a children's afternoon with discounted rides.
The full story
The 95th Freisinger Volksfest ran 4–13 September 2026 in the Luitpoldanlage, and it was the biggest edition on record: 179,126 visitors over the ten days, up 31.8% on 2025 and 45.8% on 2024, with the second Saturday the single busiest day at 28,467 guests. More than 55 rides and food stands filled over 20,000 square meters, and the festival's one Festzelt kept its signature two-brewery handover — Gräfliches Hofbrauhaus Freising poured through 8 September, then Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan took over through closing on the 13th. Together the two breweries poured 659.08 hectoliters of festbier, roughly 3,000 Maß more than 2025, tracking the record crowd.
The record year coincided with a changing of the guard: Holger Nagl and Jürgen Hanetzok, trading as "Hammerwirt," ran the big tent for the first time in 2026, the opening year of a three-year contract succeeding longtime Festwirt Jochen Mörz. City officials, police and the Red Cross all described the run as unusually peaceful for its size — nine bodily-harm cases (one classed as dangerous), three thefts, and zero robbery or sexual-offense reports, with no resistance against emergency responders for the first time on record. The ten days closed with a €10,000 donation to charity from festival proceeds.
For visitors: grounds entry is free; a Festzelt Maß runs €12.40 and a half-Hendl €12.80, excluding service. Freising Bahnhof is about a seven-minute walk from the grounds (S1 from Munich Hbf, roughly 30–40 minutes), and weekend Volksfest-Express shuttles run from surrounding Ampertal communities. Families should plan around Thursday 10 September's Kindernachmittag — discounted rides all day plus a free Kasperltheater at 15:30 — and the Wednesday 9 September fireworks at 21:30. Service staff take card payment and there's an ATM on site, but the digital payment system doesn't always work reliably, so bring cash as a backup for rides, stalls, and quick drink orders. Festzelt tables can be reserved online in advance, worth doing given how busy the tent got in 2026. Explore more Upper Bavaria Volksfeste or browse all Upper Bavaria.
History
The Freisinger Volksfest traces to 1874, when the city combined a Volksfest with an agricultural district fair; a severe Isar flood interrupted the tradition in 1899 for roughly three decades before it relaunched in 1929 at its current Luitpoldanlage site, which has hosted the festival ever since. 2026 marked the 95th edition (consistent with the city's own count of the 92nd in 2023) and was a record year: 179,126 visitors over the ten days, up 31.8% on 2025, with a new Festwirt team — Holger Nagl and Juergen Hanetzok, trading as 'Hammerwirt' — debuting in the first year of a three-year contract. The run was also unusually peaceful for its size (zero robbery or sexual-offense reports) and closed with a €10,000 charity donation from proceeds.
On Tap
- Local focus
- The 95th Freisinger Volksfest, with Hofbrauhaus and Weihenstephan festbier served under one tent in the Luitpoldanlage.
- What to try
- The shared tent pouring both Hofbrauhaus and Weihenstephan festbier.
- Best for
- Visitors wanting Freising's milestone 95th Volksfest in one compact park setting.
- Bavaria On Tap take
- A 95th-anniversary edition packing two well-known Freising breweries into a single festival tent.
Practical tips
The English-language details German fest pages usually skip.
- Nearest station
- Freising Bahnhof (S1), then walk/bus to Luitpoldanlage
- From Munich
- S-Bahn S1 from Munich Hbf to Freising (~30–40 min), then short walk or bus to the Luitpoldanlage. Weekend Volksfest-Express buses from Ampertal communities also run.
- Cash vs card
- Festzelt service staff take card payment and there's an ATM on site, but the new digital payment system introduced by the Hammerwirt team doesn't always work reliably — bring cash as a backup for rides, stalls, and quick drink orders.
- Reservations
- Festzelt tables: online reservation through the tent operator's own booking page.
- Kids / family
- Kindernachmittag Thu 10 Sept — discounted rides all day; free Kasperltheater 15:30. Dedicated family area in the Festzelt. Weinhalle/Nachtcafé: 18+ with ID check.
- What to wear
- Casual or Tracht; comfortable shoes for the fairground. Evenings can cool off in September.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Volksfest Freising in 2026?
- 4–13 September 2026 in the Luitpoldanlage. Festzelt daily ~11:00–24:00 (beer service to 23:30); fairground ~12:00–24:00.
- Is entry free?
- Grounds entry is free. You pay for rides, food, and beer — a Festzelt Maß runs €12.40 and a half-Hendl €12.80, excluding service.
- Where is it and how do I get there?
- Luitpoldanlage, Freising — about a seven-minute walk from Freising Bahnhof, reachable via S1 from Munich Hbf (roughly 30–40 minutes). Weekend Volksfest-Express shuttles also run from surrounding Ampertal communities, and night buses 640/641 run hourly from the festival exit.
- Can I pay by card, or should I bring cash?
- Card payment is available at service staff and there's an ATM in the tent, but the digital payment system doesn't always work reliably — bring some cash as a backup for rides, stalls, and quick drink orders.
- What should families know?
- Thursday 10 September is Kindernachmittag, with reduced ride prices all day and a free Kasperltheater at 15:30. There's a dedicated family area in the Festzelt near the playground.
- How busy was the 2026 Volksfest?
- It was a record year — 179,126 visitors over the ten days, up 31.8% on 2025, with the second Saturday the single busiest day. Expect the biggest crowds on weekend evenings and plan a table reservation accordingly.
- What's different about the beer at this Volksfest?
- The single Festzelt pours two hometown breweries across the run — Hofbräuhaus Freising through 8 September, then Weihenstephan from 9 September through closing — so a return visit lets you try both.
- Family-friendly
- Free entry
- Indoor / rain-friendly
- Reservation recommended