Oktoberfest is one of those festivals that has somehow managed to travel far beyond the place where it started. Today, you will find Oktoberfest celebrations in cities all over the world, including Mumbai, where restaurants, hotels, breweries and bars use the occasion to bring out beer, sausages, schnitzels, pretzels, live music and plenty of reasons to raise a glass. But at its heart, Oktoberfest is a huge folk festival from Munich, Germany, known for its beer tents, Bavarian food, music, traditional clothing, amusement rides and that very particular loud, cheerful atmosphere that comes with thousands of people celebrating together.
And despite the name, the original Munich Oktoberfest mostly happens in September. The festival traditionally begins in the second half of September and ends on the first Sunday of October, a change that dates back to the 19th century.
When Did Oktoberfest Start?
The first Oktoberfest was held in Munich on October 17, 1810, to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig, who later became King Ludwig I, and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. The people of Munich were invited to join the celebrations, which ended with a horse race held on a meadow outside the city. That meadow was later named Theresienwiese after the princess, and it remains the home of Oktoberfest today.
What started as a wedding celebration was repeated the following year, and slowly became an annual tradition. Agricultural displays, rides, food stalls and other entertainment were added over time, and beer eventually became one of the biggest parts of the festival. The first beer tents arrived much later, in 1896, while the famous tradition of the mayor tapping the first keg began in 1950.
The move towards a September start also came much later. In 1872, Oktoberfest was moved earlier in the year to take advantage of the generally milder September weather. So the name stayed, even though most of the actual festival takes place before October begins.
Mumbai obviously cannot recreate the Munich festival completely, but that has not stopped the city from having some fun with it. This year, there are several places to celebrate Oktoberfest Mumbai 2026, ranging from large outdoor celebrations to Bavarian-inspired hotel menus and casual beer-focused gatherings.
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Oktoberfest Mumbai 2026
1. Lotus Café
At Lotus Café inside JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu, Oktoberfest is taking a very food-first approach. From September 26 to October 4, the restaurant is putting together a seasonal menu inspired by Bavarian and wider German cooking, with plenty of sausages, schnitzel and hearty dishes designed for sharing.
The German Sausage Bar is one of the main attractions, with Pork Nuremberger Sausages, Pork Speck Bratwurst, Pork Meatloaf with Black Pepper, Smoked Chicken Krakauer, Chicken Sage Onion Sausage and Smoked Chicken Frankfurter. They come with mashed potatoes, onion gravy and mustard, which is pretty much the sort of combination you want when you are going all in on an Oktoberfest meal.
There are also dishes such as Trier-style Flieten, Königsberger Klopse, Bavarian-style Schweinebraten, Brathendle, German potato pancakes, schnitzel, spätzle and knödel. The dessert section brings in Apple Strudel, Bundt Cake and Bienenstich.
On the beer side, guests can order Bira 91 Hefeweizen, Oktoberfest Lager, Belgian Wheat and Coffee Stout by the glass, along with beer buckets featuring brands including Corona, Erdinger, Carlsberg, Budweiser and Hoegaarden.
Date: September 26 – October 4, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Venue: Lotus Café, JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu
Price: INR 3,400++ for non-alcoholic dinner, drinks on actuals
Tickets: Reservations at the venue
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2. Jio World Drive
If you want something that feels more like a festival than a restaurant meal, the fifth edition of Oktoberfest at Jio World Drive is probably the one to look at. The outdoor celebration at the TGCO Monsoon Hangar combines beer and food with live entertainment, Bavarian Schuhplattler dancers, music and a challenge zone.
The games are a slightly more chaotic part of the experience, with beer chugging, couple balancing, sausage tug of war, beer stein shuffle and ball-in-the-basket challenges. There will also be live bands and percussion performances through the day.
Food and beer are charged separately, so the entry ticket is not an all-inclusive package. BookMyShow lists tickets from INR 699, with the event running for eight hours from 2 PM and entry restricted to guests aged 21 and above.
Date: September 26 – 27, 2026
Time: From 2:00 PM
Venue: TGCO Monsoon Hangar, South Sky, Jio World Drive, BKC
Price: INR 699 onwards; food and beer charged separately
Tickets: BookMyShow
3. SOCIAL
SOCIAL is keeping things a little more casual with its PROST N’ DOST Oktoberfest campaign across its Mumbai outlets until October 10. The idea is less about recreating a German beer hall and more about getting groups together over draught beer, food and games.
There will be Beer-lympics, including the Sip to the Beak challenge, alongside pitchers and towers for larger groups. The food menu includes charred corn ribs with Bloody Mary glaze, BBQ mushroom baos, salchipapas, smoked jackfruit quesadilla, BBQ chicken drumsticks and sausage-based dishes. There is also a grilled pineapple cake to finish things off.
The campaign runs across Mumbai SOCIAL outlets, so it works particularly well for a post-work gathering where nobody wants to organise a complicated plan.
Date: Till October 10, 2026
Time: As per outlet timings
Venue: Across SOCIAL outlets in Mumbai
Price: Around INR 1,500 for two
Tickets: Reservations via Socialoffline.in, District, Swiggy Dineout and EazyDiner
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4. Frangipani
For something a little slower, Frangipani at Trident Nariman Point is also joining the Oktoberfest season with a Sunday brunch on September 27. This one is aimed more at people who would rather sit down for a long afternoon meal than spend the day at a large beer festival.
The Trident’s Frangipani is known for its Mediterranean-focused dining, and the Oktoberfest brunch brings the Bavarian theme into the weekend meal with German-inspired food and drinks. Since this is a hotel brunch rather than a ticketed outdoor festival, it is a better fit for families, groups or anyone looking for a more relaxed way to mark the occasion.
Date: September 27, 2026
Time: Check with Frangipani for the brunch session
Venue: Frangipani, Trident Nariman Point, Mumbai
Price: INR 4484 onwards
Tickets: District
5. Mumbai Meri Jaan Oktober Fest
If you want to spend your evening at a proper Oktoberfest-style celebration rather than just heading out for a beer and dinner, Mumbai Meri Jaan Oktober Fest 2026 is another event to have on the list. Taking place at Avenue 5 in BKC on October 10, the celebration brings together live music, food, beverages, games and cultural entertainment, with the idea being more of a social festival than a sit-down dining experience.
Date: October 10, 2026
Time: From 3 PM onwards
Venue: Avenue 5, G Block BKC, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400051, India
Price: From INR 1000
Tickets: District
Author’s Note
Oktoberfest is one of those festivals I would happily use as an excuse to plan a food-focused weekend. I like that Mumbai does not try to make every celebration exactly the same. One place can go all out with sausages and Bavarian dishes, another can turn it into a large outdoor beer festival, while somewhere else it becomes a long Sunday brunch.
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Summing Up
Oktoberfest may have started as a royal wedding celebration in Munich, but it has grown into a global festival built around beer, food, music and simply having a good time. Mumbai’s 2026 celebrations bring their own local spin, giving you everything from Bavarian feasts and outdoor games to casual beer gatherings and a relaxed Sunday brunch.
