Munich Springfest (aka Frühlingsfest) is a really fun Bavarian folk festival you may not have heard of. Sure, you know all about Oktoberfest, but what about “Oktoberfest’s little sister?” She may not be as popular as her big brother, but she still knows how to have one hell of a good time.
This quick and easy guide lays out all the essential things you need to know about Munich Springfest. And feel free to ask any questions I didn’t cover in the comment section. Prost!
What is Munich Springfest?
Munich Springfest—or Frühlingsfest as it’s known in Germany—is a traditional Bavarian volksfest held in Munich each spring. Or, what you might call a springtime version of Oktoberfest. There are the traditional beer tents serving liters of beer, big plates of Bavarian food, dirndls and lederhosen, loud music, dancing, and just general merriment galore. Same (epic) shit, different season.
Not nearly as old as Oktoberfest, Frühlingsfest in Munich dates back to only 1965. No royal weddings involved, just a feral need to party. (See all the other ways these two festivals differ from each other here.)
When is Munich Springfest?
Like Oktoberfest, the exact dates for Munich’s Frühlingsfest change every year. But it always starts around mid-April and lasts for two weeks.
Munich Springfest 2025 will take place from Friday, April 25 – Sunday, May 11.
As far as opening times, Frühlingsfest (and the beer tents) are open from:
- Monday to Friday: 11am – 11pm
- Saturday & Sunday: 10am – 11pm
- Last call: 10:30pm
Where is Munich Springfest?
Conveniently, Munich’s Springfest takes place at the exact same place as Oktoberfest—the Theresienwiese, which is just a wee bit southwest of the historic Old Town.
Make sure to read my post on everything there is to see and do in Munich while you’re here.
How to get to Munich Springfest
The easiest way to get to Frühlingsfest is to take the U-bahn (either the U4 or U5) to the Theresienwiese stop. From here, it’s just a 2-minute walk to the festival entrance.
Otherwise, you can take any of the S-bahn trains to either the Hauptbahnhof (main train station) or the Hackerbrücke stop. It’s a 15-minute walk to the festival entrance from both. Here’s a current Munich transit map to help you plan, and you can check train schedules on bahn.com.
Munich Springfest beer tents
Unlike Oktoberfest which has 17 large beer tents and 21 small ones, Frühlingsfest only has two beer tents. Little sister, indeed. They are:
- Festhalle Bayernland
- Hippodrom
Festhalle Bayernland Springfest tent
The Festhalle Bayernland beer tent at Springfest is the bigger of the two and my personal favorite. It holds upwards of 5,000 people and pours only Augustiner beer. They have the best music, the best atmosphere, and definitely the best beer. Also, pictures look normal in here. (You’ll know what I mean in a second.)
This tent is also the oldest one at Frühlingsfest, having joined the party just a few years after the start of the festival. You can find more info about Festhalle Bayernland here.
Hippodrom tent
With seating for just 2,000 people, the Hippodrom is the smaller tent at Munich Springfest. This tent serves Spaten beer and has more of a bougie vibe if I had to nail down a description. Also, it’s impossible to take photos in here, unless you like looking like a tragic sunburn victim. Yes this is important! More info on the Hippodrom here.
When I attended Munich Springfest in 2024, I was actually in the Hippodrom tent when the Carolina Panthers announced their NFL draft pick. There was a big Carolina Panthers party here. It was weird. (The reason being that the Carolina Panthers would also be playing a regular season game in Munich that fall. I think they have a decent-sized fan base here.)
Fun fact: The Hippodrom used to be one of the big tents at Oktoberfest until it was replaced in 2014 by the Marstall tent after its owner Sepp Krätz was convicted of tax evasion. (As well as being accused of several other criminal charges, including abuse of his employees.) And yes, this is the same man running the Hippodrom at Frühlingsfest today, so pardon me if I dip out early.
Also check out: 12 Reasons to Attend Munich Frühlingsfest
What to wear to Munich Springfest
Dressing for Frühlingsfest is the same as dressing for Oktoberfest or any other Bavarian folk festival—dirndls for women, lederhosen for men. But of course you can wear your regular everyday clothes if you don’t want to fully commit to the celebration. (Or something awesome from my Oktoberfest shop!)
Obviously, there’s much more to know besides just that so you’ll want to check out my post on how to dress for Oktoberfest for all the details. I also have a post on where to shop for dirndls and lederhosen in Munich (and online) that you may find useful too.
Munich Springfest food and drink
Being a Bavarian volksfest, the food and drink is as you’d expect—big brats, big beers, big happy bellies.
Frühlingsfest beer
Like Oktoberfest, only beer from Munich’s “Big Six” breweries is sold at Munich Springfest. (And it only comes in liters.) In the Festhalle Bayernland tent you’ll find only Augustiner; in the Hippodrom you’ll find only Spaten.
However, outside the tents you’ll find several other beer gardens and such where you can get beers from the others, like:
- Hacker-Pschorr
- Hofbräu
- Löwenbräu
- Paulaner
One liter of beer at Munich Springfest will cost you around €14, without tip.
You can also find wheat beer in the Weißbiergarten and the Wießbier Alm, Prosecco in the Proseccostüberl, and you can drink Hofbräu in the Bierkarussell (yeah, it’s a bar that spins).
The beer tents also sell wine—white, rosé, red, and sparkling—and a variety of schnapps. And of course, coffee, tea, sodas, and other non-alcoholic beverages.
Frühlingsfest food
Each of the tents has their own unique food menu, and you can find tons of other options at food stalls outside the tents. Take your pick from bratwursts, schnitzel, roast pork, pork knuckles, and of course ½ chickens (to name just a few).
Food menus
Take a look at last year’s menus to get an idea of what to expect in terms of what’s on offer and how much it all costs: (I’ll update these links as soon as they do.)
- Festhalle Bayernland 2024 food menu
- Hippodrom food menu (the most recent one they have available online is from 2019, so the prices are way off I’m sure)
Munich Springfest music & atmosphere
Because Munich Frühlingsfest doesn’t have to adhere to the strict rules and traditions that Oktoberfest does, the party here doesn’t waste any time. While at Oktoberfest it takes the party a bit to get going, I was standing on my bench in record time at Frühlingsfest.
The objective at Festhalle Bayernland is party. People sit down for their evening reservations and BOOM, party time. Upbeat party music all night long, the same typical Schlager hits and classic rock jams you’ll hear at Oktoberfest. (To give you an idea, check out my Oktoberfest Spotify playlist here.) They even played songs from bands like Linkin Park and Rammstein which I was especially psyched about.
I’m specifically talking about the post-5pm hours inside the tents. Before that, it’s a super chill, mostly empty time. Oktoberfest can get going pretty early in the day, but the party at Frühlingsfest is all at night.
Something else I find awesome about Frühlingsfest is that they have the original bands and singers of these famous hit songs actually performing in the tents. In 2024, I just missed DJ Otzi (who sings “Hey Baby”). I mean, these aren’t the biggest names in music, but it’s still thrilling when you’ve heard these songs about a thousand times at these festivals.
The vibe at the Hippodrom is much more subdued. Some instrumental stuff while everyone eats dinner. (Yes, there was like an official dinner time.) And then light Miley Cyrus and such. They aim to be a little more refined here, so if a calmer festival experience is what you’re after, head here I guess? Otherwise, I was bored.
How do you get a table at Munich Springfest?
Like Oktoberfest, Munich Springfest is free to enter, as are the beer tents. You don’t need a reservation to visit, but if you have enough people in your group, you might want one. If there’s just a couple of you, you can show up and try your luck at finding some empty spots. It shouldn’t be too hard, especially if you go during the week.
The thing about beer tent reservations though is that you have a minimum number you can reserve. At Festhalle Bayernland, you can only reserve an entire 10-person table. If there are 10 of you, perfect; if there are 8, great! You can certainly reserve a table regardless of how many people are actually in your group, but you’ll still pay for the equivalent of 10 people. (That just means you’ll get 10-people’s worth of beer and food vouchers.) At the Hippodrom, you can only reserve spots for 4 people or more.
Each tent has its own system that includes different reservation times and different areas of the tent that you can reserve, etc. To reserve a table, you have to do so directly with the tents (and everything is in German, so good luck). Here are the pages you need:
What else is there to do at Munich Springfest?
If beer tents aren’t really your thing or you just want to experience it all, there’s plenty to do at Frühlingsfest to occupy your time and attention.
There are fun rides and lots of vendor stalls and beer gardens. There’s an opening parade, fireworks on Friday nights, and the Day of Customs when the brass bands and traditional costume clubs get together, dance, and just generally entertain the masses.
You can even do lots of shopping. On the first Saturday of the festival there’s a giant flea market on the Theresienwiese—the biggest in Bavaria actually. Hosted by the Bavarian Red Cross, this flea market hosts around 2,000 vendors.
The next day (the first Sunday) is the classic car show. Owners of all kinds of classic cars come from all over Bavaria to show off their rare and unique vehicles.
Other things you need to know for Frühlingsfest
In addition to the basics above, here are a few more things you need to know about Frühlingsfest before you go:
- Springfest is free to enter and no tickets or passes are required. Same goes for the beer tents.
- The festival is almost entirely cash only, especially inside the beer tents.
- Always tip your servers and the bathroom attendants who have more than earned it.
Where to stay for Munich Springfest
I have an entire post dedicated to the best hotels to stay at for Oktoberfest, and since Frühlingsfest takes place at the same spot, those recommendations all hold up for this festival too. So, if you want the full list, click that link above. Otherwise, here’s the short list of hotels I’d recommend:
See my full list of Munich hotel recommendations here; or just browse all Munich hotel options here.
More info for your trip to Munich
Like this post? Have any other questions about Munich Springfest? Let me know in the comments below. Have fun in Germany!
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